لا تَصحَبَنَّ أَخا نُسكٍ وَإِن نَسَكا

لا تَصحَبَنَّ أَخا نُسكٍ وَإِن نَسَكا

وَإِن فَتَكتَ فَكُن حَرباً لِمَن فَتَكا

وَإِن فَتَكتَ فَكُن حَرباً لِمَن فَتَكا

Never befriend a man of piety, even if he is devout.

Do not befriend one who is ascetic, though he may wear ascetic garb,

Do not keep company with the pious, no matter how devout,

And if you act wantonly, be a foe to whoever acts wantonly.

And if you fight, then fight like a warrior against your foe.

And if you strike, be a war to those who strike at you.

وَناعِمٍ قامَ يَسقيني فَقُلتُ لَهُ

وَناعِمٍ قامَ يَسقيني فَقُلتُ لَهُ

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِمَن هَذا فَقالَ لَكا

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِمَن هَذا فَقالَ لَكا

A tender youth rose to pour me a drink, and I said to him:

A youth serving me drink, I said "My life is yours," he just smiled.

A delicate youth stood to serve me wine, and I said to him,

“My soul be the ransom! For whom is this?” He said, “For you.”

So with my eyes I thanked him, he bashfully turned from me and laughed.

"May my soul be your ransom—for whom is this?" He answered, "For you."

فَقُلتُ بِالشُكرِ مِن عَينَيكَ آخُذُهُ

فَقُلتُ بِالشُكرِ مِن عَينَيكَ آخُذُهُ

فَصَدَّ مِن خَجَلٍ مِنّي وَما ضَحِكا

فَصَدَّ مِن خَجَلٍ مِنّي وَما ضَحِكا

I said, “With thanks, I take it from your eyes.”

I said it not meaning it, only to embarrass him,

I said, "With gratitude, I take it from your eyes,"

Then he turned away from me in embarrassment and did not laugh.

Had I repeated it, he would have wept.

But he turned away from me in shyness, and did not smile.

ما قُلتِ ما قُلتُهُ إِلّا لِأُخجِلَهُ

ما قُلتِ ما قُلتُهُ إِلّا لِأُخجِلَهُ

وَلَو أَعَدتُ عَلَيهِ مِثلَهُ لَبَكى

وَلَو أَعَدتُ عَلَيهِ مِثلَهُ لَبَكى

You said what I said only so that I might embarrass him.

A noble girl we bought for a dirham,

I only spoke those words to make him blush,

And had I repeated the like of it to him, he would have wept.

From the womb of a blackened, branded Abyssinian, not freeborn.

For had I repeated them, he surely would have wept.

وَبِنتِ كَرمٍ سَفَكناها بِدِرهَمِنا

وَبِنتِ كَرمٍ سَفَكناها بِدِرهَمِنا

مِن بَطنِ أَسحَمَ مُسوَدٍّ وَما سُفِكا

مِن بَطنِ أَسحَمَ مُسوَدٍّ وَما سُفِكا

And a daughter of the vine—we poured her out for our dirham,

Her stumps for hands are like severed limbs,

And a daughter of the vine we poured out for a dirham,

From the belly of a coal-black, blackened vessel, though it was not itself bled.

Expecting neither firewood nor work from them.

From the belly of a pitch-black skin, though no blood was shed.

كَأَنَّ أَكرُعَهُ أَيدٍ مُقَطَّعَةٌ

كَأَنَّ أَكرُعَهُ أَيدٍ مُقَطَّعَةٌ

لا يَرتَجي قَوَداً مِنها وَلا دَرَكا

لا يَرتَجي قَوَداً مِنها وَلا دَرَكا

As though its legs were severed hands,

When mixed with water and blended,

Its legs appeared like hands severed at the wrist,

It expects no retaliation from them, nor any redress.

The blending produced for her a pearl necklace.

Seeking neither blood money nor revenge for the loss.

حَتّى إِذا مُزِجَت بِالماءِ وَاِختَلَطَت

حَتّى إِذا مُزِجَت بِالماءِ وَاِختَلَطَت

حاكَ المِزاجُ لَها مِن لُؤلُؤٍ فَلَكا

حاكَ المِزاجُ لَها مِن لُؤلُؤٍ فَلَكا

Until, when she was mixed with water and blended,

Until, when she was mingled with the water,

The mingling wove for her an orbit of pearls.

The mixture wove for her a galaxy of pearls.