عُيَيْنَةُ أمسكتَ العجوز تُريدُها

عُيَيْنَةُ أمسكتَ العجوز تُريدُها

عَتاداً يُفيدُ اليُسْرَ مَن كان مُعسِرَا

عَتاداً يُفيدُ اليُسْرَ مَن كان مُعسِرَا

‘Uyaynah, you held the old woman, wanting her

Uyaynah, you have detained the old woman wanting

as a resource to bring prosperity to one in hardship.

A loan that would aid one afflicted with poverty

ضَنَنْتَ بأُمِّ الحَيِّ تُغْلِي فِدَاءَها

ضَنَنْتَ بأُمِّ الحَيِّ تُغْلِي فِدَاءَها

فَيَا لَكَ رأياً غَيرُهُ كانَ أجْدَرَا

فَيَا لَكَ رأياً غَيرُهُ كانَ أجْدَرَا

You clung to the clan’s mother, inflating her ransom.

You were stingy with Umm Al-Hayy as her ransom

So, what a judgment of yours—another would have been more fitting!

Oh, how I wish you had chosen better judgment

تَسُومُ زُهيراً أن يَزيدَكَ ضلَّةً

تَسُومُ زُهيراً أن يَزيدَكَ ضلَّةً

عَلَى مائةٍ لو كان غِرّاً لأكثرا

عَلَى مائةٍ لو كان غِرّاً لأكثرا

You ask Zuhayr, in folly, to offer you more

You barter with Zuhair to increase his misguidance

than a hundred; had he been gullible, he would have offered more.

For more than a hundred if he were an ingrate

رَمَاكَ به مَكراً خَفِيّاً فلم يَزَلْ

رَمَاكَ به مَكراً خَفِيّاً فلم يَزَلْ

يَضيقُ عليكَ الأمرُ حتى تَعَذَّرا

يَضيقُ عليكَ الأمرُ حتى تَعَذَّرا

He struck at you with it in a hidden ruse, and unceasingly

He has fooled you with hidden cunning and did not cease

the matter tightened around you until it became impossible.

Until the matter became too difficult for you

لقد كان فيما قالَ أوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

لقد كان فيما قالَ أوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

غِنَىً لَكَ لو كنتَ امرأً مُتَبَصِّرا

غِنَىً لَكَ لو كنتَ امرأً مُتَبَصِّرا

Indeed, in what he said the very first time

Surely what he said the first time

there was enough for you, had you been a discerning man.

Would have sufficed you, had you been a man of insight

يَظَلُّ يُرِيكَ الزُّهدَ في شَيْخَةٍ لهُ

يَظَلُّ يُرِيكَ الزُّهدَ في شَيْخَةٍ لهُ

يَرَاهَا مِنَ الدنيا أجَلَّ وأكبرا

يَرَاهَا مِنَ الدنيا أجَلَّ وأكبرا

He keeps showing you indifference toward his aged mother,

He continues to show you asceticism in his old age

whom he regards as more exalted and greater than the world.

Which he sees as greater and more venerable than the world

فَتَدعوه أقْبِلْ لستُ فيها بِرَاغبٍ

فَتَدعوه أقْبِلْ لستُ فيها بِرَاغبٍ

إذا بَلَغَ الأمرُ الفِداءَ الميَسَّرا

إذا بَلَغَ الأمرُ الفِداءَ الميَسَّرا

So you call to him: “Come; I have no interest in her,”

So you call him saying, I do not desire it

when the matter comes down to an affordable ransom.

When the matter of her ransom becomes feasible

فداها بِسِتٍّ لو أبيتَ لَسُقْتَها

فداها بِسِتٍّ لو أبيتَ لَسُقْتَها

إليه بلا شيءٍ وَحَسْبُكَ ما تَرَى

إليه بلا شيءٍ وَحَسْبُكَ ما تَرَى

He ransomed her for six; had you refused, you would have driven her

He ransomed her for six, had you refused

to him for nothing—and what you see is enough for you.

You would have given her to him for nothing, and it would suffice what you see

ألَيْسَتْ كما قالَ ابْنُها ما لمثلها

ألَيْسَتْ كما قالَ ابْنُها ما لمثلها

على الضَّنِّ إلا أن تموتَ فَتُقْبَرَا

على الضَّنِّ إلا أن تموتَ فَتُقْبَرَا

Is she not as her son said? For one like her,

Is she not, as her son said, one who for the likes of her

however jealously kept, there is only death and burial.

Except to die and be buried, there is no alternative to hardship

أما والذي لو شاءَ لم تَعْصِ أمرَهُ

أما والذي لو شاءَ لم تَعْصِ أمرَهُ

لقد جِئتَ أمراً يا عُيَيْنَةُ مُنكرا

لقد جِئتَ أمراً يا عُيَيْنَةُ مُنكرا

Indeed, by Him whose command you would not have defied had He willed,

By the One, if He willed, you would not disobey His command

you have indeed committed a reprehensible deed, O ‘Uyaynah.

You have come with a reprehensible matter, O Uyaynah

فنفسَكَ فَاحْمِلْها على البرِّ إنّه

فنفسَكَ فَاحْمِلْها على البرِّ إنّه

لأَربَحُ مِمّا تَحمِلُ الأرضُ مَتْجَرَا

لأَربَحُ مِمّا تَحمِلُ الأرضُ مَتْجَرَا

So urge your soul toward righteousness, for it

So carry your own self upon righteousness, for it

is a more profitable trade than anything the earth bears.

Is more profitable than what the cultivated land bears

وما طَمَعُ الإنسانِ فيما يفوته

وما طَمَعُ الإنسانِ فيما يفوته

إذا ما دَعَا الدّاعِي فَوَلَّى وأدبرا

إذا ما دَعَا الدّاعِي فَوَلَّى وأدبرا

And what good is man’s coveting what eludes him,

And mankind's hopes for what escapes him

when the caller calls, and he turns away and retreats?

If the caller calls and he turns away and leaves