يا حاكياً فضلَ الخلي

يا حاكياً فضلَ الخلي

لِ وناشراً عِلْمَ المُبَرِّدْ

لِ وناشراً عِلْمَ المُبَرِّدْ

O you who emulate al-Khalil's excellence

O you who recount the virtues of the sincere friend

And spread al-Mubarrad's learning!

And spread the knowledge of Al-Mubarrad

وتجمعتْ فيه الفضا

وتجمعتْ فيه الفضا

ئلُ كلُّها وبها تفرَّدْ

ئلُ كلُّها وبها تفرَّدْ

And in him the virtues have gathered—

In whom all the virtues gathered

All of them; through them he stands alone.

And with them he was singular

أَهديتَ لي شعراً هُدي

أَهديتَ لي شعراً هُدي

تُ بنجمه لمّا توقّدْ

تُ بنجمه لمّا توقّدْ

You gave me verse; I was guided

You gifted me with poetry whose star

By its star when it blazed.

Illuminated when it sparked

نظم كدُرِّ الثغرِ أو

نظم كدُرِّ الثغرِ أو

زَرَدِ العِذار أتى مُزَرَّدْ

زَرَدِ العِذار أتى مُزَرَّدْ

Verse like the pearls of a mouth, or

Its rhymes were like the confusion of lips

The mail-links of cheek-down, came interlinked.

Or the glittering of bracelets interlaced

يُنبي عن الوجدِ الشدي

يُنبي عن الوجدِ الشدي

دِ لديكَ والصّبرِ المُشَرَّدْ

دِ لديكَ والصّبرِ المُشَرَّدْ

It tells of the intense longing

It warned of intense passion for you

Within you, and of patience driven away.

And unbridled patience

أقبلْ ولا تَحْرَدْ ومُ

أقبلْ ولا تَحْرَدْ ومُ

رُّ القولِ منه المرءُ يَحْرَدْ

رُّ القولِ منه المرءُ يَحْرَدْ

Come forward, and do not be angry; bitter

Come without resistance, for

Speech is what makes a person angry.

Words flow gently from the resistant

أترومُ بالشّعر المُنَى

أترومُ بالشّعر المُنَى

هلاَ وكان الشَّعْرُ أسودُ

هلاَ وكان الشَّعْرُ أسودُ

Do you seek your desires through poetry?

Do I hope for wishes with poetry

Why not when your hair was black?

While poetry is but blackness

الشعرُ لا تُصغي له

الشعرُ لا تُصغي له

خَودٌ ولا يَنقادُ أَمْرَدْ

خَودٌ ولا يَنقادُ أَمْرَدْ

Poetry is not heeded

Poetry does not heed a rosy cheek

By a young beauty, nor does a beardless youth yield.

Nor can it tame the recalcitrant

إسْمَعْ هُدِيتَ نَصيحتي

إسْمَعْ هُدِيتَ نَصيحتي

فالنُّصحُ لي بالصّدقِ يَشْهَدُ

فالنُّصحُ لي بالصّدقِ يَشْهَدُ

Listen—may you be guided—to my counsel.

Listen to my sincere advice

For counsel bears witness to my truthfulness.

For I swear to you in truth

عُدْ وارضَ عن أَهلِ الربا

عُدْ وارضَ عن أَهلِ الربا

طِ وأرضهمْ فالعَوْدُ أَحمدْ

طِ وأرضهمْ فالعَوْدُ أَحمدْ

Return, and be pleased with the people of the ribat,

Return and be pleased with the people of the highland

And please them, for returning is more praiseworthy.

And their land, for returning is best

لاطِفْهمُ فالمرءُ يب

لاطِفْهمُ فالمرءُ يب

لغُ بالتلطُّفِ كلَّ مَقْصدْ

لغُ بالتلطُّفِ كلَّ مَقْصدْ

Be gentle with them, for a person reaches

Be gentle with them, for one

Every goal through gentleness.

Attains all goals by being gentle

إن كلّفوكَ غرامةً

إن كلّفوكَ غرامةً

فابْتَعْ لشيخ القومِ مِقوَدْ

فابْتَعْ لشيخ القومِ مِقوَدْ

If they impose a fine on you,

If they fine you

Then buy the community's elder a halter.

Buy the chief a staff

واطلبْ جوارَ بريكةٍ

واطلبْ جوارَ بريكةٍ

فالدَّارُ بالجيرانِ تحمدْ

فالدَّارُ بالجيرانِ تحمدْ

And seek to be Burayka's neighbor,

And seek the neighborhood of Barikah

For a house is praised for its neighbors.

For a house is praised for its neighbors

ولجِ الغُريفةَ وارْقَ في

ولجِ الغُريفةَ وارْقَ في

ها حَسْبَ ما تختارُ واصعدْ

ها حَسْبَ ما تختارُ واصعدْ

And enter the little chamber, and climb within

Enter Ghurayfah and climb it

It as you choose, and ascend.

As you wish, then ascend

قد أُكرِيَتْ فاقعُدْ إلى

قد أُكرِيَتْ فاقعُدْ إلى

وقتِ الفراغِ لها بمرصَدْ

وقتِ الفراغِ لها بمرصَدْ

It has already been rented out, so sit until

You have been hired so sit

It falls vacant, keeping watch for it.

At leisure time on its watch