أَبا نَهشَلٍ لِأَبي غانِمٍ

أَبا نَهشَلٍ لِأَبي غانِمٍ

خَلائِقُ يوحِشنَ مِن جانِبِه

خَلائِقُ يوحِشنَ مِن جانِبِه

O Abū Nahshal, Abū Ghānim has

For Abu Nahshal for Abu Ghanim

Traits that make one recoil from his presence:

Habits alienate from his side

بِغاءٌ يَعودُ عَلى نَفسِهِ

بِغاءٌ يَعودُ عَلى نَفسِهِ

وَشُؤمٌ يَعودُ عَلى صاحِبِه

وَشُؤمٌ يَعودُ عَلى صاحِبِه

Prostitution that rebounds upon himself,

Whoring recoils upon itself

And ill fortune that rebounds upon his companion.

And ill omen recoils upon its owner

وَمِن عَجَبِ الدَهرِ أَنَّ الأَميـ

وَمِن عَجَبِ الدَهرِ أَنَّ الأَميـ

ـرَ أَصبَحَ أَكتَبَ مِن كاتِبِه

ـرَ أَصبَحَ أَكتَبَ مِن كاتِبِه

And among time's wonders is that the emir

And of the wonders of fate is that the unlettered

Has become a better writer than his scribe.

Has become more literary than his writer