لِمَن وَاللَيالي غَيرُ مُعتِبَةِ الفَتى

لِمَن وَاللَيالي غَيرُ مُعتِبَةِ الفَتى

وَأَهلُ اللَيالي كَاللَيالي أَعاتِبُ

وَأَهلُ اللَيالي كَاللَيالي أَعاتِبُ

Whom can I reproach, when the nights make no amends to a young man,

To whom—when the nights grant a young man no redress,

and the people of the nights are like the nights themselves?

and the people of the nights are like the nights—do I address reproach?

وَلَو سَمِعَت أَو لَم تَدَبَّرَ أَهلُها

وَلَو سَمِعَت أَو لَم تَدَبَّرَ أَهلُها

عِتابي لَكانَ البَحرَ فيهِ العَجائِبُ

عِتابي لَكانَ البَحرَ فيهِ العَجائِبُ

Had their people heard—or failed to ponder—

And if the nights heard, or their people did not ponder

my reproach, the sea would have held wonders.

my reproach, it would be a sea with wonders within.

وَلَكِن إِذا عادَ الِتابُ بِذِلَّةٍ

وَلَكِن إِذا عادَ الِتابُ بِذِلَّةٍ

فَأَحسَنُ شَيءٍ أَن تُصانَ المَعاتِبُ

فَأَحسَنُ شَيءٍ أَن تُصانَ المَعاتِبُ

But when reproach comes back bearing humiliation,

But when reproach brings humiliation,

the finest course is to keep one’s reproaches to oneself.

then the best thing is to keep reproaches guarded.

وَما أَقبَلوا عِلماً بِما قالَ قاطِفٌ

وَما أَقبَلوا عِلماً بِما قالَ قاطِفٌ

وَلا أَعرَضوا عِلماً بِما قالَ حاطِبُ

وَلا أَعرَضوا عِلماً بِما قالَ حاطِبُ

They never knowingly heeded what a fruit-picker said,

And they did not draw near knowing what a fruit-picker said,

nor knowingly turned away from what a wood-gatherer said.

nor did they turn away knowing what a wood-gatherer said.

إِذا العَتبُ لَم يُكسِبكَ إِلّا عَداوَةً

إِذا العَتبُ لَم يُكسِبكَ إِلّا عَداوَةً

فَما العَتبُ إِلّا شَرُّ ما أَنتَ كاسِبُ

فَما العَتبُ إِلّا شَرُّ ما أَنتَ كاسِبُ

When reproach earns you nothing but enmity,

If reproach earns you nothing but enmity,

reproach is the worst thing you can earn.

then reproach is nothing but the worst thing you gain.

فَلا تَختَدِع نَفسي بِكَسبِ رَغيبَةٍ

فَلا تَختَدِع نَفسي بِكَسبِ رَغيبَةٍ

فَلا ساعَفَتها إِن لَوتَها الرَغائِبُ

فَلا ساعَفَتها إِن لَوتَها الرَغائِبُ

So let not my own soul beguile me with the winning of some coveted prize;

So let my soul not be beguiled by gaining a coveted prize;

may I never indulge it if coveted things sway it.

so may coveted things not aid it if they twist it.

فَلا أَنا مَحروبٌ لِمالِ سُلِبتُهُ

فَلا أَنا مَحروبٌ لِمالِ سُلِبتُهُ

وَلا عُقَدُ الأَموالِ عِندي حَرائِبُ

وَلا عُقَدُ الأَموالِ عِندي حَرائِبُ

For I am no man left bereft over wealth of which I was robbed,

For I am not bereft over wealth taken from me,

nor are the bonds of hope, in my keeping, spoils for the taking.

nor are holdings of wealth, to me, vital riches lost to plunder.

مَتاعٌ قَليلٌ يُتعِبُ الحُرَّ كَسبُهُ

مَتاعٌ قَليلٌ يُتعِبُ الحُرَّ كَسبُهُ

لَقَد هَوَّنَت حُرَّ المَتاعِ المَتاعِبُ

لَقَد هَوَّنَت حُرَّ المَتاعِ المَتاعِبُ

A paltry possession, whose earning wearies the freeborn man—

Scant possessions, whose acquisition wearies the free man;

hardships have indeed cheapened even the choicest possession.

indeed, hardships have cheapened the choicest possessions.

وَإِن هَجَّنَ الكَسبَ المِكاسُ وَشانَهُ

وَإِن هَجَّنَ الكَسبَ المِكاسُ وَشانَهُ

فَما هَجَّنَتني بِالمِكاسِ المَكاسِبُ

فَما هَجَّنَتني بِالمِكاسِ المَكاسِبُ

Though haggling makes gain ignoble and mars it,

And even if haggling debases gain and disgraces it,

my gains have never made me ignoble through haggling.

yet gains have not debased me through haggling.