يا مُطمِعي لَفظاً بِكُلَّه

يا مُطمِعي لَفظاً بِكُلَّه

وَالبُخلُ يَمنَعُ مِن لَعَلِّه

وَالبُخلُ يَمنَعُ مِن لَعَلِّه

O you who raise my hopes with words of 'all of it,'

O you who verbally promise everything

while stinginess bars even his 'perhaps.'

While miserliness prevents its fulfillment

قَد جارَ دَهرُكَ فَاِنتَظَر

قَد جارَ دَهرُكَ فَاِنتَظَر

نا عَودَةً مِن رَسمِ عَدلِه

نا عَودَةً مِن رَسمِ عَدلِه

Your age has dealt unjustly, so we awaited

Your time has been unfair, so wait

a return of its accustomed justice.

For justice to recur in its procedure

كَالبَحرِ يَمنَعُ مِلحَهُ

كَالبَحرِ يَمنَعُ مِلحَهُ

وَرداً وَيَمنَعُهُ بِبُخلِه

وَرداً وَيَمنَعُهُ بِبُخلِه

Like the sea: its salt bars

Like the sea that holds back its salt

drinking, and he bars it through his stinginess.

And fresh water, and holds them back stingily

يا ضَيعَةَ الآمالِ إِذ

يا ضَيعَةَ الآمالِ إِذ

عَلِقَت أَنامِلُها بِحَبلِه

عَلِقَت أَنامِلُها بِحَبلِه

Alas for hopes wasted, when

O farm of hopes when

their fingertips clung to his rope,

Its fingers clung to its rope

وَمَواعِدٍ رَسَفَت عَلى

وَمَواعِدٍ رَسَفَت عَلى

رَغمِ العُلا في قَيدِ مَطلِه

رَغمِ العُلا في قَيدِ مَطلِه

and for promises that shuffled along, despite

And appointments that floated

lofty honor, in the fetters of his delay.

Despite the elevation, bound by expectation

يا رَحمَةً لِسَعادَةٍ

يا رَحمَةً لِسَعادَةٍ

قضد أَصبَحَت في قَيدِ جَهلِه

قضد أَصبَحَت في قَيدِ جَهلِه

Oh, pity for happiness,

O mercy for happiness

now held in the fetters of his ignorance.

That morning found bound in ignorance

أَمّا وِلايَتُهُ فَقَد

أَمّا وِلايَتُهُ فَقَد

شَهِدَت عَلى العَليا بِعَزلِه

شَهِدَت عَلى العَليا بِعَزلِه

As for his governorship, it has

As for his rule, it has

borne witness against high honor through his dismissal.

Witnessed the supreme with his isolation

إِيّاكَ مِن جِدِّ الزَما

إِيّاكَ مِن جِدِّ الزَما

نِ فَأَنتَ مِن آياتِ هَزلِه

نِ فَأَنتَ مِن آياتِ هَزلِه

Beware the seriousness of time—

Beware of jesting seriously

for you are among the signs of its jest.

You are of the signs of his jest

شُكراً لِرَبٍّ لَم أَزَل

شُكراً لِرَبٍّ لَم أَزَل

مُتَقَلِّباً في فَضلِ فَضلِه

مُتَقَلِّباً في فَضلِ فَضلِه

Thanks be to a Lord; I have never ceased

Thanks to a Lord I have not ceased

moving amid the abundance of His bounty.

Turning in the grace of His grace

إِن ضاقَ بي بَلَدٌ فَما

إِن ضاقَ بي بَلَدٌ فَما

ضاقَ الكَريمُ بِشَدِّ رَحلِه

ضاقَ الكَريمُ بِشَدِّ رَحلِه

If a town grows too narrow for me, no

If a country narrowed around me

noble man is troubled by strapping on his saddle.

The generous one is not narrowed by his travels

وَبِنَفسِهِ عُذِرَ المُقَصِّ

وَبِنَفسِهِ عُذِرَ المُقَصِّ

رُ ما الوَفاءُ عَلى مَحَلِّه

رُ ما الوَفاءُ عَلى مَحَلِّه

And the negligent man is excused by his own nature;

And he excused the shortcoming one

faithfulness is not at home with him.

As loyalty in its place

إِن أَمحَلَت ساحاتُهُ

إِن أَمحَلَت ساحاتُهُ

فَاِترُكهُ مَشغولاً بِمَحلِه

فَاِترُكهُ مَشغولاً بِمَحلِه

If his courtyards become barren,

If his plains became too small

then leave him occupied with his barrenness.

Leave him busy with his place

وَيَعولُ أَهلاً قَد أَلِم

وَيَعولُ أَهلاً قَد أَلِم

تُ لَدَيهِمُ مِن نَقصِ عَقلِه

تُ لَدَيهِمُ مِن نَقصِ عَقلِه

And he supports a family; I have suffered

And supporting a family, which

among them because of his lack of sense.

His lack of reason has pained with him

وَإِذا تَأَمَّلَ أَمرَهُ

وَإِذا تَأَمَّلَ أَمرَهُ

فَرَحيلُهُ أَولى بِأَهلِه

فَرَحيلُهُ أَولى بِأَهلِه

And if he considers his situation,

And if he reflects on his affair

then his departure is better for his family.

Then his departure is best for his family