رَبَّيتَ شِبلاً فَلَمّا إِن غَدا أَسَداً

رَبَّيتَ شِبلاً فَلَمّا إِن غَدا أَسَداً

عَدا عَلَيكَ فَلَولا رَبُّهُ أَكَلَك

عَدا عَلَيكَ فَلَولا رَبُّهُ أَكَلَك

You reared a cub; then, when it became a lion,

You raised a cub, but when it grew into a lion

It attacked you; but for its Lord, it would have devoured you.

It turned against you, and if not for its Master it would have devoured you

جَنَيتَ أَمراً فَوَدَّ الشَيخُ مِن أَسَفٍ

جَنَيتَ أَمراً فَوَدَّ الشَيخُ مِن أَسَفٍ

لَمّا جَنَيتَ عَلى ذي السِنِّ لَو ثَكَلَك

لَمّا جَنَيتَ عَلى ذي السِنِّ لَو ثَكَلَك

You committed a deed; in grief the old man wished,

You committed a sin, so the old man was extremely grieved

When you wronged the aged man, that he had been bereaved of you.

If you had sinned against the elderly, he would have rejected you

مَرِحتَ كَالفَرَسِ الذَيّالِ آوِنَةً

مَرِحتَ كَالفَرَسِ الذَيّالِ آوِنَةً

ثُمَّ اِعتَراكَ أَبو سَعدٍ فَقَد شَكَلَك

ثُمَّ اِعتَراكَ أَبو سَعدٍ فَقَد شَكَلَك

You frolicked for a time like a long-tailed horse;

You frolicked about carelessly for a while

Then Abu Sa'd beset you and hobbled you.

Then Abu Sa’d reproached you, so he corrected you

إِن اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى مَن لا يَضيعُ لَهُ

إِن اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى مَن لا يَضيعُ لَهُ

خَلقٌ فَإِنَّ قَضاءَ اللَهِ ما وَكَّلَك

خَلقٌ فَإِنَّ قَضاءَ اللَهِ ما وَكَّلَك

If you rely on Him, with whom no

If you rely on the One whose creation does not fail Him

Creature is neglected, God's decree has not left you to yourself.

Then God’s decree is what has entrusted you

لَبِستَ ذَنباً كَريشِ الناعِباتِ مَتّى

لَبِستَ ذَنباً كَريشِ الناعِباتِ مَتّى

يُرحَض بِدِجلَةَ يَزدَد في العُيونِ حَلَك

يُرحَض بِدِجلَةَ يَزدَد في العُيونِ حَلَك

You clothed yourself in a sin like cawing ravens' feathers: whenever

You wore the garment of sin like mourning women

It is washed in the Tigris, its darkness deepens in people's eyes.

Whenever it is washed in the Tigris, your stains increase

وَلَو نَضَحتَ عَلى خَدَّيكَ مِن نَدَمٍ

وَلَو نَضَحتَ عَلى خَدَّيكَ مِن نَدَمٍ

رَشاشَ دَمعٍ بِجَفنَي تائِبٍ غَسَلَك

رَشاشَ دَمعٍ بِجَفنَي تائِبٍ غَسَلَك

And had you sprinkled your cheeks, in remorse,

If you were to sprinkle regret on your cheeks

With a spray of tears from a penitent's eyelids, it would have washed you clean.

With a penitent eyelid’s sprinkling of tears, it would wash you clean

أُشعِرتَ هَمّاً فَزادَ النَومَ طارِقُهُ

أُشعِرتَ هَمّاً فَزادَ النَومَ طارِقُهُ

كَأَنَّهُ بِسُهادٍ واصِبٍ كَحَّلَك

كَأَنَّهُ بِسُهادٍ واصِبٍ كَحَّلَك

You were clothed in worry; its night-visitor increased sleep,

You were warned of anxiety, so its shadow grew darker

As though it had kohled your eyes with unremitting sleeplessness.

As if laden with sleeplessness and vigilance, it lined your eyes

فَما نَشِطتَ لِإِخباري بِفادِحَةٍ

فَما نَشِطتَ لِإِخباري بِفادِحَةٍ

أَوضَعَتَ فيها وَلم أَنشُط لِأَن أَسلَك

أَوضَعَتَ فيها وَلم أَنشُط لِأَن أَسلَك

So you were not inclined to tell me of a calamity

Yet you did not stir to inform me of any terrible news

Into which you rushed; nor was I inclined to ask you.

You confided in it, while I did not stir to pursue it

مَلائِكٌ تحتَها إِنسٌ وَسائِمَةٌ

مَلائِكٌ تحتَها إِنسٌ وَسائِمَةٌ

فَالأَ غبِياءُ سَوامٌ وَالتَقيُّ مَلَك

فَالأَ غبِياءُ سَوامٌ وَالتَقيُّ مَلَك

Angels, beneath whom are humans and grazing beasts;

Angels are under it, and drowsy humans atop it

So fools are grazing beasts, and the pious man an angel.

So the ignorant slumber, while the pious one is an angel

فَلا تُعَلِّم صَغيرَ القَومِ مَعصِيَةً

فَلا تُعَلِّم صَغيرَ القَومِ مَعصِيَةً

فَذاكَ وِزرٌ إِلى أَمثالِهِ عَدلَك

فَذاكَ وِزرٌ إِلى أَمثالِهِ عَدلَك

So do not teach a child among the people to sin;

Do not teach the young of the people to disobey

For that is a burden of sin that has turned you toward others like it.

For that is a burden of sin upon the likes of you

فَالسِلكُ ما اِسطاعَ يَوماً ثَقَبَ لُؤلُؤَةٍ

فَالسِلكُ ما اِسطاعَ يَوماً ثَقَبَ لُؤلُؤَةٍ

لَكِن أَصابَ طَريقاً نافِذاً فَسَلَك

لَكِن أَصابَ طَريقاً نافِذاً فَسَلَك

For thread has never been able to pierce a pearl;

The oyster could not one day bore through a pearl

But it found a passage running through, and passed along it.

But found a penetrating path, so it penetrated

يَلحاكَ في هَجرِكَ الإِحسانَ مُضطَغَنٌ

يَلحاكَ في هَجرِكَ الإِحسانَ مُضطَغَنٌ

عَلَيكَ لَولا اِشتِعالُ الضَغنِ ما عَذَلَك

عَلَيكَ لَولا اِشتِعالُ الضَغنِ ما عَذَلَك

For forsaking kindness, you are reproached by one bearing a grudge

Your kindness is grieved at your estrangement

Against you; but for rancor's blaze, he would not have reproached you.

If not for the flames of grief, it would not have abandoned you

يُريكَ نَصراً وَلا يَسخو بِنُصرَتِهِ

يُريكَ نَصراً وَلا يَسخو بِنُصرَتِهِ

إِلّا اِكتِساباً وَإِن خَفتَ العِدى خَذَلَك

إِلّا اِكتِساباً وَإِن خَفتَ العِدى خَذَلَك

He shows you support, yet does not freely give his aid

He shows you victory but is not generous with his support

Except for gain; and if you fear your foes, he abandons you.

Except for gain, so if you fear injustice, he will forsake you

مَن يُبدِ أَمرَكَ لا يَذمُمكَ في خَلَفٍ

مَن يُبدِ أَمرَكَ لا يَذمُمكَ في خَلَفٍ

وَلا جِهارٍ وَلَكِن لامَ مِن جَهِلَك

وَلا جِهارٍ وَلَكِن لامَ مِن جَهِلَك

Whoever makes your affair known does not censure you in private

One who reveals your secret will not criticize you openly or in private

Nor openly; but one who did not know you blamed you.

But instead, blame your own ignorance

أَرادَ وِردَكَ أَقوامٌ لِتُروِيَهُم

أَرادَ وِردَكَ أَقوامٌ لِتُروِيَهُم

فَالآنَ تَشكو إِذا شاكي الصَدى نَهلَك

فَالآنَ تَشكو إِذا شاكي الصَدى نَهلَك

Some people sought your watering-place so that you might quench their thirst;

Some people wanted your company, to quench themselves

So now you complain when one suffering thirst drinks from you.

Now you complain if your echo answers back your call

أُمهِلتَ في عُنفُوانِ الشَرخِ آوِنَةً

أُمهِلتَ في عُنفُوانِ الشَرخِ آوِنَةً

حَتّى كَبِرتَ وَفَضَّت بُرهَةٌ مَهلَك

حَتّى كَبِرتَ وَفَضَّت بُرهَةٌ مَهلَك

You were granted respite for a time in the vigor of youth,

You were given respite in the passion of your prime for a while

Until you grew old, and a span of time shattered your respite.

Until you grew old and your fleeting chance passed you by

رَماكَ بِالقَولِ مَلحيٌّ تُعِدُّ لَهُ

رَماكَ بِالقَولِ مَلحيٌّ تُعِدُّ لَهُ

سَيفاً أَحَدَّكَ بِالنَكراءِ أَو صَقَلَك

سَيفاً أَحَدَّكَ بِالنَكراءِ أَو صَقَلَك

A reproached man assailed you with words; you prepare for him

A vulgar person attacked you with words, preparing

A sword; with an outrage he sharpened you, or polished you.

A sword that disappointed you with slander, or polished you

رَآكَ شَوكَ قَتادٍ لَيسَ يَمكِنُهُ

رَآكَ شَوكَ قَتادٍ لَيسَ يَمكِنُهُ

وَلَو رَآكَ غَضيضَ النَبتِ لَاِبتَقَلَك

وَلَو رَآكَ غَضيضَ النَبتِ لَاِبتَقَلَك

He saw you as qatad thorns, which he could not manage;

He saw you as impenetrable thornbushes

And had he seen you as tender herbage, he would have grazed on you.

If he had seen you as tender sprouts, he would have uprooted you

لِلَّهِ دارانِ فَالأولى وَثانِيَةٌ

لِلَّهِ دارانِ فَالأولى وَثانِيَةٌ

أُخرى مَتّى شاءَ في سُلطانِهِ نَقَلَك

أُخرى مَتّى شاءَ في سُلطانِهِ نَقَلَك

God has two abodes: the first, and a second,

God has two abodes, the first and the second another

The other; whenever He wills, He transfers you within His dominion.

Whenever He wills in His sovereignty, He transports you