إِن كُنتَ ذارِعَ أَرضٍ لَم أَلُمكَ بِها

إِن كُنتَ ذارِعَ أَرضٍ لَم أَلُمكَ بِها

أَو كُنتَ ذارِعَ خَمرٍ فَالمَلامَةُ لَك

أَو كُنتَ ذارِعَ خَمرٍ فَالمَلامَةُ لَك

If you measure land, I do not blame you for it;

If you were sowing a land unknown to me

or if you drink wine, then the blame is yours.

Or drinking wine then blame yourself

كَم سَلَّتِ الراحُ مِن يُمناكَ خادِعَةً

كَم سَلَّتِ الراحُ مِن يُمناكَ خادِعَةً

سَيفَ الرَشادِ وَأَعطَتهُ لِمَن خَتَلَك

سَيفَ الرَشادِ وَأَعطَتهُ لِمَن خَتَلَك

How often has wine deceitfully drawn from your right hand

How often has fate mocked you on your right

the sword of sound judgment, and given it to whoever deceived you!

And given the sword of guidance but confused you

قَتَلَتها بِمَزاجٍ وَهِيَ ثائِرَةٌ

قَتَلَتها بِمَزاجٍ وَهِيَ ثائِرَةٌ

بِما فَعَلتَ وَكَم مَثَلٍ لَها قَتَلَك

بِما فَعَلتَ وَكَم مَثَلٍ لَها قَتَلَك

You killed it by dilution, while it seeks revenge

It killed you gently while you were raging

for what you did—and how many of its kind have killed you!

By what you did and how many examples killed you

رَكِبتَ مِنها كُمَيتاً خَرَّ فارِسُها

رَكِبتَ مِنها كُمَيتاً خَرَّ فارِسُها

وَلَو رَكِبتَ سِواها أَشهَباً حَمَلَك

وَلَو رَكِبتَ سِواها أَشهَباً حَمَلَك

You rode a bay steed of wine, and its rider fell;

You rode a fancy horse and it threw its rider

and had you ridden a gray steed instead, it would have carried you.

If you had ridden another roan it would have carried you

تُدعى الشُموسَ وَما يُعنى بِذاكَ لَها

تُدعى الشُموسَ وَما يُعنى بِذاكَ لَها

إِلّا الشَمّاسُ فَجَنِّب دائِماً ثَمَلَك

إِلّا الشَمّاسُ فَجَنِّب دائِماً ثَمَلَك

It is called “the unruly one,” and that name means

You are called suns but they have no relation

only unruliness—so always keep your drunkenness at bay.

Only the lamplighter so always avoid your desires

إِنَّ الشُمولَ رِياحٌ شَمأَلٌ عَصَفَت

إِنَّ الشُمولَ رِياحٌ شَمأَلٌ عَصَفَت

بِاللُبِّ وَالسُكرُ غَيٌّ فادِحٌ شَمَلَك

بِاللُبِّ وَالسُكرُ غَيٌّ فادِحٌ شَمَلَك

Indeed, wine is northerly winds that have raged

Universality is roving winds that blew

against the mind; drunkenness is grievous folly that has engulfed you.

With insanity, and drunkenness a penetrating blindness confused you

أَرِح جَمالَكَ مِن غَرَضٍ وَمِن قَتبٍ

أَرِح جَمالَكَ مِن غَرَضٍ وَمِن قَتبٍ

وَاِجعَل ظَلامَكَ في نَيلِ العُلا جَمَلَك

وَاِجعَل ظَلامَكَ في نَيلِ العُلا جَمَلَك

Relieve your camels of girths and pack-saddles,

Let your beauty be free of greed and stagnation

and make your darkness your camel in pursuit of the heights.

And make your darkness in attaining the heights their riding beast

أَمَلتَها لِلمَغاني وَالغِنى زَمَناً

أَمَلتَها لِلمَغاني وَالغِنى زَمَناً

فَلَم تَنَل مِن يَسارٍ أَو هَوىً أَمَلَك

فَلَم تَنَل مِن يَسارٍ أَو هَوىً أَمَلَك

You turned them toward dwellings and wealth for a time,

You hoped for pleasures and singing for a time

yet you did not attain your hope of affluence or love.

But gained neither ease nor love's compliance your wish

أَرسَلتَ إِبلَكَ قَبلَ اليَومِ هامِلَةً

أَرسَلتَ إِبلَكَ قَبلَ اليَومِ هامِلَةً

وَكانَ جَدُّكَ يَرعى مَرَّةً هَمَلَك

وَكانَ جَدُّكَ يَرعى مَرَّةً هَمَلَك

Before today, you sent your camels wandering unattended,

You sent your camels ahead one day loaded

and your good fortune once tended your strays.

While your grandfather once grazed a small herd your possession

أَمّا الكَبيرُ فَما تَزدادُ شيمَتُهُ

أَمّا الكَبيرُ فَما تَزدادُ شيمَتُهُ

إِلّا قُبوحاً فَحَسِّن بِالتُقى عَمَلَك

إِلّا قُبوحاً فَحَسِّن بِالتُقى عَمَلَك

As for the old man, his character gains nothing

But the old man only gains more disgrace

but ugliness; so beautify your deeds with piety.

So improve with piety your deeds

وَاِنبُذ إِلى مَن تَشَكّى قِرَّةً سَمَلاً

وَاِنبُذ إِلى مَن تَشَكّى قِرَّةً سَمَلاً

مِنَ الثِيابِ وَأَورِد ظامِئاً سَمَلَك

مِنَ الثِيابِ وَأَورِد ظامِئاً سَمَلَك

And toss to one who complains of cold a tattered piece

And give to one complaining of thirsty poverty

of clothing, and lead a thirsty person to the water left in your pool.

Some clothes and let a thirsty man drink of your water

لا تَرمُلَنَّ إِلى الدُنِّيا تُحاوِلُها

لا تَرمُلَنَّ إِلى الدُنِّيا تُحاوِلُها

وَاِصرِف إِلى اللَهِ مُعطيكَ المُنى رَملَك

وَاِصرِف إِلى اللَهِ مُعطيكَ المُنى رَملَك

Do not ever hasten toward this world, pursuing it,

Do not look longingly at this world and covet it

and direct your haste toward God, who grants you your wishes.

And turn to God who gave you success your sand dune

لَم تُبدِ لي عَنكَ إِلّا مُجَمَّلاً خَبَراً

لَم تُبدِ لي عَنكَ إِلّا مُجَمَّلاً خَبَراً

وَقَد شَرَحتَ لِغَيري مُوَضِحاً جُمَلَك

وَقَد شَرَحتَ لِغَيري مُوَضِحاً جُمَلَك

You have disclosed to me only a summary account of yourself,

You never showed me anything about you but in summary

yet you have clearly explained your summary statements to someone else.

Yet to others you explained in detail your burdens

الأَرضُ دارُ اِهتِضامٍ وَالأَنامُ بِها

الأَرضُ دارُ اِهتِضامٍ وَالأَنامُ بِها

مِثلُ الذِئابِ فَأَحرِز دونَهُم حَمَلَك

مِثلُ الذِئابِ فَأَحرِز دونَهُم حَمَلَك

The earth is an abode of oppression, and the people upon it

The world is a place of turmoil and its people

are like wolves; so keep your lamb safe from them.

Are like wolves so protect yourself from them your luggage