الرُمحُ أَبلَغُ مِن قُسٍّ تُخاطِبُهُ

الرُمحُ أَبلَغُ مِن قُسٍّ تُخاطِبُهُ

خَرساءُ يوجِدُ فيها المَسمَعُ الخَطِلا

خَرساءُ يوجِدُ فيها المَسمَعُ الخَطِلا

The spear is more eloquent than Quss, whom you address;

The spear conveys more than a letter you address

mute, yet the ear brings forth senseless speech within it.

To a deaf-mute in whom hearing cannot be found

وَقُدرَةُ اللَهِ نَجَّت راجِلاً وَرَعاً

وَقُدرَةُ اللَهِ نَجَّت راجِلاً وَرَعاً

يَومَ الهِياجِ وَأَردَت فارِساً بَطَلا

يَومَ الهِياجِ وَأَردَت فارِساً بَطَلا

And God's power saved a devout man on foot

Yet God's power once saved a footman kept chaste

on the day of battle, and felled a valiant horseman.

Against a raging horseman of great renown

إِن ماطَلَتكَ اللَيالي بِالَّذي وَعَدَت

إِن ماطَلَتكَ اللَيالي بِالَّذي وَعَدَت

فَالجودُ يُشعَرُ تَنغيصاً إِذا مُطِلا

فَالجودُ يُشعَرُ تَنغيصاً إِذا مُطِلا

If the nights keep you waiting for what they promised,

If nights have tried you with promises delayed

then generosity is felt as vexation when delayed.

Kindness feels hampered when overly forestalled

وَالخَيرُ يُعدي كَغادي مُزنَةٍ هَطَلَت

وَالخَيرُ يُعدي كَغادي مُزنَةٍ هَطَلَت

أَرضاً فَلَمّا رَآها رائِحٌ هَطَلا

أَرضاً فَلَمّا رَآها رائِحٌ هَطَلا

And goodness is contagious, like a morning raincloud that drenched

Goodness spreads like rain showering a glad glade

a tract of land; when an evening cloud saw it, it too poured down.

Till when scattered its shape no more can be recalled

يَذكي التَقارُبُ ما بَينَ الوَرى حَسَداً

يَذكي التَقارُبُ ما بَينَ الوَرى حَسَداً

حَتّى إِذا ما تَناءى شَكلُهُم بَطَلا

حَتّى إِذا ما تَناءى شَكلُهُم بَطَلا

Closeness kindles envy among people,

Too much mingling breeds envy amid folk

until, when their equal grows distant, that envy fades.

Once apart their forms no longer can ferment

وَهيَ المَقاديرُ لا يَغبِطُ بِحِليَتِهِ

وَهيَ المَقاديرُ لا يَغبِطُ بِحِليَتِهِ

جيدَ الحَمامَةِ جيدٌ غَيرُهُ عَطِلا

جيدَ الحَمامَةِ جيدٌ غَيرُهُ عَطِلا

And such are fate's decrees: no other neck envies, for its adornment,

Fates never make the fine-necked envious of

the dove's neck, though that other neck is bare.

The less-graced whose chance for pride was never sent