ذادَ عَنى النَومَ هَمٌّ بَعدَ هَمّ

ذادَ عَنى النَومَ هَمٌّ بَعدَ هَمّ

وَمِن الهَمِّ عَناءٌ وَسَقَم

وَمِن الهَمِّ عَناءٌ وَسَقَم

Worry after worry drove sleep away from me,

Sleep was driven away from me by cares after cares,

and from worry come hardship and sickness.

And from cares come tribulation and sickness.

طَرَقَت طَلحَةُ رَحلي بَعدَما

طَرَقَت طَلحَةُ رَحلي بَعدَما

نامَ أَصحابى وَلَيلي لَم أَنَم

نامَ أَصحابى وَلَيلي لَم أَنَم

Talhah came by night to my lodging, after

After my companions fell asleep, and my night was sleepless,

my companions slept, but through my night I did not sleep.

Ṭalḥah came knocking at my tent flap.

طَرَقَتنا ثُمَّ قُلنا إِذ أَتَت

طَرَقَتنا ثُمَّ قُلنا إِذ أَتَت

مَرحَباً بِالزَورِ لَمّا أَن أَلَمّ

مَرحَباً بِالزَورِ لَمّا أَن أَلَمّ

She visited us by night; then, when she came, we said:

When she came knocking, we said "Welcome to the guest,

'Welcome to the visitor, now that he has arrived!'

Although the time is unseemly."

ضَرَبَت لَمّا اِستَقَلَت مَثَلاً

ضَرَبَت لَمّا اِستَقَلَت مَثَلاً

قالَهُ القُوّالُ عَن غَيرِ وَهَم

قالَهُ القُوّالُ عَن غَيرِ وَهَم

As she departed, she cited a proverb,

When she sat down, she gave the example,

spoken by an eloquent speaker without error,

Stated by the eloquent without error,

مَثَلاً يَضرِبُهُ حُكامُنا

مَثَلاً يَضرِبُهُ حُكامُنا

قَولُهُم فى بَيتِهِ يُؤتى الحَكَم

قَولُهُم فى بَيتِهِ يُؤتى الحَكَم

a proverb our judges invoke:

An example given by our rulers -

their saying: 'The judge is sought in his own house.'

That in his home, the judge is sought.

فَأَجابَت بِصوابٍ قَولَها

فَأَجابَت بِصوابٍ قَولَها

مَن يَجُد يُحمَد وَمَن يَبخَل يُذَم

مَن يَجُد يُحمَد وَمَن يَبخَل يُذَم

Then she answered rightly, saying:

Her words gave the right answer:

'Whoever gives generously is praised; whoever is miserly is blamed.'

"He who can give is praised, he who is miserly is blamed."

إِنَّما جادَ بِشَأسٍ خالِدٌ

إِنَّما جادَ بِشَأسٍ خالِدٌ

بَعدَما حاقَت بِهِ إِحدى العِظَم

بَعدَما حاقَت بِهِ إِحدى العِظَم

Khalid made a gift of Sha's only

Verily Khālid was generous at his peak

after one of the great calamities had closed in on him,

After the greatest calamity befell him.

مِن مَنايا يَتَخاسَينَ بِهِ

مِن مَنايا يَتَخاسَينَ بِهِ

يَبتَدِرنَ الزولَ مِن لَحمٍ وَدَم

يَبتَدِرنَ الزولَ مِن لَحمٍ وَدَم

among death-dooms playing odds and evens over him,

From the deaths that vie with one another to take him -

racing toward the man of flesh and blood.

They hasten to pick his flesh and blood.

باكِرُ الجَفنَةِ رِبعِيُّ النَدى

باكِرُ الجَفنَةِ رِبعِيُّ النَدى

حَسَنٌ مَجلِسُهُ غَيرُ لُطَم

حَسَنٌ مَجلِسُهُ غَيرُ لُطَم

Early with the great serving-bowl, like early spring rain in bounty,

Early rising, with a bright forehead,

his gathering is pleasant, free from blows.

His company is good, without dullness.

يَجعَلُ المالَ عَطايا جَمَّةً

يَجعَلُ المالَ عَطايا جَمَّةً

إِنَّ بَذلَ المالِ في العِرضِ أُمَم

إِنَّ بَذلَ المالِ في العِرضِ أُمَم

He turns wealth into abundant gifts;

He makes wealth flowing gifts,

indeed, spending wealth for honor is a small matter.

For spending wealth to protect honor is integrity.

لا يُبالي طَيِّبُ النَفسِ بِهِ

لا يُبالي طَيِّبُ النَفسِ بِهِ

عَطَبَ المالِ إِذا العِرضُ سَلِم

عَطَبَ المالِ إِذا العِرضُ سَلِم

He does not mind, content at heart about it,

The noble soul does not care for it -

the ruin of wealth, if honor remains safe.

Loss of wealth, so long as honor is safe.

لا تَقولَنَّ إِذا ما لَم تُرِد

لا تَقولَنَّ إِذا ما لَم تُرِد

أَن تُتِمَّ الوَعدَ في شَيءٍ نَعَم

أَن تُتِمَّ الوَعدَ في شَيءٍ نَعَم

Never say, if you do not intend

Do not say, if you do not intend

to fulfill a promise in some matter, 'Yes.'

To fulfill the promise, "yes" in anything.

حَسَنٌ قَولُ نَعَم مِن بَعدِ لا

حَسَنٌ قَولُ نَعَم مِن بَعدِ لا

وَقَبيحٌ قَولُ لا بَعدَ نَعَم

وَقَبيحٌ قَولُ لا بَعدَ نَعَم

It is good to say 'yes' after 'no';

Better is the word "yes" after "no"

and shameful to say 'no' after 'yes'.

Than the word "no' after "yes."

إِنَّ لا بَعدَ نَعَم فاحِشَةٌ

إِنَّ لا بَعدَ نَعَم فاحِشَةٌ

فَبِلا فَاِبدَأ إِذا خِفتَ النَدَم

فَبِلا فَاِبدَأ إِذا خِفتَ النَدَم

'No' after 'yes' is truly an outrage;

Verily, "no" after "yes" is an outrage,

so begin with 'no' if you fear regret.

So begin with "no" if you fear regret.

فَإِذا قُلتَ نَعَم فَاِصبِر لَها

فَإِذا قُلتَ نَعَم فَاِصبِر لَها

بِنَجاحِ الوَعدِ إِنَّ الخُلفَ ذَم

بِنَجاحِ الوَعدِ إِنَّ الخُلفَ ذَم

And if you say 'yes,' stand steadfast by it,

And if you say "yes," then be patient with it

by fulfilling the promise; breaking one's word brings blame.

By fulfilling your promise - for breaking faith is blame.

وَاِعلَمَ أَنَّ الذَمَّ نَقصٌ لِلفَتى

وَاِعلَمَ أَنَّ الذَمَّ نَقصٌ لِلفَتى

وَمَتى لا يَتَّقِ الذَمَّ يُذَم

وَمَتى لا يَتَّقِ الذَمَّ يُذَم

And know that blame is a blemish upon a man;

And know that blame is a flaw in the youth.

and whenever he fails to guard against blame, he is blamed.

Whoever does not avoid blame will be blamed.

أُكرِمُ الجارَ وَأَرعى حَقَّهُ

أُكرِمُ الجارَ وَأَرعى حَقَّهُ

إِنَّ عِرفانَ الفَتى الحقَّ كَرَم

إِنَّ عِرفانَ الفَتى الحقَّ كَرَم

I honor my neighbor and safeguard his rights;

Honor your neighbor and tend to his rights,

for a man's recognition of what is due is nobility.

For a youth's recognizing rights is nobility.

أَنا بَيتي مِن مَعَدٍّ في الذُرى

أَنا بَيتي مِن مَعَدٍّ في الذُرى

وَلِيَ الهامَةُ وَالفَرعُ الأَشَم

وَلِيَ الهامَةُ وَالفَرعُ الأَشَم

My house among Ma'add stands in the heights,

My abode is one of Ma'add in the dwellings,

and mine are the crown and the lofty branch.

And to me belong the robe and the noble spear.

لا تَراني راتِعاً في مَجلِسٍ

لا تَراني راتِعاً في مَجلِسٍ

في لُحومِ الناسِ كَالسَبعِ الضَرِم

في لُحومِ الناسِ كَالسَبعِ الضَرِم

You will not see me feasting in a gathering

You will not see me sitting fourth in a gathering

on people's flesh like a ravenous beast.

Among the flesh of the people, like a ravening lion.

إِنَّ شَرَّ الناسِ مَن يَكشِرُ لي

إِنَّ شَرَّ الناسِ مَن يَكشِرُ لي

حينَ يَلقاني وَإِن غِبتُ شَتَم

حينَ يَلقاني وَإِن غِبتُ شَتَم

The worst of men is he who grins at me

Verily, the worst of people is he who grins at me

when he meets me, but reviles me when I am absent.

When he meets me, and speaks ill when I am absent.

وَكلامٍ سَيِّئٍ قَد وَقَرَت

وَكلامٍ سَيِّئٍ قَد وَقَرَت

عَنهُ أُذُنايَ وَما بي مِن صَمَم

عَنهُ أُذُنايَ وَما بي مِن صَمَم

And to many a foul word have grown deaf

With evil words my ears have become burdened

my ears, although I suffer no deafness.

And there is no deafness in me.

فَتَعَزَّيتُ خَشاة أَن يَرى

فَتَعَزَّيتُ خَشاة أَن يَرى

جاهِلٌ أَنّي كَما كانَ زَعَم

جاهِلٌ أَنّي كَما كانَ زَعَم

So I bore it patiently, lest I be thought

So I was patient, fearing that an ignorant man might see

by a fool to be as he had claimed.

That I am as he claimed.

وَلَبَعضُ الصَفحِ وَالإِعراضِ عَن

وَلَبَعضُ الصَفحِ وَالإِعراضِ عَن

ذي الخَنا أَبقى وَإِن كانَ ظَلَم

ذي الخَنا أَبقى وَإِن كانَ ظَلَم

And indeed, some forgiveness and turning away from

Yet forgiveness and turning away from

the foul-mouthed is more enduring, even if he has done wrong.

The owner of malice is more lasting, even if he is unjust.

أَجعَلُ المالَ لِعِرضي جُنَّةً

أَجعَلُ المالَ لِعِرضي جُنَّةً

إِنَّ خَيرَ المالِ ما أَدّى الذِّمَم

إِنَّ خَيرَ المالِ ما أَدّى الذِّمَم

I make wealth a shield for my honor;

I make wealth a shield for my honor,

the best wealth is that which discharges obligations.

For the best wealth is that which removes debts.