نَهارُهُم ظَمآنُ ضاحٍ وَلَيلُهُم

نَهارُهُم ظَمآنُ ضاحٍ وَلَيلُهُم

وَإِن كانَ بَدراً ظُلمَةُ اِبنِ جَميرِ

وَإِن كانَ بَدراً ظُلمَةُ اِبنِ جَميرِ

Their day is parched and exposed to the sun, and their night,

Their day is thirsty, blazing, and their night

Their day is parched and sun-struck, and their night, though the moon be full, is dark as the moonless void.

even at full moon, is the darkness of Ibn Jamir.

Though it be full moon is Ibn Jamir's gloom.

If you solicit the miser, you drive him back to greed, seeking rain from a sky that yields no shower.

إِذا أَنتَ راوَدتَ البَخيلَ رَدَدتَهُ

إِذا أَنتَ راوَدتَ البَخيلَ رَدَدتَهُ

إِلى البُخلِ وَاِستَمطَرتَ غَيرَ مَطيرِ

إِلى البُخلِ وَاِستَمطَرتَ غَيرَ مَطيرِ

When you coax a miser, you send him back

If you urge on the miser, you but make him

When you seek benevolence from the unworthy, you find the quest for favor far from easy.

to miserliness, and seek rain from what yields none.

More miserly; seek rain from a barren sky!

If you do not forge a shield to guard your honor from blame, then blame shall travel upon every path.

مَتى تَطلُبِ المَعروفَ في غَيرِ أَهلِهِ

مَتى تَطلُبِ المَعروفَ في غَيرِ أَهلِهِ

تَجِد مَطلَبَ المَعروفِ غَيرَ يَسيرِ

تَجِد مَطلَبَ المَعروفِ غَيرَ يَسيرِ

Whenever you seek kindness from those not given to it,

When good you seek from the ignoble man

you find the quest for kindness is not easy.

Vainly you seek kind acts from one unkind.

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَجعَل لِعِرضِكَ جَنَّةً

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَجعَل لِعِرضِكَ جَنَّةً

مِنَ الذَمِّ سارَ الذَمُّ كُلَّ مَسيرِ

مِنَ الذَمِّ سارَ الذَمُّ كُلَّ مَسيرِ

If you do not make a shield for your honor

If you guard not your honor from reproach

against blame, blame will travel every road.

Reproach will run its course with all mankind.