يا صاحِ بَيِّن حاجَتي

يا صاحِ بَيِّن حاجَتي

إِنَّ البَيانَ مَعَ السَدادِ

إِنَّ البَيانَ مَعَ السَدادِ

O friend, make my need clear;

O my friend, make clear to me your need

clarity goes hand in hand with sound judgment.

For eloquence comes with integrity

صَرِّح بِإِحدى كِلمَتَي

صَرِّح بِإِحدى كِلمَتَي

نِ وَخُذ أَمانَكَ مِن جِهادي

نِ وَخُذ أَمانَكَ مِن جِهادي

Speak plainly with one of two words,

Speak one of two words:

and secure yourself against my contention.

Take a pledge from me, or undertake jihad against me

بُخلُ البَخيلِ أَحَبَّهُ

بُخلُ البَخيلِ أَحَبَّهُ

مَطلُ الجَوادِ غَداةَ صادِ

مَطلُ الجَوادِ غَداةَ صادِ

I prefer the miser's stinginess

The miser loves his stinginess

to the generous man's delay on a thirsty morning.

And the generous hates delay after promising

أَنتَ الغِنى لَولا مِطا

أَنتَ الغِنى لَولا مِطا

لُكَ وَالمِطالُ مِنَ الكِيادِ

لُكَ وَالمِطالُ مِنَ الكِيادِ

You would be wealth itself, were it not for your delay;

You are rich even without wealth

and delay is a form of guile.

While persistence comes from ambition

يا صاحِ لا تَلوِ العِدا

يا صاحِ لا تَلوِ العِدا

تِ فَإِنَّها دَينُ الهَوادي

تِ فَإِنَّها دَينُ الهَوادي

O friend, do not defer your promises,

O friend, do not pursue vengeance

for they are a debt upon the necks.

For it is the debt of the ignoble

إِنَّ السَبيلَ عَلى اِثنَتَي

إِنَّ السَبيلَ عَلى اِثنَتَي

نِ اِختَرهُما يا اِبنَ الجِيادِ

نِ اِختَرهُما يا اِبنَ الجِيادِ

The course lies in two alternatives:

The path branches into two

choose between them, O son of generous men.

Choose between forgiving or punishing, there is no third option for the enemy

إِمّا تُسامِحُ أَو تُجا

إِمّا تُسامِحُ أَو تُجا

مِحُ لَيسَ ثالِثَةٌ لِعادِ

مِحُ لَيسَ ثالِثَةٌ لِعادِ

Either you give freely or refuse stubbornly;

It is enough for you, no need for long worship

there is no third course for a seeker.

Or supplication from a caller

يَكفيكَ لا طَولَ العِبا

يَكفيكَ لا طَولَ العِبا

دِ وَلا اِجتِهاداً مِن مُنادِ

دِ وَلا اِجتِهاداً مِن مُنادِ

A 'no' suffices you, without men's bounty

You included the need of a friend

or a caller's exertion.

So take the ways of righteousness in fulfilling it

ضَمَّنتَ حاجَةَ صاحِبٍ

ضَمَّنتَ حاجَةَ صاحِبٍ

فَاِسلُك بِها سُبُلَ الرَشادِ

فَاِسلُك بِها سُبُلَ الرَشادِ

You have undertaken a friend's need,

Death is something easy

so carry it along the paths of right guidance.

And death fulfills all promises

المَوتُ شَيءٌ هَيِّنٌ

المَوتُ شَيءٌ هَيِّنٌ

وَالمَوتُ إِنجازُ الوِعادِ

وَالمَوتُ إِنجازُ الوِعادِ

Death is a trifling thing,

The truthfulness of a miser pleases me

and death is the fulfillment of promises.

And the lies of a generous upset me

صِدقُ البَخيلِ يَسُرُّني

صِدقُ البَخيلِ يَسُرُّني

وَيَسوؤُني كَذِبُ الجَوادِ

وَيَسوؤُني كَذِبُ الجَوادِ

The miser's truthfulness delights me,

I keep my promise whether close or far

and the generous man's falsehood grieves me.

And when asked, I fulfill it

إِنّي لَأُنجِزُ ما وَعَد

إِنّي لَأُنجِزُ ما وَعَد

تُ عَلى الطَريفِ وَفي التِلادِ

تُ عَلى الطَريفِ وَفي التِلادِ

Indeed, I fulfill what I have promised,

Either with compliance or objection

with newly acquired wealth and with inherited possessions.

Rest from toil is better than struggle

وَإِذا سُئِلتُ أَتَيتُها

وَإِذا سُئِلتُ أَتَيتُها

ضَربَ الأَميرِ طُلا الأَعادي

ضَربَ الأَميرِ طُلا الأَعادي

And when asked, I attend to it,

The brother of a miser is subdued

as the prince strikes the necks of foes.

Like a mule, not to be reproached

إِمّا بِتَيّا أَو بِتَي

إِمّا بِتَيّا أَو بِتَي

كَ وَراحَةٌ تَركُ الكِدادِ

كَ وَراحَةٌ تَركُ الكِدادِ

Either with this or with that;

O friend, make clear my need

and relief lies in abandoning toil.

And remember your guarantee on the day we meet again

وَأَخو المَباخِلِ مُطرِقٌ

وَأَخو المَباخِلِ مُطرِقٌ

كَالعَردِ لَيسَ بِمُستَزادِ

كَالعَردِ لَيسَ بِمُستَزادِ

And the man of miserly ways bows his head,

There is no good in the life of an ignoble person

like a penis, not to be asked for more.

Or one who distances himself from affection

يا صاحِ رَشِّح حاجَتي

يا صاحِ رَشِّح حاجَتي

وَاِذكُر ضَمانَكَ في المَعادِ

وَاِذكُر ضَمانَكَ في المَعادِ

O friend, advance my request,

So profess your love to only one

and remember your pledge at the time of return.

Or be like an untamed horse

لا خَيرَ في دُنيا الكَري

لا خَيرَ في دُنيا الكَري

مِ وَلا اللَئيمِ عَنِ الوِدادِ

مِ وَلا اللَئيمِ عَنِ الوِدادِ

There is no good in the generous man's world,

But how can souls refuse

nor in the base man's, apart from affection.

To pursue their whims wherever they lead?

فَاِندُب لِوِدِّكَ واحِداً

فَاِندُب لِوِدِّكَ واحِداً

أَو كُن كَذي الفَرسِ الوِجادِ

أَو كُن كَذي الفَرسِ الوِجادِ

So choose one person for your affection,

One's fate is envied

or be like the owner of the foundling horse.

And frivolity comes from a cheerful heart

بَل كَيفَ تَأبى لِلنُفو

بَل كَيفَ تَأبى لِلنُفو

سِ وَغَيِّها في كُلِّ وادِ

سِ وَغَيِّها في كُلِّ وادِ

But how can you say no to souls

Women are fond of cheerfulness

and their waywardness in every valley?

And I see righteousness leading to corruption

المَرءُ يُغبَطُ حَظُّهُ

المَرءُ يُغبَطُ حَظُّهُ

وَاللَهوُ مِن ثَمَرِ الفُؤادِ

وَاللَهوُ مِن ثَمَرِ الفُؤادِ

A man's fortune is envied,

So be patient with what you see unfolding

and pleasure is a fruit of the heart.

Fate cannot be warded off when hostile

وَعَلى النِساءِ بَشاشَةٌ

وَعَلى النِساءِ بَشاشَةٌ

وَأَرى الصَلاحَ إِلى فَسادِ

وَأَرى الصَلاحَ إِلى فَسادِ

And women wear cheerful smiles,

and I see virtue tending toward corruption.

فَاِصبِر لِقِسمَةِ ما تَرى

فَاِصبِر لِقِسمَةِ ما تَرى

لا يُدفَعُ القَدَرُ المُعادي

لا يُدفَعُ القَدَرُ المُعادي

So be patient with the lot you behold:

hostile fate cannot be warded off.