تَلومُ اِبنَةُ السَعدِيِّ في حَلِّ عُقدَةٍ

تَلومُ اِبنَةُ السَعدِيِّ في حَلِّ عُقدَةٍ

شَرَيتُ بِها وُدَّ العَشيرَةِ أَو مَجدا

شَرَيتُ بِها وُدَّ العَشيرَةِ أَو مَجدا

The daughter of al-Saʿdi blames me for relinquishing an estate,

The daughter of Al-Saadi blames me for being stingy

with which I bought the clan's affection, or glory.

I bought the love and glory of the tribe with it

رَأَت جارَها رُدَّت عَلَيهِ حَديقَةٌ

رَأَت جارَها رُدَّت عَلَيهِ حَديقَةٌ

مِنَ المالِ ماطَت نَجتَني رُطَباً رَغدا

مِنَ المالِ ماطَت نَجتَني رُطَباً رَغدا

She saw a garden returned to her neighbor,

She saw her neighbor had an orchard returned to him

a part of our wealth now gone, where we used to gather fresh dates in plenty.

With money that provided him ripe, plentiful dates

فَلَم تولِنا إِلّا مَحامِدَ صاحِبٍ

فَلَم تولِنا إِلّا مَحامِدَ صاحِبٍ

فَباتَت عَلى هَمٍّ وَأَبدَت لَنا وَجدا

فَباتَت عَلى هَمٍّ وَأَبدَت لَنا وَجدا

It brought us nothing but a companion's praises,

It brought us nothing but the praises of a friend

so she spent the night in worry and showed us her distress.

She went to bed worried and showed us distress

فَقُلتُ لَها صَبراً بُنَيَّ فَإِنَّها

فَقُلتُ لَها صَبراً بُنَيَّ فَإِنَّها

مَواريثُ لَم نَملِك لِأَعناقِها رَدّا

مَواريثُ لَم نَملِك لِأَعناقِها رَدّا

So I said to her: patience, my little one, for these are

I said to her, “Patience, my daughter, they are

inheritances whose necks we have no power to turn back.

Inheritances we had no power to return

وَقَد شَفَّني أَلّا تَزالَ كَليفَةً

وَقَد شَفَّني أَلّا تَزالَ كَليفَةً

تُنَصِّبُني فيها فَأُصبِحُ مُكمَدّا

تُنَصِّبُني فيها فَأُصبِحُ مُكمَدّا

And it has worn me down that she remains so obsessed,

It consoled me that she would not remain suffering

wearing me out over them until I become grief-stricken.

Setting me tasks that made me buckled in the morning

دَعيني اِبنَةَ السَعدِيِّ إِنَّ خَليقَتي

دَعيني اِبنَةَ السَعدِيِّ إِنَّ خَليقَتي

أَتَت دونَ مالي فَاِنثَنى وَحدُهُ قَصدا

أَتَت دونَ مالي فَاِنثَنى وَحدُهُ قَصدا

Leave me be, daughter of al-Saʿdi; indeed, my nature

Leave me, daughter of Al-Saadi, my nature

came before my wealth, so my wealth alone bent and broke.

Came without my money, so it alone turned aside intentionally

وَقَد يَرزُقُ اللَهُ اللَئيمَ وَرُبَّما

وَقَد يَرزُقُ اللَهُ اللَئيمَ وَرُبَّما

غَدا الماجِدُ المَحمودُ مِن مالِهِ فَردا

غَدا الماجِدُ المَحمودُ مِن مالِهِ فَردا

And God may provide for the base man, and sometimes

And perhaps God may grant the scoundrel wealth while

the noble, much-praised man is left bereft of his wealth.

Tomorrow the glorious, praiseworthy one becomes destitute

وَما كُنتُ إِلّا كَالأَصَمِّ اِبنِ جَعفَرٍ

وَما كُنتُ إِلّا كَالأَصَمِّ اِبنِ جَعفَرٍ

رَأى المالَ لا يَبقى فَأَبقى لَهُ حَمدا

رَأى المالَ لا يَبقى فَأَبقى لَهُ حَمدا

And I was only like al-Asamm, son of Jaʿfar:

I was nothing but deaf like Ibn Ja’far’s son

he saw that wealth does not last, so he made praise endure for himself.

Who saw money does not last, so he left behind praise for himself

أَفيئي فَإِنّا لاحِقونَ فَإِنَّما

أَفيئي فَإِنّا لاحِقونَ فَإِنَّما

يُؤَخِّرُنا أَنّا يُعَدُّ لَنا عَدّا

يُؤَخِّرُنا أَنّا يُعَدُّ لَنا عَدّا

Relent, for we shall follow; all that

Turn back, we will catch up, for He only

delays us is the count being kept for us.

Delays us so He may prepare a reckoning for us

سَأُنفِقُ ما نالَت يَدي وَيَهُزُّني

سَأُنفِقُ ما نالَت يَدي وَيَهُزُّني

لِبَذلِ النَدى ميراثُ مَن لَم يَكُن وَغدا

لِبَذلِ النَدى ميراثُ مَن لَم يَكُن وَغدا

I shall spend what my hand has gained, and I am stirred

I will spend what my hands attained, and it shakes me

to lavish bounty by the legacy of one who was no base fellow.

To be open-handed, the inheritance of one who was not there tomorrow

وَما المالُ إِلّا مِثلُ ظِلِّ سَحابَةٍ

وَما المالُ إِلّا مِثلُ ظِلِّ سَحابَةٍ

غَدَت طَبقاً ثُمَّ اِنجَلَت قِطَعاً بُردا

غَدَت طَبقاً ثُمَّ اِنجَلَت قِطَعاً بُردا

And wealth is only like the shadow of a cloud

Money is nothing but like the shadow of a cloud

that spread as a covering, then cleared in patches like striped cloaks.

That was layered, then disintegrated into pieces of hail

فَقُل لِلَّذي يُبقي لِمَن لَيسَ باقِياً

فَقُل لِلَّذي يُبقي لِمَن لَيسَ باقِياً

تُصيبُ وَلَم تُعقِب نَجاحاً وَلا رُشدا

تُصيبُ وَلَم تُعقِب نَجاحاً وَلا رُشدا

So tell the man who saves for one who will not endure:

Say to him who hoards for one who will not remain

You gain wealth, yet have secured neither success nor sound judgment.

You reap rewards but do not follow with guidance or integrity

تَمَتَّع مِنَ اللَذّاتِ وَاِستَبقِ مَنصِباً

تَمَتَّع مِنَ اللَذّاتِ وَاِستَبقِ مَنصِباً

فَإِنَّكَ لاقي القَومِ قَد جَفَلوا بَردا

فَإِنَّكَ لاقي القَومِ قَد جَفَلوا بَردا

Enjoy pleasures, and preserve your standing,

Take pleasure in delights and pursue high office

for you will meet the people who have hurried away into death's cold.

For you will meet a people lying frozen

وَلا تَكُ كَالشاكي مَضائِضَ حاجَةٍ

وَلا تَكُ كَالشاكي مَضائِضَ حاجَةٍ

غَبِيّاً فَلَمّا ماتَ قيلَ لَهُ بُعدا

غَبِيّاً فَلَمّا ماتَ قيلَ لَهُ بُعدا

And do not be like one who complains of the torments of need,

Do not be like the complainer of trying needs

a fool who, when he died, was told: 'Good riddance!'

A fool, so when he died, it was said to him, “Away!”