لِيَ صاحِبٌ دَخَلَ الغُرورُ فُؤادَهُ

لِيَ صاحِبٌ دَخَلَ الغُرورُ فُؤادَهُ

إِنَّ الغُرورَ أُخَيَّ مِن أَعدائي

إِنَّ الغُرورَ أُخَيَّ مِن أَعدائي

I have a friend whose heart conceit has entered.

My friend, vanity has entered his heart

I have a companion whose heart vanity has invaded,

Indeed, my dear brother, conceit is among my enemies.

Surely vanity is a brother of my enemies

And vanity, my brother, is among my greatest foes.

أَسدَيتُهُ نُصحي فَزادَ تَمادِياً

أَسدَيتُهُ نُصحي فَزادَ تَمادِياً

في غَيِّهِ وَاِزدادَ فيهِ بَلائي

في غَيِّهِ وَاِزدادَ فيهِ بَلائي

I offered him my counsel, and he persisted all the more

I gave him my advice but he became more stubborn

I tendered him my counsel, yet he grew more persistent

In his waywardness, and my suffering through him increased.

In his error, and my trials with him increased

In his delusion, and my tribulation through him increased.

أَمسى يُسيءُ بِيَ الظُنونَ وَلَم تَسُؤ

أَمسى يُسيءُ بِيَ الظُنونَ وَلَم تَسُؤ

لَولا الغُرورُ ظُنونُهُ بِوَلائي

لَولا الغُرورُ ظُنونُهُ بِوَلائي

He came to think ill of me; he would not have thought ill

He began to think ill of me, though if not for vanity

He has come to think ill of me, though never would have faltered—

Of my loyalty, were it not for conceit.

His thoughts of my loyalty would not have worsened

Were it not for vanity—his trust in my loyalty.

قَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن يُقيمَ عَلى الوَلا

قَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن يُقيمَ عَلى الوَلا

أَبَداً وَلَكِن خابَ فيهِ رَجائي

أَبَداً وَلَكِن خابَ فيهِ رَجائي

I had hoped that he would remain loyal

I had hoped he would remain loyal forever

I had hoped he would remain steadfast in devotion

Forever, but my hope in him was dashed.

But in this my hopes were dashed

Forever, but my hope in him has been disappointed.

أَهوى اللِقاءَ بِهِ وَيَهوى ضِدَّهُ

أَهوى اللِقاءَ بِهِ وَيَهوى ضِدَّهُ

فَكَأَنَّما المَوتُ الزُؤامُ لِقائي

فَكَأَنَّما المَوتُ الزُؤامُ لِقائي

I long to meet him, while he longs for the opposite,

I yearn to meet him, but he yearns the opposite

I long to meet him, while he desires the contrary;

As though meeting me were a dreadful death.

So meeting feels like death, a miserable encounter

As though meeting me were sudden, violent death.

إِنّي لَأَصحَبَهُ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ

إِنّي لَأَصحَبَهُ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ

وَالبَدرُ مِن قِدَمٍ أَخو الظَلماءِ

وَالبَدرُ مِن قِدَمٍ أَخو الظَلماءِ

Indeed, I keep his company despite his faults,

Yet still I accompany him in his wretched state

Yet I remain his companion despite his flaws;

And the full moon has long been a brother to darkness.

For the full moon was once a slender crescent

For the full moon has, of old, been the brother of darkness.

يا صاحِ إِنَّ الكِبرَ خُلقٌ سَيٌّ

يا صاحِ إِنَّ الكِبرَ خُلقٌ سَيٌّ

هَيهاتِ يوجَدُ في سِوى الجُهَلاءِ

هَيهاتِ يوجَدُ في سِوى الجُهَلاءِ

O friend, arrogance is a bad trait,

My friend, arrogance is an ugly trait

O friend, truly arrogance is a wretched trait,

Never found in anyone but the ignorant.

You’ll find it only in fools, this I state

Seldom found in any but the ignorant.

وَالعُجبُ داءٌ لا يَنالُ دَواءَهُ

وَالعُجبُ داءٌ لا يَنالُ دَواءَهُ

حَتّى يَنالَ الخُلدَ في الدُنياءِ

حَتّى يَنالَ الخُلدَ في الدُنياءِ

And self-admiration is a sickness whose cure one cannot find

Conceit is a disease with no cure

And self-admiration is a malady that finds no cure,

Until one attains immortality in this world.

Until one reaches eternity in the grave

Unless one could attain immortality in this worldly life.

فَاِخفِض جَناحَكَ لِلأَنامِ تَفُز بِهِم

فَاِخفِض جَناحَكَ لِلأَنامِ تَفُز بِهِم

إِنَّ التَواضُعَ شيمَةَ الحُكَماءِ

إِنَّ التَواضُعَ شيمَةَ الحُكَماءِ

So lower your wing to humankind, and you will win them over;

So lower your wings to people, you’ll excel through them

So lower your wing in humility to the people, and you shall win them;

Indeed, humility is the trait of the wise.

For humility is the mark of the wise

For humility is the nature of the wise.

لَو أُعجِبَ القَمَرُ المُنيرُ بِنَفسِهِ

لَو أُعجِبَ القَمَرُ المُنيرُ بِنَفسِهِ

لَرَأَيتَهُ يَهوي إِلى الغَبراءِ

لَرَأَيتَهُ يَهوي إِلى الغَبراءِ

If the radiant moon grew vain about itself,

If the brilliant moon were vain about itself

If the luminous moon were to marvel at its own self,

You would see it fall to the dusty earth.

You'd see it plummet down to the dust

You would see it plummeting down to the dust.