أَلا أَيُّها الإِبريقُ ما لَكَ وَالصَلف

أَلا أَيُّها الإِبريقُ ما لَكَ وَالصَلف

فَما أَنتَ بَلّورٌ وَلا أَنتَ مِن صَدَف

فَما أَنتَ بَلّورٌ وَلا أَنتَ مِن صَدَف

O pitcher, what have you to do with arrogance?

Oh jug, why this vanity of yours?

For you are neither crystal nor made of mother-of-pearl.

You are neither crystal nor made of mother-of-pearl.

وَما أَنتَ إِلّا كَالأَباريقِ كُلِّها

وَما أَنتَ إِلّا كَالأَباريقِ كُلِّها

تُرابٌ مَهينٌ قَد تَرَقّى إِلى خَزَف

تُرابٌ مَهينٌ قَد تَرَقّى إِلى خَزَف

You are merely like all other pitchers:

You are nothing but like all other jugs,

Lowly dust that has risen to become earthenware.

Lowly dust that has ascended to become pottery.

أَرى لَكَ أَنفاً شامِخاً غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

أَرى لَكَ أَنفاً شامِخاً غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

تَلَفَّعَ أَثوابَ الغُبارِ وَما أَنِف

تَلَفَّعَ أَثوابَ الغُبارِ وَما أَنِف

I see you have a nose held high, except that it

I see you possess a haughty nose, except that it

Has wrapped itself in robes of dust and felt no disdain.

Is wrapped in robes of dust, yet feels no disdain.

وَمَسَّتهُ أَيدي الأَدنِياءِ فَما شَكا

وَمَسَّتهُ أَيدي الأَدنِياءِ فَما شَكا

وَمَصَّتهُ أَفواهُ الطَغامِ فَما وَجَف

وَمَصَّتهُ أَفواهُ الطَغامِ فَما وَجَف

The hands of the lowly have touched it, yet it did not complain,

The hands of the ignoble have touched it, yet it did not complain,

And the mouths of the rabble have sucked it, yet it did not tremble.

And the mouths of the rabble have sipped from it, yet it did not tremble.

وَفيكَ اِعتِزازٌ لَيسَ لِلديكِ مِثلَهُ

وَفيكَ اِعتِزازٌ لَيسَ لِلديكِ مِثلَهُ

وَلَستَ بِذي ريشٍ تَضاعَفَ كَالزَغَف

وَلَستَ بِذي ريشٍ تَضاعَفَ كَالزَغَف

Yet you possess a pride the rooster cannot match,

You harbor a pride the likes of which even the rooster lacks,

Though you have no feathers layered like chain mail,

Though you possess no feathers layered like chain mail.

وَلا لَكَ صَوتٌ مِثلَهُ يَصدَعُ الدُجى

وَلا لَكَ صَوتٌ مِثلَهُ يَصدَعُ الدُجى

وَتَهتِفُ فيهِ الذِكرَياتُ إِذا هَتَف

وَتَهتِفُ فيهِ الذِكرَياتُ إِذا هَتَف

Nor a voice like his that cleaves the darkness,

Nor do you have a voice like his that cracks the darkness,

In which memories cry out whenever he crows.

In which memories cry out whenever he calls.

وَأَنصَتُّ أَستَوحيهِ شَيئاً يَقولُهُ

وَأَنصَتُّ أَستَوحيهِ شَيئاً يَقولُهُ

كَما يَسكُتُ الزُوّارُ في مَعرِضِ التُحَف

كَما يَسكُتُ الزُوّارُ في مَعرِضِ التُحَف

I listened in silence, seeking from it something it might say,

I listened closely, seeking to divine something it might say,

As visitors fall silent in an exhibition of curios.

Just as visitors fall silent in a gallery of artifacts.

وَبَعدَ ثَوانٍ خِلتُ أَنّي سَمِعتُهُ

وَبَعدَ ثَوانٍ خِلتُ أَنّي سَمِعتُهُ

يُثَرثِرُ مِثلَ الشَيخِ أَدرَكَهُ الخَزَف

يُثَرثِرُ مِثلَ الشَيخِ أَدرَكَهُ الخَزَف

After a few seconds, I thought I heard it

And after a few seconds, I imagined I heard it

Babbling like an old man overtaken by [senility?].

Babbling like an elder overtaken by senility.

فَقالَ سَقَيتُ الناسَ قُلتُ لَهُ أَجَل

فَقالَ سَقَيتُ الناسَ قُلتُ لَهُ أَجَل

سَقَيتَهُم ماءَ السَحابِ الَّذي يَكَف

سَقَيتَهُم ماءَ السَحابِ الَّذي يَكَف

It said, 'I have given people drink.' I said to it, 'Yes,

It said, "I have given drink to people." I replied, "Indeed,"

You gave them the dripping water of the clouds,

"You gave them the rainwater that drips from clouds,"

وَدَمعَ السَواقي وَالعُيونِ الَّذي جَرى

وَدَمعَ السَواقي وَالعُيونِ الَّذي جَرى

وَماءَ اليَنابيعِ الَّذي قَس صَفا وَشَف

وَماءَ اليَنابيعِ الَّذي قَس صَفا وَشَف

And the flowing tears of channels and springs,

"And the tears of the rivulets and springs that flowed,"

And the water of springs, which [had?] grown clear and transparent.'

"And the water of fountains that was pure and clear."

فَقالَ لِيَذكُر فَضلِيَ الماءُ وَليُشِد

فَقالَ لِيَذكُر فَضلِيَ الماءُ وَليُشِد

بِمَدحي أَلَم أَحمِلُهُ قُلتَ لَكَ الشَرَف

بِمَدحي أَلَم أَحمِلُهُ قُلتَ لَكَ الشَرَف

It said, 'Let water remember my favor and sing

It said, "Let the water acknowledge my merit and sing my praise!"

My praises! Did I not carry it?' You said, 'Yours is the honor.'

"Did I not carry it?" I said, "The honor is yours,"

فَقالَ أَلَم أَحفَظهُهُ قُلتُ ظَلَمتَهُ

فَقالَ أَلَم أَحفَظهُهُ قُلتُ ظَلَمتَهُ

فَلَولاهُ لَم تُنقَل وَلَولاكَ ما وَقَف

فَلَولاهُ لَم تُنقَل وَلَولاكَ ما وَقَف

It said, 'Did I not preserve it?' I said, 'You have wronged it:

It asked, "Did I not preserve it?" I said, "You have wronged it,"

For without it you would not be carried, and without you it would not stand still.'

"For without it, you would not be carried, and without you, it would not have been detained."