سَكَتَّ خَوفاً وَقُلتَ الصَفحَ مِن خُلُقي

سَكَتَّ خَوفاً وَقُلتَ الصَفحَ مِن خُلُقي

وَنِمتَ جُبناً وَقُلتَ الحِلمُ مِن شِيَمي

وَنِمتَ جُبناً وَقُلتَ الحِلمُ مِن شِيَمي

You kept silent out of fear and said, 'Forgiveness is part of my character.'

You were silent out of fear and said forbearance is my nature

You remained silent out of fear, yet claimed forgiveness is your nature,

And you slept out of cowardice and said, 'Forbearance is among my traits.'

You slept out of cowardice and said patience is my trait

And you slept out of cowardice, yet claimed forbearance is your trait.

وَإِنَّما أَنتَ وَالأَقوامُ قَد عَلِموا

وَإِنَّما أَنتَ وَالأَقوامُ قَد عَلِموا

لَولا خُمولُكَ لَم تَسكُت وَلَم تَنَمِ

لَولا خُمولُكَ لَم تَسكُت وَلَم تَنَمِ

Yet in truth, you—and the people know it—

But you and the people already know

But in truth, you and all the people already know,

would neither have kept silent nor slept, but for your lethargy.

Had you not been lethargic, you would not have been silent or slept

Were it not for your inadequacy, you would not have paused nor slept.

لَم تَمتَنِع أَنفَةً لَكِن قَدِ اِمتَنَعَت

لَم تَمتَنِع أَنفَةً لَكِن قَدِ اِمتَنَعَت

عَلَيكَ أَشباهُ ما قَد صاغَهُ قَلَمي

عَلَيكَ أَشباهُ ما قَد صاغَهُ قَلَمي

You did not refrain out of pride; rather, unattainable

You did not refrain out of self-respect, but you refrained

You did not refrain out of dignified pride; rather, you were denied

to you were the likes of what my pen had fashioned.

From the likes of what my pen had forged

The ability to produce the likes of what my pen has forged.

حاوَلتَ وُجدانَ عَيبٍ لي فَكُنتُ كَمَن

حاوَلتَ وُجدانَ عَيبٍ لي فَكُنتُ كَمَن

يُحاوِلُ الماءَ في البُركانِ ذي الضَرَمِ

يُحاوِلُ الماءَ في البُركانِ ذي الضَرَمِ

You tried to find a fault in me; so I was like one

You tried to find fault in me, so you were like one

You attempted to find a flaw in me, so you were like one who

who seeks water in a volcano blazing with fire.

Who tries to find water in an active volcano

Seeks water within a volcano filled with fire.

فَقُلتَ لِلقَومِ فيما قُلتَ تَخدَعُهُم

فَقُلتَ لِلقَومِ فيما قُلتَ تَخدَعُهُم

لَقَد هَجاني وَبَعضُ الهَجوِ كَالوَصَمِ

لَقَد هَجاني وَبَعضُ الهَجوِ كَالوَصَمِ

So, among your words to the people, you said, deceiving them:

So you told the people in what you said, deceiving them

So you spoke to the people, deceiving them with your words:

'He has indeed lampooned me, and some satire is like a stain.'

Indeed he has lampooned me, and some lampoon is like a brand

"He has satirized me," though some satire serves as a brand of shame.

الذَمُّ عارٌ وَلَكِن ذَمُّ ذي كَرَمٍ

الذَمُّ عارٌ وَلَكِن ذَمُّ ذي كَرَمٍ

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لَم نَذمَم أَخا كَرَمِ

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لَم نَذمَم أَخا كَرَمِ

Reviling is a disgrace—but only reviling the noble;

Censure is dishonor, but to censure one of nobility

To dispraise is indeed a disgrace, but only when dispraising the noble;

and, praise be to God, we have not reviled a noble man.

Thanks be to God, we do not censure a noble brother

And praise be to God, we have not dispraised a brother of nobility.

سَأَحبِسَنَّ لِساني عَنكَ عَن شَمَمٍ

سَأَحبِسَنَّ لِساني عَنكَ عَن شَمَمٍ

وَحُرمَةً لِءُهَيلِ الوُدِّ وَالذِمَمِ

وَحُرمَةً لِءُهَيلِ الوُدِّ وَالذِمَمِ

I shall surely hold my tongue about you, out of proud dignity,

I will restrain my tongue from you, from smelling

I shall strictly imprison my tongue from you out of high disdain,

and out of respect for the dear folk of friendship and pledges.

And sanctity of the ties of love and covenant

And out of reverence for the people of affection and honor.

قَومٌ لَعَمرِ أَبي لَو كانَ سَفكُ دَمي

قَومٌ لَعَمرِ أَبي لَو كانَ سَفكُ دَمي

وَلا مُغالاةً يُرضيهُمُ سَفَكتُ دَمي

وَلا مُغالاةً يُرضيهُمُ سَفَكتُ دَمي

People—by my father's life—if shedding my blood

A people, by the life of my father, if my blood was spilt

People for whom—by my father's life—if the shedding of my blood

pleased them, I would shed my blood—and this is no exaggeration.

And without exaggeration, spilling my blood would satisfy them

Would please them, I would shed my blood without exaggeration.

إِنّي أُجِلُّهُمُ عَن أَن يُغَيِّرُهُم

إِنّي أُجِلُّهُمُ عَن أَن يُغَيِّرُهُم

كَلامُ ذي حَسَدٍ أَو قَولُ مُتَّهِمِ

كَلامُ ذي حَسَدٍ أَو قَولُ مُتَّهِمِ

I esteem them too highly for them to be swayed

I hold them back from being changed

I hold them too high to believe they could be swayed

by the words of an envious one or the speech of an accuser.

By the words of one envious or an accusation of a blamer

By the words of an envier or the claims of an accuser.

ما العَجزُ أَقعَدَني لَمّا كَفَفتُ يَدي

ما العَجزُ أَقعَدَني لَمّا كَفَفتُ يَدي

لَكِن لِأَجلِهِمِ نَهنَهتُ مِن كَلِمي

لَكِن لِأَجلِهِمِ نَهنَهتُ مِن كَلِمي

It was not inability that held me back when I stayed my hand;

It is not weakness that made me sit back from restraining my hand

It was not weakness that stayed me when I held back my hand,

rather, for their sake, I held back some of my words.

But for their sake I refrained from my words

But for their sake alone, I restrained my words.

وَلَو أَشاءُ مَلَأتُ الأَرضَ قاطِبَةً

وَلَو أَشاءُ مَلَأتُ الأَرضَ قاطِبَةً

قَوافِياً وَأَفضاءَ الرَحبِ بِالحَكَمِ

قَوافِياً وَأَفضاءَ الرَحبِ بِالحَكَمِ

And if I wished, I would fill the entire earth

If I wished, I would have filled the whole earth

For if I wished, I could fill the entire earth

with rhyming verses, and the broad expanses with maxims.

With rhymed prose and the open spaces with wisdom

With rhyming verses, and the vast spaces with wisdom.

وَلَستُ أَعجَبُ أَن لَم تَشتَكِ أَلَماً

وَلَستُ أَعجَبُ أَن لَم تَشتَكِ أَلَماً

إِنَّ الجَماداتِ لا تَشكو مِنَ الأَلَمِ

إِنَّ الجَماداتِ لا تَشكو مِنَ الأَلَمِ

And I am not surprised that you did not complain of pain:

And I am not surprised that you did not complain of pain

And I do not marvel that you have not complained of pain;

indeed, inanimate things do not complain of pain.

Indeed inanimate things do not complain of pain

Indeed, inanimate objects do not complain of pain.