البُخل لَيل عاتم

البُخل لَيل عاتم

بِالجود ساد حاتم

بِالجود ساد حاتم

Stinginess is a pitch-dark night.

Stinginess is a gloomy night

Through generosity, Ḥātim attained eminence.

Generosity made Hatem glorious

آثر بِأصل مالكا

آثر بِأصل مالكا

إِن السخا كَذَلِكا

إِن السخا كَذَلِكا

Put others first, even with the principal of your wealth;

Prefer, as your asset originates

indeed, generosity is just that.

The generous act likewise

احمل عَظيماً تذكر

احمل عَظيماً تذكر

افعل جَميلاً تُشكر

افعل جَميلاً تُشكر

Shoulder a great burden, and you will be remembered;

Bear greatly, you'll be remembered

do a fine deed, and you will be thanked.

Do good, you'll be thanked

بِحملك الأَثقالا

بِحملك الأَثقالا

تستعبد الرجالا

تستعبد الرجالا

By bearing heavy burdens,

With your burden of difficulties

you make men your slaves.

You enslave men

إِيثار كَعب شكره

إِيثار كَعب شكره

طرق المَعالي وَعره

طرق المَعالي وَعره

Kaʿb’s selflessness earned him thanks;

Preference is the thanks of glory

the paths to lofty honor are rugged.

It paved the path of nobility and honor

لا بُد مِن مَوت فَلا

لا بُد مِن مَوت فَلا

تمت عَلى غَير العُلا

تمت عَلى غَير العُلا

There is no escaping death, so do not

Death is inevitable so do not

die without lofty honor.

Pass away without glory

إِن مت فَالذكر خلف

إِن مت فَالذكر خلف

مِن الحَياة وَالشرف

مِن الحَياة وَالشرف

If you die, renown is a replacement

If I die, memory remains

for life and honor.

Of life and honor

إِنكَ إن تؤاسي

إِنكَ إن تؤاسي

تكن كَبَعض الناس

تكن كَبَعض الناس

Indeed, if you share with others,

If you console

you will be like other people.

You'll be like some people

الفَضل في الإِيثار

الفَضل في الإِيثار

وَالجود في الإعسار

وَالجود في الإعسار

Merit lies in putting others first,

Virtue is in preference

and generosity in poverty.

And generosity in poverty

بذل فضول المال

بذل فضول المال

لَيسَ مِن الأَفضال

لَيسَ مِن الأَفضال

Giving surplus wealth

Giving away excess money

is not an act of merit.

Is not a virtue

الكَلب بَعدَ ما أَكل

الكَلب بَعدَ ما أَكل

يَترك كُل ما فضل

يَترك كُل ما فضل

The dog, after it has eaten,

The dog, after eating his fill

leaves everything that remains.

Leaves everything left over

يطربني السموأل

يطربني السموأل

حَتّى أكادَ أذهل

حَتّى أكادَ أذهل

Al-Samawʾal delights me

Al-Samaw'al's generosity

until I almost lose my senses.

Exhilarates me, almost to the point of craziness

إِن كانَ طَبعاً ما فَعل

إِن كانَ طَبعاً ما فَعل

فَإنَّه خَير بَطل

فَإنَّه خَير بَطل

If what he did came naturally,

If it was his nature to act this way

then he is the finest of heroes.

Then he is the best hero

أَو كانَ قَد تكلفه

أَو كانَ قَد تكلفه

كيما يشيد شرفه

كيما يشيد شرفه

Or if he made himself do it

Or if he forced himself to do so

to elevate his honor,

In order to extol his honor

فَإنه صَبور

فَإنه صَبور

لَيسَ لَهُ نَظير

لَيسَ لَهُ نَظير

then he is steadfast;

Then he is patient

he has no equal.

He has no equal

الفَضل في التكلف

الفَضل في التكلف

وَالمَجد بِالتعسف

وَالمَجد بِالتعسف

Merit lies in deliberate effort,

Distinction lies in pretense

and glory in forcing oneself,

And glory in imposition

لأَنَّهُ عَكس الهَوى

لأَنَّهُ عَكس الهَوى

وَفعل أَمر يجتوى

وَفعل أَمر يجتوى

for it runs counter to desire

Because it counters desires

and means doing what is loathed,

And is an act that burns

وَحملك النفس عَلى

وَحملك النفس عَلى

ما لا تُريد مِن عُلا

ما لا تُريد مِن عُلا

and forcing your soul toward

And your self-coercion

heights it does not desire.

To what you do not want out of glory

فَلَيسَ فعل المشتهى

فَلَيسَ فعل المشتهى

يحسن عِندَ ذي النُهى

يحسن عِندَ ذي النُهى

For doing what one desires does not

So doing one's desire

seem admirable to a person of reason.

Is not good in the eyes of the censor

وَذاكَ أَيضاً نكته

وَذاكَ أَيضاً نكته

مِن العُيوب تَحته

مِن العُيوب تَحته

Yet that, too, has a speck

That too is a subtlety

of fault beneath it:

Of defects beneath it

إِن النُفوس الفائِقه

إِن النُفوس الفائِقه

للمكرمات عاشِقه

للمكرمات عاشِقه

indeed, outstanding souls

Indeed lofty souls

are in love with noble deeds.

Are enamored of honorable deeds

فَقالَت الخطباء

فَقالَت الخطباء

أَحسَنت يا حَسناء

أَحسَنت يا حَسناء

Then al-Khaṭbāʾ, the striped she-ass, said:

So the orators have said

“Well done, Ḥasnāʾ!”

You have done well, O beauty!

أَسوأ خَلق أَدبا

أَسوأ خَلق أَدبا

مَن جَرب المُجربا

مَن جَرب المُجربا

The worst-mannered of creatures

The worst in manners

is one who tests the already tested.

Is one who has experienced the experienced

مَن لَكَ بِالمُهذب

مَن لَكَ بِالمُهذب

الكامل المُؤدب

الكامل المُؤدب

Who can find you someone refined,

Who could be more refined

perfect and well-mannered?

Than the perfect, well-mannered?

أَي فَتى لَم يعب

أَي فَتى لَم يعب

أَيُّ فَتى لَم يعتب

أَيُّ فَتى لَم يعتب

What young man has never been faulted?

What young man has not been tried?

What young man has never been reproached?

What young man has not been reproached?