المشتري الحمد بالإفعال يصلحها

المشتري الحمد بالإفعال يصلحها

والحمد أفضل مايقنيه مدخرا

والحمد أفضل مايقنيه مدخرا

He who buys praise with deeds perfects them;

The buyer, praiseworthy through deeds, makes amends for them,

and praise is the finest thing he acquires to store away.

And praise is the best provision he stores up.

فاشدد بعروته الوثقى يديك وثق

فاشدد بعروته الوثقى يديك وثق

إن الزمان غدا يأتيك معتذرا

إن الزمان غدا يأتيك معتذرا

So clasp its firmest handhold with both hands, and be assured:

So strengthen your firm covenant, and make the bond tight.

tomorrow Time will come to you apologizing.

For time will soon come to you making excuses.

واحذر سطا عدله إن يرض عنك ولا

واحذر سطا عدله إن يرض عنك ولا

تبت لدى سخطه من جوده حذرا

تبت لدى سخطه من جوده حذرا

Beware the onslaught of its justice if it is pleased with you, and do not

And beware the justice of his rule if he is pleased with you,

spend the night fearful of its bounty when it is angry.

Nor remain devoted at his anger despite his generosity.

لا يغررنك منه الابتسام إذا

لا يغررنك منه الابتسام إذا

دنا إليك ولا تيأس إذا نفرا

دنا إليك ولا تيأس إذا نفرا

Do not let a smile from it deceive you when

Do not let his smile deceive you

it draws near you, nor despair when it turns away.

When he draws near, nor despair if he turns away.

فليس يمنعنا إلا ليصلحنا

فليس يمنعنا إلا ليصلحنا

لا يمكننا الا ليختبرا

لا يمكننا الا ليختبرا

For it withholds from us only to set us right;

He only prevents us to reform us,

it empowers us only to put us to the test.

He only tries us to test us.

فاطمع إذا ما قسى فاللين شيمته

فاطمع إذا ما قسى فاللين شيمته

لو رام تغيير ذاك الطبع ما قدرا

لو رام تغيير ذاك الطبع ما قدرا

So hope when it is harsh, for gentleness is its nature;

So hope though he be harsh, for gentleness is his way,

if it sought to change that nature, it could not.

If he wished to change that nature, he could not.

يا مالكا ماله في منعه غرض

يا مالكا ماله في منعه غرض

إلا السياسة ان نفعا وإن ضررا

إلا السياسة ان نفعا وإن ضررا

O master, whose withholding has no aim

O owner of property, he has no purpose in refusing you

except governance, whether through benefit or harm.

Except governance, whether beneficial or harmful.

ثقف وقوم فودى لا ترى عوجا

ثقف وقوم فودى لا ترى عوجا

فيه يقام ولا في صفوه كدرا

فيه يقام ولا في صفوه كدرا

Discipline and correct me; as for my love, you will see no crookedness

Be steadfast and upright; do not see crookedness in him,

in it that needs straightening, nor any cloudiness in its purity.

To be set right, nor any flaw in his goodness.

إني أحبك حب الكف قوتها

إني أحبك حب الكف قوتها

وحب أذني وعيني السمع والبصرا

وحب أذني وعيني السمع والبصرا

Indeed, I love you as the hand loves its strength,

I love you with the love of palm trees for their fruit

and as my ear and eye love hearing and sight.

And the love of my ears and eyes for hearing and sight.

قد كنت لي حين لا مولى لخادمه

قد كنت لي حين لا مولى لخادمه

واق ولا والد عن والد وزرا

واق ولا والد عن والد وزرا

You were there for me when no master was his servant's

You were to me when I had no master for this servant

protector, nor any father bore a burden for a father.

A shelter when there was no father to bear the burden of fatherhood.

تذب عني وتحمي جانبي كرما

تذب عني وتحمي جانبي كرما

حماية معها لم ارتكب خطرا

حماية معها لم ارتكب خطرا

You defend me and protect my side out of generosity,

You warded evil from me and protected my side generously

with a protection under which I have taken no risk.

With protection alongside which I faced no danger.

للناس في الناس إخوان تكثرهم

للناس في الناس إخوان تكثرهم

يا فوز من يك دون الناس قد كثرا

يا فوز من يك دون الناس قد كثرا

People have brothers among men; you outnumber them.

People have many brothers among people.

How fortunate is he who has grown numerous without other men!

Happy are you whose brothers, many though they be, are fewer than other men’s.

من ذاك يحضر عني إن أغب وهم

من ذاك يحضر عني إن أغب وهم

إن غاب هذا فهذا عنه قد حضرا

إن غاب هذا فهذا عنه قد حضرا

Who will appear on my behalf if I am absent? As for them,

Who of them would attend me if you were absent, and if you

if this one is absent, that one is already there in his stead.

Were absent, who of them would attend in your place?

لي فيك ظن جميل لا يخيب إذا

لي فيك ظن جميل لا يخيب إذا

خابت ظنون رجال أخطئوا النظرا

خابت ظنون رجال أخطئوا النظرا

I have a good hope in you that will not fail when

In you I have fair hopes that will not fail

the hopes of men who judged amiss fail.

When the hopes of men who misjudged have failed.

لا تلق مني حساما في يديك يصر

لا تلق مني حساما في يديك يصر

ذاك الحسام عصى ملقي قد انكسرا

ذاك الحسام عصى ملقي قد انكسرا

Do not cast aside the sword I am in your hands, lest

Do not meet me with a sword in your hand that bends

that sword become a cast-off, broken stick.

That sword, disobeying, flung from the hand that cast it.

وعد على الحسب الزاكي وخذ بيدي

وعد على الحسب الزاكي وخذ بيدي

أخذا ينفض منه الترب من عثرا

أخذا ينفض منه الترب من عثرا

And return to your unblemished honor, and take me by the hand,

Promise in good faith, and take me by the hand

with a grasp that lets one who stumbled shake the dust off himself.

In a clasp that shakes the dust of stumbling off.