وَما أَلانَ قَناتِي غَمْزُ حادِثةٍ

وَما أَلانَ قَناتِي غَمْزُ حادِثةٍ

ولا اسْتَخَفَّ بحِلْمِي قَطُّ إِنْسَانُ

ولا اسْتَخَفَّ بحِلْمِي قَطُّ إِنْسَانُ

And no calamity's pressure has made my spear-shaft yield,

My purpose was never swayed by the wink of an incident,

Nor has anyone ever made light of my forbearance.

Nor was my patience ever belittled by any human.

أَمْضِي على الهوْل قدْما لا ينهنِهني

أَمْضِي على الهوْل قدْما لا ينهنِهني

وأَنثنِي لسفِيهي وهْو حرْدانُ

وأَنثنِي لسفِيهي وهْو حرْدانُ

I press forward through terror; it does not hold me back,

I march ahead through fears, my steps unchecked,

And I give way to my foolish adversary while he is angry.

And humble myself before my foolish critics embroiled in their rage.

ولا أُقارِض جُهالا بِجهلِهِم

ولا أُقارِض جُهالا بِجهلِهِم

والأَمْر أَمْرِي والأَيام أَعْوانُ

والأَمْر أَمْرِي والأَيام أَعْوانُ

Nor do I repay fools with their own folly,

I do not lend the ignorant my wisdom

Though command is mine and the days are allies.

For this is my own affair and time my ally.

أُهِيب بالصبْرِ والشحْناءُ ثائِرة

أُهِيب بالصبْرِ والشحْناءُ ثائِرة

وأَكظِم الغيْظ والأَحْقاد نيرانُ

وأَكظِم الغيْظ والأَحْقاد نيرانُ

I call upon patience while enmity rages,

I ready myself with patience though fury simmers,

And I swallow my anger while hatreds are fires.

And swallow my anger though hatred burns.

وَما لِسانِيَ عِند القوْمِ ذو ملقٍ

وَما لِسانِيَ عِند القوْمِ ذو ملقٍ

ولا مقالِي إِذا ما قلت إِدْهانُ

ولا مقالِي إِذا ما قلت إِدْهانُ

Nor is my tongue given to flattery among the people,

My tongue holds no sweetness for the people,

Nor, when I speak, is my speech insincere flattery.

Nor is my speech buttery when I speak.

ولا أَفوه بغيْرِ الحق خوْف أخِي

ولا أَفوه بغيْرِ الحق خوْف أخِي

وإِنْ تأَخر عني وهْوَ غضبانُ

وإِنْ تأَخر عني وهْوَ غضبانُ

Nor will fear of my brother make me utter anything but truth,

I never speak anything but the truth, fearing for my brother,

Even if he draws away from me in anger.

Even if he lags behind me, wrathful and annoyed.

ولا أَمِيل على خِلي فآكله

ولا أَمِيل على خِلي فآكله

إِذا غرِثت وبعْض الناسِ ذؤبانُ

إِذا غرِثت وبعْض الناسِ ذؤبانُ

Nor do I turn on my close friend and devour him,

I do not incline toward my intimate to exploit him

When I am hungry, though some people are wolves.

When I am famished while others are wolves.

وَدَّ الفتى منهم لو متَّ مِن يدِهِ

وَدَّ الفتى منهم لو متَّ مِن يدِهِ

وأَنه منك ضخم الجوْفِ مَلآنُ

وأَنه منك ضخم الجوْفِ مَلآنُ

A young man among them wishes you would die at his hand,

The youths among them would love to see me dead by their hands,

And that he were big-bellied, filled with you.

Believing I am, though large in body, filled with you.

إِن الفتوة فاعْلمْ حَدُّ مطلبِها

إِن الفتوة فاعْلمْ حَدُّ مطلبِها

عِرْض نَقِيٌّ ونطق فيه تِبْيانُ

عِرْض نَقِيٌّ ونطق فيه تِبْيانُ

Indeed, chivalry—know this—has as its highest aim

Know that the essence of chivalry is this:

Untarnished honor, and speech that makes things clear.

A spotless honor and speech that elucidates clearly.

بالعِلمِ يفخر يوْم الحفلِ حامِلُه

بالعِلمِ يفخر يوْم الحفلِ حامِلُه

وبالعفافِ غداة الجمْعِ يزدانُ

وبالعفافِ غداة الجمْعِ يزدانُ

In knowledge its bearer takes pride on the day of assembly,

On the day of gathering, the learned proudly flaunt their knowledge,

And with self-restraint he is adorned on the morning of the gathering.

While the chaste adorn themselves with decency the morning after.

إِن الكرِيمَ إِذا نالته مَخْمَصَةٌ

إِن الكرِيمَ إِذا نالته مَخْمَصَةٌ

أَبْدى إِلى الناسِ شِبْعاً وَهْوَ طَيَّانُ

أَبْدى إِلى الناسِ شِبْعاً وَهْوَ طَيَّانُ

Indeed, the noble man, when severe hunger afflicts him,

When dire straits befall the generous man,

Shows himself sated before the people, though he is famished.

He shows the people satiation though he is famished.

يحْنِي الضلوعَ على مِثلِ اللظى حُرَقاً

يحْنِي الضلوعَ على مِثلِ اللظى حُرَقاً

والوجْه غَمْرٌ بماءِ البِشْرِ ملآنُ

والوجْه غَمْرٌ بماءِ البِشْرِ ملآنُ

He folds his ribs around burning pangs like blazing fire,

Burning anguish bends his ribs,

While his face is awash, brimming with the water of good cheer.

While his face overflows with the water of joy.

أَقلُّ كُلِّ قَلِيلٍ خِلُّ ذِي أَدَب

أَقلُّ كُلِّ قَلِيلٍ خِلُّ ذِي أَدَب

بَيْنَ الوَرَى وأَقلُّ النَّاس إِخْوَانُ

بَيْنَ الوَرَى وأَقلُّ النَّاس إِخْوَانُ

Rarest of all rare things is a friend to a man of refinement

The least of anything is too much for the ill-mannered;

Among mankind; and brothers are the rarest of people.

Among all people, the least are brothers.

وَما وَجَدْتُ أَخاً في الدَّهْرِ يَذكُرُنِي

وَما وَجَدْتُ أَخاً في الدَّهْرِ يَذكُرُنِي

إِذا سَمَا وعلا يَوْماً به الشَّانُ

إِذا سَمَا وعلا يَوْماً به الشَّانُ

And I have found no brother, through the years, who remembers me

Never did I find in this life a brother to remember me

When his standing one day soars and raises him high.

When fortune smiled on him, raising his station.