رأيتك رحب الصدر بما أتى

رأيتك رحب الصدر بما أتى

وأفضل شيء إن تلين وتسمحا

وأفضل شيء إن تلين وتسمحا

I saw you open-hearted toward whatever came.

I saw you with a generous heart accept what came

I have seen you open-hearted toward whatever has come,

And the best thing is if you are gentle and generous.

The best thing is to be gentle and forgiving

And the finest thing is to show gentleness and forgive.

فحظك من بعض السواقي مفضل

فحظك من بعض السواقي مفضل

على أن بحور الملك من أصلها الرحى

على أن بحور الملك من أصلها الرحى

So your share of some irrigation channels is favored,

Your share of some freshets is preferred

For your share from modest rivulets is far preferred,

though the kingdom’s seas have the millstone at their source.

Though the king's seas were once but gruel

Though the seas of dominion grind all at their core like a millstone.

وعضو بعير فيه الوزن ضعف ما

وعضو بعير فيه الوزن ضعف ما

تقدره في الحدى فاغص الذي لحا

تقدره في الحدى فاغص الذي لحا

And in a camel’s limb the weight is twice what

A camel's limb outweighs, though light it seems,

And a single limb of a camel bears twice the weight

you reckon in the camel-driving chant; so make the reproacher choke.

What you can bear, so leave the task to one well suited

Of what you reckon in caravan songs, so choke the one who blames.

ولعب الذي تهوى بسيفين معجب

ولعب الذي تهوى بسيفين معجب

فكن ناحيا في نحوه كيفما نحا

فكن ناحيا في نحوه كيفما نحا

And the play of the one you love with two swords is impressive.

The game you love, with twin swords I admire

The way the one you love plays with two swords is wondrous,

So move in his direction, whichever way he turns.

So tilt as you please, I will not interfere

So lean toward his direction, whichever way he turns.