تَضَمَّنتُ بِالأَحسابِ ثُمَّ كَفَيتُها

تَضَمَّنتُ بِالأَحسابِ ثُمَّ كَفَيتُها

وَهَل تُوكَلُ الأَحسابُ إِلّا اِلى مِثلي

وَهَل تُوكَلُ الأَحسابُ إِلّا اِلى مِثلي

I took responsibility for ancestral honors, then upheld them.

I was versed in calculations, yet I abandoned them,

And are ancestral honors entrusted to anyone but one like me?

For who should be entrusted with calculations but the like of me?

وإِن يَجنِ قَومي الحَربَ يَوماً كَفَيتُها

وإِن يَجنِ قَومي الحَربَ يَوماً كَفَيتُها

وَما أَنا بِالجاني وَلا هِيَ مِن أَجلي

وَما أَنا بِالجاني وَلا هِيَ مِن أَجلي

And if my people bring on war one day, I will meet it;

And if my people start a war one day, I will end it,

And I am not its instigator, nor is it on my account.

For I am no instigator, nor is it because of me.

أُمِرُّ وَأُحلي وَالحَياءُ خَليقَتي

أُمِرُّ وَأُحلي وَالحَياءُ خَليقَتي

وَلا خَيرَ في مَن لا يُمِرُّ وَلا يُحلي

وَلا خَيرَ في مَن لا يُمِرُّ وَلا يُحلي

I deal out bitterness and sweetness, and modesty is my nature;

I give generously and act righteously, modesty is my nature,

And there is no good in one who deals out neither bitterness nor sweetness.

No good in one who does not give generously or act righteously.

أَجودُ بِمالي دونَ عِرضي وَمَن يُرِد

أَجودُ بِمالي دونَ عِرضي وَمَن يُرِد

رَزِيَّةَ عِرضي يَعتَرِضُ دونَهُ بُخلي

رَزِيَّةَ عِرضي يَعتَرِضُ دونَهُ بُخلي

I give freely of my wealth to shield my honor; and whoever seeks

I spend my money without ruining my honor, and whoever wants,

To injure my honor finds my stinginess standing in its defense.

To insult my honor will be hindered by my stinginess.

وَما أَنا بِالأَعشى لِيَظلِمَ قَومَهُ

وَما أَنا بِالأَعشى لِيَظلِمَ قَومَهُ

أَخافُ مَليكي أَو سَيَحبِسُني

أَخافُ مَليكي أَو سَيَحبِسُني

And I am not al-Aʿshā, to wrong his people.

I am no blind man to wrong my people,

I fear my king, or he will imprison me.

Fearing my king or that he will imprison me.

عَجِبتُ لِأَقوامٍ تَمَنّوا لِيَ الرَدى

عَجِبتُ لِأَقوامٍ تَمَنّوا لِيَ الرَدى

بِلا تِرَةٍ كانَت وَدَلّاهُمُ خَتلي

بِلا تِرَةٍ كانَت وَدَلّاهُمُ خَتلي

I marveled at people who wished me death,

I am surprised by people who wished me gone astray,

Without any wrong having occurred; and my guile lured them on.

With no justification, their own stupidity led them.

فَاِن تُنسِني الآجالُ نَفسي حِمامَها

فَاِن تُنسِني الآجالُ نَفسي حِمامَها

فَاِنَّ وَرائي أَن يُفَنِّدَني أَهلي

فَاِنَّ وَرائي أَن يُفَنِّدَني أَهلي

So if life's allotted spans make me forget my soul's death,

If time makes me forget my soul's concerns,

Then ahead of me lies my family's calling me senile;

Then my family behind me will remind me.

وَأَصبَحَ هادِيَّ العَصا حينَ أَغتَدي

وَأَصبَحَ هادِيَّ العَصا حينَ أَغتَدي

وَيُسلِمُني مِن بَعدِ حِكمَتِهِ عَقلي

وَيُسلِمُني مِن بَعدِ حِكمَتِهِ عَقلي

And the staff will become my guide when I go out at dawn;

And I will rise in the morning a guide with a staff,

And my mind will abandon me after its wisdom;

And after his wisdom, my mind will submit to me.

وَيَأَمَنُ أَعدائي شَذاتي وَلَم أَكُن

وَيَأَمَنُ أَعدائي شَذاتي وَلَم أَكُن

لِأَرأَمَ ذُلاً ما هَدَت قَدَمى نَعلي

لِأَرأَمَ ذُلاً ما هَدَت قَدَمى نَعلي

And my enemies will feel safe from my sting; yet I have never been

My enemies will feel safe from my outbursts, and I have never,

One to embrace abasement so long as my sandal guided my foot.

Been one to show humility when my slipper guided my steps.

وَإِنّي أَخوهُم عِندَ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ

وَإِنّي أَخوهُم عِندَ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ

إِذا مِتُّ لَم يَلقوا أَخاً لَهُمُ عِدلي

إِذا مِتُّ لَم يَلقوا أَخاً لَهُمُ عِدلي

And I am their brother in every calamity;

And I am their brother in every disaster,

When I die, they will find no brother equal to me.

If I die, they will not find one equitable to replace me.

تَجودُ لَهُم كَفّي بِما مَلَكَت يَدَي

تَجودُ لَهُم كَفّي بِما مَلَكَت يَدَي

وَقُمتُ بِلا فُحشٍ عَلَيهِمُ وَلا بُخلِ

وَقُمتُ بِلا فُحشٍ عَلَيهِمُ وَلا بُخلِ

My palm gives them freely of what my hand possesses;

I give generously with what my hands possessed,

And I took charge of them without abuse or stinginess.

Without committing indecency or stinginess towards them.

وَأَورَهَ مِنهُم قَد تَعَدَّيتُ جَهلَهُ

وَأَورَهَ مِنهُم قَد تَعَدَّيتُ جَهلَهُ

وَلَو شِئتُ جَرَّ الحَبلَ عَن وَجهِهِ حَملي

وَلَو شِئتُ جَرَّ الحَبلَ عَن وَجهِهِ حَملي

And I have overlooked the folly of a fool among them;

But I do warn those who transgressed in their ignorance,

And had I wished, my burden would have pulled the rope away from his face.

And if I wanted, I would pull the rope from his face forcefully.