أَخطا وَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ غَيرَ جَوابي

أَخطا وَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ غَيرَ جَوابي

وَزَرى عَلَيَّ وَقالَ غَيرَ صَوابِ

وَزَرى عَلَيَّ وَقالَ غَيرَ صَوابِ

He erred and answered me with an unfitting reply,

He erred and responded to me without an answer,

And disparaged me, saying what was not right.

And blamed me saying what was improper.

وَسَكَنتُ مِن عَجَبٍ لِذاكَ فَزادَني

وَسَكَنتُ مِن عَجَبٍ لِذاكَ فَزادَني

فيما كَرِهتُ بِظَنِّهِ المُرتابِ

فيما كَرِهتُ بِظَنِّهِ المُرتابِ

And I fell silent in wonder at that, so he gave me more

I was astonished at that and it increased

Of what I disliked, through his suspicious conjecture.

My dislike due to his mistrustful doubt.

وَقَضى عَلَيَّ بِظاهِرٍ مِن كِسوَةٍ

وَقَضى عَلَيَّ بِظاهِرٍ مِن كِسوَةٍ

لَم يَدرِ ما اِشتَمَلَت عَلَيهِ ثِيابي

لَم يَدرِ ما اِشتَمَلَت عَلَيهِ ثِيابي

And he judged me by a garment's outward appearance,

He judged me by the outer appearance of my garment,

Not knowing what my clothes enfolded:

Not knowing what was concealed beneath my clothes,

مِن عِفَّةٍ وَتَكَرُّمٍ وَتَحَمُّلٍ

مِن عِفَّةٍ وَتَكَرُّمٍ وَتَحَمُّلٍ

وَتَجَلُّدٍ لِمَصيبَةٍ وَعِقابِ

وَتَجَلُّدٍ لِمَصيبَةٍ وَعِقابِ

Self-restraint, generosity, endurance,

Of chastity, generosity, patience,

And fortitude in calamity and punishment.

And fortitude in the face of misfortune and punishment.

وَإِذا الزَمانُ جَنى عَلَيَّ وَجَدتَني

وَإِذا الزَمانُ جَنى عَلَيَّ وَجَدتَني

عوداً لِبَعضِ صَفائِحِ الأَقتابِ

عوداً لِبَعضِ صَفائِحِ الأَقتابِ

And when Time wrongs me, you will find me

And when time oppressed me, you found me

An old camel beneath a pack-saddle's wooden slats.

As a piece of wood stripped of its bark.

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ لَيُخبِرَنَّكَ عالِمٌ

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ لَيُخبِرَنَّكَ عالِمٌ

أَنّي بِحَيثُ أُحِبُّ مِن آدابِ

أَنّي بِحَيثُ أُحِبُّ مِن آدابِ

And if you ask, one who knows will surely tell you

If you ask, a scholar will tell you

That in manners I stand where I wish to be.

That I am where I love proper etiquette.

وَإِذا نَبا بي مَنزِلٌ خَلَّيتُهُ

وَإِذا نَبا بي مَنزِلٌ خَلَّيتُهُ

قَفراً مَجالَ ثَعالِبٍ وَذِئابِ

قَفراً مَجالَ ثَعالِبٍ وَذِئابِ

And when a dwelling proves inhospitable to me, I leave it

And if an abode brought me notoriety, I abandoned it

Desolate, a roaming ground for foxes and wolves.

Empty, a place for foxes and wolves.

وَأَكونُ مُشتَرَكَ الغِنى مُتَبَذِّلاً

وَأَكونُ مُشتَرَكَ الغِنى مُتَبَذِّلاً

فَإِذا اِفتَقَرتُ قَعَدتُ عَن أَصحابي

فَإِذا اِفتَقَرتُ قَعَدتُ عَن أَصحابي

And I share my wealth, without pretension;

And I share wealth being generous,

But when I become poor, I keep away from my companions.

But when impoverished, I avoid my companions.

لَكِنَّهُ رَجَعَت عَلَيهِ نَدامَةٌ

لَكِنَّهُ رَجَعَت عَلَيهِ نَدامَةٌ

لَمّا نُسِبتُ وَخافَ مَضَّ عِتابي

لَمّا نُسِبتُ وَخافَ مَضَّ عِتابي

Yet remorse overtook him

Yet he felt regret,

When my lineage was made known, and he feared the sting of my reproach.

When I was accused and feared the onset of my reprimand.

فَأَقَلتُهُ لَمّا أَقَرَّ بِذَنبِهِ

فَأَقَلتُهُ لَمّا أَقَرَّ بِذَنبِهِ

لَيسَ الكَريمُ عَلى الكَريمِ بِنابِ

لَيسَ الكَريمُ عَلى الكَريمِ بِنابِ

So I pardoned him when he confessed his fault:

So I reproached him mildly when he admitted his sin,

A noble man is not harsh toward another noble man.

A noble man does not rebuke a noble man.