دعني أخي من الأدب

دعني أخي من الأدب

إن شئت أن تعلو الرتب

إن شئت أن تعلو الرتب

Spare me talk of literature, my brother,

Let me be, my brother, from etiquette

if you wish to rise in rank.

If you want to rise in rank

واجعل سماتك في الملا

واجعل سماتك في الملا

مكراً وغدراً وشغب

مكراً وغدراً وشغب

And let your public hallmarks be

And make your traits in the assembly

cunning, treachery, and strife.

Trickery, betrayal, and turmoil

واعلم بأن المتقي

واعلم بأن المتقي

في الناس ارذل من قتب

في الناس ارذل من قتب

And know that the God-fearing man

And know that the pious

is, among people, baser than a packsaddle.

Among people is more despised than dried leaves

اخدع وخن واغدر تفز

اخدع وخن واغدر تفز

فالنصح عقباه النصب

فالنصح عقباه النصب

Deceive, betray, and act treacherously—you will succeed;

Deceive, betray, be treacherous, you will win

for sincerity ends in toil.

While advice, its consequence is toil

من كان يأمل رفعة

من كان يأمل رفعة

فالغش سلم ما طلب

فالغش سلم ما طلب

For whoever hopes for eminence,

Whoever hopes for prestige

deceit is the ladder to what he seeks.

Then deceit is the ladder he climbed

إني رأيت الناصحي

إني رأيت الناصحي

ن المبعدين بذا السبب

ن المبعدين بذا السبب

I have seen sincere advisers

I saw the advisers

cast out for this very reason.

Banished for this reason

كم فاضل بات الطوى

كم فاضل بات الطوى

ومخرق بلغ الأرب

ومخرق بلغ الأرب

How many a worthy man has spent the night hungry,

Many a noble spent the night

while a charlatan has attained his desire!

While a wretch reached glory

يا من بحكمة نظمة

يا من بحكمة نظمة

ونثره أحيا الأدب

ونثره أحيا الأدب

O you who, through the wisdom of your verse

O you whose wisdom composed

and prose, have brought literature to life,

And whose prose revived literature

ذكرتني عهداً مضى

ذكرتني عهداً مضى

لم اسنه وان عزب

لم اسنه وان عزب

you have reminded me of an age gone by,

You reminded me of a past era

which I have not forgotten, though it has grown distant.

I didn't live yet wasn't absent

قد فزت فيه بالمنى

قد فزت فيه بالمنى

والفوز يخدع من غلب

والفوز يخدع من غلب

In it you attained your wishes,

In which I attained my wishes

and success deceives whoever prevails.

And winning deceives the defeated

كان الزمان كما تشا

كان الزمان كما تشا

عزاً ورغداً وطرب

عزاً ورغداً وطرب

Time once was as you wished:

The days were as you desire

honor, ease, and delight.

Honor, prosperity, and joy

واليوم نحن كما يشا

واليوم نحن كما يشا

هذا بذاك ولا عجب

هذا بذاك ولا عجب

And today we are as it wishes—

And today we are as it desires

this for that, and no wonder.

This by that and no wonder