قد جاءَكم مني الجوابُ قصيدةً

قد جاءَكم مني الجوابُ قصيدةً

هاتيكَ مكتوبٌ وهذا مُلحَقُ

هاتيكَ مكتوبٌ وهذا مُلحَقُ

My reply has come to you as a poem.

The answer has come to you from me in a poem

That is a letter, and this an addendum.

If you are biased towards the right, then

ان كنتَ عسَّافُ اليمينَ فانما

ان كنتَ عسَّافُ اليمينَ فانما

حَسَنُ الشِمالُ وانَّ ذا لمصدَّقُ

حَسَنُ الشِمالُ وانَّ ذا لمصدَّقُ

If you, Assaf, are the right hand, then only

The left is good, and this is to be trusted

Hasan is the left—and this is surely true.

There is no good in a right that paralyzes its left

لا خيرَ في يُمنَى تَشَلُّ شِمالُها

لا خيرَ في يُمنَى تَشَلُّ شِمالُها

او ساعدٍ يُجتاحُ منهُ المِرفَقُ

او ساعدٍ يُجتاحُ منهُ المِرفَقُ

There is no good in a right hand whose left is paralyzed,

Or an arm from which the elbow is severed

or a forearm whose elbow is torn away.

So if a person's hand strikes another's

فاذا اصابَ المرءُ منهُ يدٌ يداً

فاذا اصابَ المرءُ منهُ يدٌ يداً

فمُصابُه في الناس موتٌ أَزرَقُ

فمُصابُه في الناس موتٌ أَزرَقُ

If one of a man's hands strikes the other,

Then his death among people is clear

then his affliction among men is a dreadful, blue death.

And the teeth, if their hands are broken, will their teeth

والصِنوُ ان تَجدَع يداهُ صِنوهُ

والصِنوُ ان تَجدَع يداهُ صِنوهُ

هل يُؤمَنَن من جدعهِ او يُوثَقُ

هل يُؤمَنَن من جدعهِ او يُوثَقُ

And if a brother's two hands maim his brother,

Be safe from being broken or pulled out?

can anyone be safe from his maiming, or can he be trusted?

You are the elder and this the younger, but

انت الكبيرُ وذا الصغيرُ وانما

انت الكبيرُ وذا الصغيرُ وانما

فضلُ الكبيرِ على الصغيرِ تَرَفُّقُ

فضلُ الكبيرِ على الصغيرِ تَرَفُّقُ

You are the elder, and he the younger; only

The elder's merit over the younger is gentleness

gentleness gives the elder merit over the younger.

Do not listen to the insinuations of the arrogant one saying

لا تُصغِ للواشي الغَرُور يقولُ ذا

لا تُصغِ للواشي الغَرُور يقولُ ذا

رَجُلٌ ضعيفٌ حالُهُ متضيِّقُ

رَجُلٌ ضعيفٌ حالُهُ متضيِّقُ

Do not heed the deceitful slanderer who says, “This

This man is weak, his state is straitened

is a weak man whose circumstances are straitened.”

For the lion is blinded by a small gnat

فالسبعُ تُدمِي مقلتيهِ بَعُوضةٌ

فالسبعُ تُدمِي مقلتيهِ بَعُوضةٌ

والشاةُ يَقمُرُها كذلك بَيذَقُ

والشاةُ يَقمُرُها كذلك بَيذَقُ

For a mosquito makes the lion's two eyes bleed,

And the ewe is defeated by a small tick

and likewise a pawn can defeat the chess king.

The eagle is the fiercest bird of prey, but

والنَسرُ أَجرَحُ جارحٍ لكنهُ

والنَسرُ أَجرَحُ جارحٍ لكنهُ

يُغتَال بالشَرَك الخفيّ ويُوهَقُ

يُغتَال بالشَرَك الخفيّ ويُوهَقُ

And the eagle is the fiercest bird of prey, yet

It is killed by a hidden trap and choked

it is killed by a hidden snare and caught in a noose.

Kurush left his kingdom when he died

قد غادَرَت توليدُ كُورَشَ ميتاً

قد غادَرَت توليدُ كُورَشَ ميتاً

بكمينها ولديهِ جُندٌ فَيلَقُ

بكمينها ولديهِ جُندٌ فَيلَقُ

Tawlid has left Cyrus dead

Betrayed by his troops though they were many

through her ambush, though he had a mighty army.

And Alexander was felled by one of his slaves

واسكندرٌ أرداهُ بعض عبيدهِ

واسكندرٌ أرداهُ بعض عبيدهِ

ختلاً ومنه الأَرضُ كانت تَفرَقُ

ختلاً ومنه الأَرضُ كانت تَفرَقُ

And Alexander was killed by some of his slaves,

Wounded, though from him the earth was rent

by treachery, though the earth had feared him.

Destroyed is he who ruled the entire earth

هَلَكَ الذي ملك البسيطةَ كلها

هَلَكَ الذي ملك البسيطةَ كلها

وتشتَّتت احزابهُ وتمزَّقوا

وتشتَّتت احزابهُ وتمزَّقوا

He who ruled the whole earth perished,

His parties scattered and torn apart

and his factions scattered and were torn apart.

The path of hypocrisy has become passable, so none but

نفق النِفاقُ فليس غيرُ منافق

نفق النِفاقُ فليس غيرُ منافق

لما رأى سوق المنافق تَنفُقُ

لما رأى سوق المنافق تَنفُقُ

Hypocrisy sells well: there is none but a hypocrite,

A hypocrite takes that path when it is passable

having seen the hypocrite's market thrive.

While truthfulness, from the scarcity of goods, has become

والصِدقُ من كسدِ البضائع قد غدا

والصِدقُ من كسدِ البضائع قد غدا

حتى تباعد عنهُ لَصٌّ يَسرِقُ

حتى تباعد عنهُ لَصٌّ يَسرِقُ

And truth has become one of the unsaleable wares,

So unprofitable that even thieves shun stealing it

until even a thief out stealing keeps away from it.

Do not be deceived by the coquetries of youth

لا تخدَعَنَّ نُهاكَ غِرَّات الصِبا

لا تخدَعَنَّ نُهاكَ غِرَّات الصِبا

ومُخادعٌ بِخِداعهِ يتملَّقُ

ومُخادعٌ بِخِداعهِ يتملَّقُ

Do not let youth's delusions deceive your reason,

And the flatteries of a deceiver feigning affection

nor a deceiver who flatters with his deceit.

For fire, in the beginning is but a spark

فالنارُ أولها يكونُ شِرارةً

فالنارُ أولها يكونُ شِرارةً

والحربُ مبدأها الكلام المُحنِقُ

والحربُ مبدأها الكلام المُحنِقُ

For fire begins as a spark,

And war, in the beginning is angry talk

and war begins with rage-provoking speech.

And injustice, its inevitable consequence is swift destruction

والبغيُ مصرعهُ قريبٌ عاجلٌ

والبغيُ مصرعهُ قريبٌ عاجلٌ

والظُلمُ غايتهُ الدَمارث الموبقُ

والظُلمُ غايتهُ الدَمارث الموبقُ

And transgression's downfall is near and swift,

And wrong, its end is devastating calamity

and injustice ends in deadly destruction.

While justice for mankind is the best supporter

والعدلُ للإِنسان خيرُ مؤَازرٍ

والعدلُ للإِنسان خيرُ مؤَازرٍ

والجورُ آخرهُ بَلاءٌ مُطبِقُ

والجورُ آخرهُ بَلاءٌ مُطبِقُ

And justice is a person's best ally,

And tyranny's final outcome is all-encompassing affliction

and oppression ends in overwhelming calamity.

Have mercy on the people of woe, for their supplication

رِفقاً باهل الضُرّ ان دُعاءَهم

رِفقاً باهل الضُرّ ان دُعاءَهم

سهمٌ بهِ حُجُبُ المعالي تُخرَقُ

سهمٌ بهِ حُجُبُ المعالي تُخرَقُ

Be gentle with the afflicted, for their prayer

Is an arrow with which the barriers of glory are rent

is an arrow that pierces the veils on high.

And with the condition of your parents, be gentle

وبحالة ابنِ الوالدَينِ تَرفَّقَن

وبحالة ابنِ الوالدَينِ تَرفَّقَن

فبكلّ حالٍ انت منهُ ارفقُ

فبكلّ حالٍ انت منهُ ارفقُ

And be gentle with the plight of your parents' son;

For in every condition, you should be more gentle with them

for in every circumstance you are gentler than he.

Generosity is most profitable, success is for the forgiving

فالسَمحُ اربحُ والنجاحُ لسامحٍ

فالسَمحُ اربحُ والنجاحُ لسامحٍ

والصلحُ اصلحُ والتوافق اوفقُ

والصلحُ اصلحُ والتوافق اوفقُ

For the generous are more prosperous, and success belongs to the forgiving;

Reconciliation is best, and agreement most harmonious

and reconciliation is better, and concord more fitting.

This is the sincere advice of one whose friendship

هذه نصيحةُ خالص الوِدِّ الذي

هذه نصيحةُ خالص الوِدِّ الذي

بوِدادهِ وبنُصحهِ يُستَوثَقُ

بوِدادهِ وبنُصحهِ يُستَوثَقُ

This is the advice of one sincere in affection, who

Is to be trusted, and whose advice leads to strength

may be trusted in his affection and in his counsel.