زن بِالفَضائل مجدَ جَدِّك

زن بِالفَضائل مجدَ جَدِّك

وَاِقدح بِجدّكِ زند جدِّك

وَاِقدح بِجدّكِ زند جدِّك

Adorn your forefather's glory with virtues,

Adorn yourself with the virtues of your ancestors,

and with your diligence strike the firestick of your fortune.

And ignite the flint of your ancestors with your ancestors' glory.

وَاِعلم بِأَنّك إِن وَني

وَاِعلم بِأَنّك إِن وَني

ت أفيد نِدُّكَ طيب ندِّك

ت أفيد نِدُّكَ طيب ندِّك

And know that if you falter,

And know that if you are steadfast,

your rival will gain the fragrance of your incense.

Your steadfastness will benefit you with pure generosity.

لا تَرتَقي المَجدَ المُؤث

لا تَرتَقي المَجدَ المُؤث

ثل وَالعُلى إِلّا بِكدّك

ثل وَالعُلى إِلّا بِكدّك

You cannot attain firmly rooted glory

Glory and highness cannot be attained

or high rank except through your toil.

Except through your toil.

فَاِضرب عَن التَشبيب صف

فَاِضرب عَن التَشبيب صف

حاً وَاِلهُ عَن أَوصاف دعدك

حاً وَاِلهُ عَن أَوصاف دعدك

So turn aside from amorous verse,

So turn away from frivolity

and leave off descriptions of your Daʿd.

And turn away from the attributes of your negligence.

وَاِخلَع خَلاعَتك الَّتي

وَاِخلَع خَلاعَتك الَّتي

أَخلت حسامك مِن فِرِندِك

أَخلت حسامك مِن فِرِندِك

And cast off your debauchery, which

And take off your robe that

has stripped your sword of its watered markings.

Has stripped your sword of its sheath.

وَاِقمَع هَواك وَلا يَغر

وَاِقمَع هَواك وَلا يَغر

رك غيّ نَفسك بَعد رُشدك

رك غيّ نَفسك بَعد رُشدك

And curb your desire; let not

And suppress your desires, and do not let

your soul's waywardness beguile you after your right guidance.

Your own soul mislead you after your maturity.

ماذا يُفيدك مِن جَوا

ماذا يُفيدك مِن جَوا

ك سِوى اِصطِلائك نار وَجدك

ك سِوى اِصطِلائك نار وَجدك

What does your lovesickness bring you

What benefit can your passion bring you

but being scorched by the fire of your passion

Other than your burning in hellfire?

وَلَواعِجاً تَفري مُدى

وَلَواعِجاً تَفري مُدى

أظفارها حَكّاً بِجلدِك

أظفارها حَكّاً بِجلدِك

and burning pangs, whose knife-edged

And intense longings that scratch

claws tear and scratch your skin?

Their claws on your skin.

وَإِذا السقام براك وَال

وَإِذا السقام براك وَال

عَينان قرّحتا بِسهدِك

عَينان قرّحتا بِسهدِك

And when sickness has worn you down, and

And if disease has stricken you and

both eyes are ulcerated by your sleeplessness,

The eyes have ulcerated your eyelids.

هَيهات أن تجديكَ نَف

هَيهات أن تجديكَ نَف

عاً بَعدَها غزلان نَجدك

عاً بَعدَها غزلان نَجدك

how unlikely that you should gain any benefit

Alas! After that, you will not find

after that from the gazelles of your Najd!

Any benefit from the gazelles of Nejd.

فَاِنظُر لِحال بَني الزَما

فَاِنظُر لِحال بَني الزَما

ن فَإِنَّهُم إِخوان عَهدِك

ن فَإِنَّهُم إِخوان عَهدِك

So consider the state of the sons of the age,

So look at the state of people of the times,

for they are the brothers of your time.

For they are brethren of your era.

وَقس الخليّ عَلى الشجي

وَقس الخليّ عَلى الشجي

ي تَخَل هُنالك عَكس طَردك

ي تَخَل هُنالك عَكس طَردك

Compare the carefree man with the lovelorn;

And compare the sincere friend to the unfaithful one;

there you will find your rule reversed.

There, the opposite occurred from your analogy.

فَاِشمل خِلالك بِالمَكا

فَاِشمل خِلالك بِالمَكا

رم كَي يَفوح شَميم وردِك

رم كَي يَفوح شَميم وردِك

So clothe your character in noble virtues,

So include the noble traits among your morals

so that the fragrance of your roses may waft forth.

So that the fragrance of your roses may spread.

أَو لَيسَ أَخلاق الشُيو

أَو لَيسَ أَخلاق الشُيو

خ أجلّ مِن أَخلاق مردِك

خ أجلّ مِن أَخلاق مردِك

Are not the manners of elders

Are not the morals of the shaykhs nobler

nobler than those of your beardless youths?

Than the morals of your rebels?

فَأدب مَعاشرة النَبي

فَأدب مَعاشرة النَبي

ل تَجده مُنتَظماً بِعقدك

ل تَجده مُنتَظماً بِعقدك

So deal courteously with the noble man;

The manners of associating with the noble

you will find him strung upon your necklace.

You will find organized with your necklace.

وَاِنفح برفدك مِن جَفا

وَاِنفح برفدك مِن جَفا

ك تَكرّماً وَاِرحب بِوَفدك

ك تَكرّماً وَاِرحب بِوَفدك

And bestow your bounty on whoever has shunned

And blow gently with your breath from your grace,

you, out of generosity, and welcome your visitors.

Out of generosity, and welcome your visitors.

لا تَصرمنَّ مِن الصَدي

لا تَصرمنَّ مِن الصَدي

ق وَلَو قَلاك حبالَ ودّك

ق وَلَو قَلاك حبالَ ودّك

Do not sever, from a friend,

Do not forbid even if the sincere criticizes you

the cords of your affection, even if he hates you.

And severs the ropes of your friendship.

ما كُلَّ حينٍ تَلتَقي

ما كُلَّ حينٍ تَلتَقي

مَن لا يخلُّ بِحفظ عَهدِك

مَن لا يخلُّ بِحفظ عَهدِك

Not at every turn do you meet

You do not always meet

someone who never fails to honor your covenant.

One who is true to keeping your covenant.

سِيّان حال بَني الزَما

سِيّان حال بَني الزَما

ن وَحاله في بَحث نَقدِك

ن وَحاله في بَحث نَقدِك

Alike are the state of the sons of the age

The state of people of the times is similar

and the age's own state, under your critical scrutiny.

And their state in your critical research.

يَعلو وَيَسفل عِندَ جز

يَعلو وَيَسفل عِندَ جز

رك طيش شَأنهما وَمَدّك

رك طيش شَأنهما وَمَدّك

Rising and falling with your ebb

They rise and fall in your presence;

and flow are the fickle ways of them both.

Their caprice and your tide are similar.

فَاِحفظ لِنَفسك قَدرَها

فَاِحفظ لِنَفسك قَدرَها

وَاِحذَر تَجاوز رَسم حَدّك

وَاِحذَر تَجاوز رَسم حَدّك

So safeguard your own worth,

So preserve for yourself its worth,

and beware of overstepping your marked boundary.

And beware transgressing the border of your limit.

وَاِعطف عَلى ذلّ الحَقي

وَاِعطف عَلى ذلّ الحَقي

رِ إِذا اِرتَقيت سَرير مَجدِك

رِ إِذا اِرتَقيت سَرير مَجدِك

And pity the lowly one's humiliation

And show compassion for the poor

when you ascend the throne of your glory.

When you ascend the throne of your glory.

لا يَطغينَّك صيت بَط

لا يَطغينَّك صيت بَط

شك في الأَنام وَصَوت جُندك

شك في الأَنام وَصَوت جُندك

Let not the renown of your might

Let not the fame of your heroism in the people

among mankind, and your army's roar, make you tyrannical.

And the voice of your soldiers make you arrogant.

ما إِن يَزيدك هَيبَةً

ما إِن يَزيدك هَيبَةً

بَينَ الوَرى تَصعير خَدّك

بَينَ الوَرى تَصعير خَدّك

It does not increase the awe you inspire

It will not increase your awe

among people to turn your cheek in arrogance.

Among the people, the snarling of your frown.

كَلّا وَلا تزري شَما

كَلّا وَلا تزري شَما

ئلك الحِسان بِلين صلدِك

ئلك الحِسان بِلين صلدِك

No; nor do you diminish your

No! And do not know your perfect traits

fine qualities by softening your stony hardness.

Through the softness of your firmness.

بِالحلم تَبلغ غاية الش

بِالحلم تَبلغ غاية الش

شرف الرَفيع بَرَغم ضدّك

شرف الرَفيع بَرَغم ضدّك

Through forbearance you reach the height

With forbearance you will attain the pinnacle of

of lofty honor, despite your adversary.

Noble honor, despite those against you.

وَبضدّه تَلقى الهَوا

وَبضدّه تَلقى الهَوا

ن مُعارِضاً بِسَبيل قَصدِك

ن مُعارِضاً بِسَبيل قَصدِك

And through its opposite you meet humiliation

And with opponents you will meet

blocking the path of your aim.

Resistance in the path of your aim.

فَاِختَر مِن الأَمرين ما

فَاِختَر مِن الأَمرين ما

تَرضى لِذمّك أَو لِحَمدِك

تَرضى لِذمّك أَو لِحَمدِك

So choose between the two courses what

So choose between the two what

you would accept as earning you blame or praise.

You approve for your blame or your praise.

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الدَهر أَي

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الدَهر أَي

سرُ ما يُحاولُ خلف وَعدِك

سرُ ما يُحاولُ خلف وَعدِك

And know that Time's easiest

And know that time is very easy

endeavor is to break its promise to you.

In what it tries behind your promise.

لَيسَ الزَمان وَإِن أَطا

لَيسَ الزَمان وَإِن أَطا

عَك كُلّ آونةٍ بِعَبدِك

عَك كُلّ آونةٍ بِعَبدِك

Time is not, though it may obey

Time is not, even if it has made

you at every moment, your slave.

You subservient every moment, your servant.

ما إِن يَروقك مِن زَما

ما إِن يَروقك مِن زَما

نك ما حَييتَ صَفاءُ وردك

نك ما حَييتَ صَفاءُ وردك

Your time will not always delight you

It does not please you, from your time,

with a clear draught throughout your life.

Except what you lived in purity of your roses.

فَلَقَد يَبلّغكَ المُنى

فَلَقَد يَبلّغكَ المُنى

حيناً وَقَد يَسعى بردّك

حيناً وَقَد يَسعى بردّك

For it may indeed bring you to your wishes

For death can reach you at times

for a time, and may strive to turn you back.

And it can hasten your chill.

وَكما يُعلّك بِالرَحي

وَكما يُعلّك بِالرَحي

ق يَشوب عَلقمَهُ بِشهدِك

ق يَشوب عَلقمَهُ بِشهدِك

And just as it gives you another draught of pure wine,

And just as it raises you to comfort,

it mingles its bitter colocynth with your honey.

It mixes its bitterness with your sweetness.

يُبدي وَيحجب طالع ال

يُبدي وَيحجب طالع ال

إِسعاد مِن أَقمار سَعدِك

إِسعاد مِن أَقمار سَعدِك

It reveals and conceals the rising sign

It reveals and conceals the fate of

of happiness among the moons of your good fortune.

Felicity from the moons of your fortune.

فَاِرغَب عَن الدُنيا الدَني

فَاِرغَب عَن الدُنيا الدَني

ئة فَهيَ لَيسَت دار خُلدِك

ئة فَهيَ لَيسَت دار خُلدِك

So turn away from the base world,

So turn away from the base, lowly world,

for it is not your eternal abode.

For it is not the abode of your eternity.

وَاِزهد بِما مَلَكت يَدا

وَاِزهد بِما مَلَكت يَدا

ك فَإِنَّهُ أَحرى بِزُهدك

ك فَإِنَّهُ أَحرى بِزُهدك

And renounce what your hands possess,

And abstain from what your hands possess,

for it is more deserving of your renunciation.

For it is more deserving of your abstinence.

وَاِجهد نهاك بِبَذل عل

وَاِجهد نهاك بِبَذل عل

مك وَاِمزج التَقوى بِجهدك

مك وَاِمزج التَقوى بِجهدك

And exert your reason by imparting

And strive, forbid yourself by exerting your

your knowledge, and blend piety with your effort.

Knowledge, and mix piety with your striving.

لا رثّ ثَوبك يَزدري

لا رثّ ثَوبك يَزدري

ك وَلا يَزينك وَشي بردِك

ك وَلا يَزينك وَشي بردِك

Your threadbare garment does not demean

Do not patch your garment, it is contemptible,

you, nor does your cloak's embroidery adorn you.

And a borrowed finery does not adorn you.

إنّ التَفاضل بِالفَضا

إنّ التَفاضل بِالفَضا

ئل لا ببرقك أَو بِرَعدِك

ئل لا ببرقك أَو بِرَعدِك

Indeed, preeminence lies in virtues,

For precedence is through merits,

not in your lightning or your thunder.

Not by your lightning or your thunder.