البُخل لَيل عاتم
بِالجود ساد حاتم
Stinginess is a gloomy night
Generosity made Hatem glorious
آثر بِأصل مالكا
إِن السخا كَذَلِكا
Prefer, as your asset originates
The generous act likewise
احمل عَظيماً تذكر
افعل جَميلاً تُشكر
Bear greatly, you'll be remembered
Do good, you'll be thanked
بِحملك الأَثقالا
تستعبد الرجالا
With your burden of difficulties
You enslave men
إِيثار كَعب شكره
طرق المَعالي وَعره
Preference is the thanks of glory
It paved the path of nobility and honor
لا بُد مِن مَوت فَلا
تمت عَلى غَير العُلا
Death is inevitable so do not
Pass away without glory
إِن مت فَالذكر خلف
مِن الحَياة وَالشرف
If I die, memory remains
Of life and honor
إِنكَ إن تؤاسي
تكن كَبَعض الناس
If you console
You'll be like some people
الفَضل في الإِيثار
وَالجود في الإعسار
Virtue is in preference
And generosity in poverty
بذل فضول المال
لَيسَ مِن الأَفضال
Giving away excess money
Is not a virtue
الكَلب بَعدَ ما أَكل
يَترك كُل ما فضل
The dog, after eating his fill
Leaves everything left over
يطربني السموأل
حَتّى أكادَ أذهل
Al-Samaw'al's generosity
Exhilarates me, almost to the point of craziness
إِن كانَ طَبعاً ما فَعل
فَإنَّه خَير بَطل
If it was his nature to act this way
Then he is the best hero
أَو كانَ قَد تكلفه
كيما يشيد شرفه
Or if he forced himself to do so
In order to extol his honor
فَإنه صَبور
لَيسَ لَهُ نَظير
Then he is patient
He has no equal
الفَضل في التكلف
وَالمَجد بِالتعسف
Distinction lies in pretense
And glory in imposition
لأَنَّهُ عَكس الهَوى
وَفعل أَمر يجتوى
Because it counters desires
And is an act that burns
وَحملك النفس عَلى
ما لا تُريد مِن عُلا
And your self-coercion
To what you do not want out of glory
فَلَيسَ فعل المشتهى
يحسن عِندَ ذي النُهى
So doing one's desire
Is not good in the eyes of the censor
وَذاكَ أَيضاً نكته
مِن العُيوب تَحته
That too is a subtlety
Of defects beneath it
إِن النُفوس الفائِقه
للمكرمات عاشِقه
Indeed lofty souls
Are enamored of honorable deeds
فَقالَت الخطباء
أَحسَنت يا حَسناء
So the orators have said
You have done well, O beauty!
أَسوأ خَلق أَدبا
مَن جَرب المُجربا
The worst in manners
Is one who has experienced the experienced
مَن لَكَ بِالمُهذب
الكامل المُؤدب
Who could be more refined
Than the perfect, well-mannered?
أَي فَتى لَم يعب
أَيُّ فَتى لَم يعتب
What young man has not been tried?
What young man has not been reproached?