وعليك نفسكَ لا تعبْ أحداً ولا
ترضى الجَفَا لو فنَّدوك وعنَّفوا
Do not burden anyone with yourself, do not accept injustice even if they insult and rebuke you.
Greet all creation with cheerfulness, do not frown, none who is gentle has lost.
والق الخلائِق بالبشاشةِ لا تكن
متجهِّماً لا خابَ مَن يتلطَّفُ
Pardon them, do not count their sins even if they go too far in harming you.
If you account their deeds and punish them, they will hate and dominate you and shake you.
وتغَاضَ عنهم لا تعدَّ ذنوبهم
لو أنهم في سيئاتك أَسْرَفُوا
Greet your enemy courteously, surely he who is gentle will be safe from harm.
Leave off vanity, arrogance, pride, resentment, pettiness, O you dignified one.
إنْ تحِص أَفعالا لهم وتجازهم
مَقترك واستولوا عليك وأَرْجَفُوا
You will be safe from defects and harm from all mankind if you follow what they have imparted.
Leave off pointless words and other things, from food or a gathering you arrange.
حَيّ العدوّ تحيةً بتلطفٍ
لا شك ينجو من أذى متلطفُ
Indeed, pointlessness kills the hearts of people, and by leaving it you give life and rise in station.
And if you take a true, righteous friend and learn the good from him you are the most knowing.
وذرِ الريا والعجبَ والخيلاء والأضغ
انَ والشحناءَ يا متعفّفُ
Do not listen to the tale of a slanderer against him even if talebearers circulate and go too far.
Do not distance him without clear proof if you are forbearing and of those who know.
تَسْلَم من العاهاتِ والإيذاءِ من
كلِّ البريةِ واتَّبعْ ما ألقّوا
Perhaps they envied you or envied him so they lied about him and stirred up trouble.
Perhaps they found fault with a devout, righteous man who is honored for his knowledge.
وَدَع الفضولَ من الكلام وغيره
مِن مطعم أو مبلس يتصرَّفُ
If not for fate and the words of a resentful slanderer, Joseph would not have suffered.
He remained seven years in prison, yet in the deep well worse than that he was thrown.
إن الفضولَ يميت أفئدةَ الورى
وبتركه تحيي الحياةَ وتشرُفُ
He was the Prophet, savior, who called to virtues, the Merciful, Most Kind delivered him.
Likewise the Mother of the Faithful and their slander, she was blamed with clear falsehood and they did not refrain.
وإذا اتخذت خليلَ صدقٍ صالحاً
وعلمتَ مه الخير أنت الأعرفُ
And likewise the son of Maqla, they cut off his fingers with misfortune while he was innocent and noble.
How many, how many scholars and teachers like Moses' apprentice they called ignorant and rubbed in the dirt.
لا تسمعن فيه مقالةَ مدَّعٍ
لو طوّفَ السّاعونَ فيه وأَسْرَفُوا
With what thing did they bring him down from the heights, success and comprehension were his lot?
When a despicable person concocts a rumor they pass it on, this one rolls it and that one knocks it along.
لا تبعدنْه بِلا دليلٍ واضحٍ
إن كنت ذا حلمٍ وممن يعرفُ
Until it is like spun yarn, woven excellently, so they admire it and say “this is the one of poetic craft!”
Who is he that escapes safely from their faults, even the wisest and noblest of men?
فلربما حَسدوك أو حسدوكهُ
فتقوَّلوا كذباً عليه وحرّدُوا
So beware, do not accept the tale of a resentful slanderer among the knowledgeable, whose father is the Holy Book.
Look, think, consider, listen, be forbearing, patient, quiet, and safe from what leaves you behind.
ولربما عابُوا تقيّاً صالحاً
وهو المكرَّم بالعلوم مُشرَّفُ
Not everyone who says “I am a believer” is truly a believer or is unmarred by vain displays.
Until he has four traits, his nature characterised by morals that reveal themselves:
لولا السعادةُ وقولُ واشٍ حاقد
مِن كيدهن لما تنكُل يوسفُ
No harm touches him and he does not inflict harm, even if with license he could pretend to.
Reconciling after being wronged, overlooking insults from one who casts them.
في السجن سبعُ سنين قامَ به وفي
الجبِّ المهولِ أَمِثلُ ذلك يُقْذَفُ
Giving generously to one who is wise but niggardly, and gracious to one who sees his gentleness.
These traits are a gift from our Lord to our Prophet, the Guide, he who is most refined.
وهو النبيّ المخلصُ الداعِى إلى
الخيراتِ نجّاهُ الرحيمُ الأرأفُ
وكذاكَ أم المؤمنين وإفْكُهم
رميتْ بداهيةٍ ولم يَتعفَّفُوا
وكذا ابنُ مقلةَ قد قطعن بنانَه
بِبَليّةٍ وهو البرىءُ الأعْرفُ
كَمْ كَمْ وكَمْ من عالمٍ ومعلمٍ
كنِجار موسى سَفّهُوه وسَفْسَفُوا
فبأىِّ شىءٍ أهبَطوه من العُلى
والفوز فيها واحتواهُ الصفْصَفُ
وإذا افترى خبراً لثيمٌ سجَّلوا
هذا يدحرجه وهذا بَنْدفُ
حتى استوَى غُزلاً وحاك مفوّقاً
فاستحسنوه وقيل هذا المطرفُ
من ذا الذي ينجو ويخرجُ سالماً
من عيبهمْ حتى الحكيمُ الأشْرَفُ
فحذارِ لا تقبلْ مقلةَ حاسدٍ
في العارفينَ ومن أبوه المصحفُ
فانظرْ وفكّر واعتبرْ واسمعْ وسلْ
واحلُم ودمْ واسلمْ عَداك تخلّفُ
ليسَ الذي قال إني مؤمنٌ
هو مؤمنٌ حقّاً وفيه تعسُّفُ
حتى يكونَ به خصالٌ أربعُ
طبعاً به أخلاقه تتكشَّفُ
لا ناله سوءٌ وليس ينالهُ
وبرخصةٍ لو أنه يتكلّفُ
صلةُ المقاطع عفوهُ عن ظالمٍ
وتجاوزٌ عن شتمِ مَنْ هو يقذِفُ
وعطاؤُه جَزلاً لمن هو حازِمٌ
قلاّ وفيه لمِنْ رآه تَلطفُ
هذِى الخصالُ هديةٌ من ربنا
لنبيّنا الهادِي هو المُتَعفِّفُ
