غابن الحمد حقَّهُ مغبُونُهْ

وهوانُ العلا على المرءِ هونُهْ

When praised, he who deserves it is deprived,

While vilifying the exalted debases oneself.

والمَحلُّ الخلاءُ من كُلِّ ضَيْفٍ

ومَضيفٍ مُعَطَّلٌ مسكونُهْ

A residence empty of every guest,

And every hosting host, is inhabited.

والوعاءُ الذي وَعَى الوفْرَ والذَّمْ

مَ خليطين فارغٌ مشحونُهْ

A vessel that contained abundance and blame

When empty, is laden.

وأرى المالَ ما يَخال أناسٌ

أن ذا المالِ فيهُمُ مغبونه

I see wealth as some people imagine,

That the wealth possesses them, not they it.

خيرُ مالٍ موزونُهُ لذوي الحمْ

دِ كما خيرُ حَمْدِهم موزونه

Best wealth is its measured sum for the praiseworthy,

Just as best praise is its measured sum.

وأصحُّ الآراءِ ما ظنَّ ذُو الأَفْ

نِ بِذي الرأي أنَّهُ مأفونه

Soundest views are those you'd think, possessed by their holder,

That he was bereft of them.

والفَتى الحازِمُ الحصين حصوناً

مَنْ تُلاقيهِ والأيادي حصونه

The composed youth, a fortress of fortresses,

Is he whom you meet, his hands his fortress.

وأخسُّ الرجالِ مَنْ راحَ فيهم

مُسْلَمَ العِرض سالماً ماعونه

Vilest of men is he who walked amongst them,

Surrendering honour, greeting disgrace.

أنْفِق المالَ قبل إنفاقكَ العم

رَ ففي الدهر ريبُهُ ومَنونه

Spend your money before spending your life,

For time is fickle, ephemeral.

قلَّ ما ينفع الثراءُ بخيلاً

عَلِقَتْ في الثَّرَى المهيلِ رُهونه

Rarely does wealth benefit a miser;

In the sod, the vessels of his coveting are pledged.

لا تظنَّنَّ أن مالك شيء

كدم الجوف خيره محقونه

Think not your money is a thing belonging to you,

Like blood of your veins, its best diluted.

لو نجا من حِمامهِ جاعلُ الما

ل مَعاذاً له نجا قارونه

Had he who hoarded wealth escaped his ruin,

So too would Qarun have escaped his.

ازرع الحُبَّ تَسْتدمْهُ فَمِمَّا

رُدَّ مزروعُهُ أتَى مَطْحونه

Sow affection, and you'll reap it enduring,

For some of what's sown returns, milled.

كلْ وأطعمْ فربما راعَ ريْعاً

زاكياً من تعولُه وتَمونه

Eat and feed, for perhaps tending gain

Bountiful and blessed, are those you nourish.

لا تَفرَّدْ بأكل مالٍ ولا تَمْ

نُنْ بعُرْفٍ فَشَرُّهُ مَمْنونه

Do not hoard from others wealth you eat,

Nor refuse bounty, for it's refuse is vilest.

آكلوا المالِ شاغلوه عن المَجْ

دِ ولا ينفع امرءاً مَخزُونه

They who consume wealth, distract it from glory,

And hoarding benefits no man, amassed.

خازنو المالِ ساجنوه وما كا

ن ليسعَى لساجنٍ مَسْجونه

Those who imprison wealth, themselves it imprisons,

For no imprisoned jailer freedom finds.

إنَّ ربَّ العبادِ يرزقُ من يَخْ

لُق فليُحْسنَنَّ ظنَّاً ظَنُونه

God provides for those he created,

So think good thoughts, dispel doubt.

أحسِنِ الظنَّ بالإلهِ ولا تأ

منهُ أمن امرئٍ شديدٍ مجونه

Think good of God, trust not in the pledges

Of a severe man whose oaths are wanton.

واسترِبْ بالمُرِيبِ من كلِّ شيءٍ

واتَّهمْهُ لا تَحْتجنْك حُجونه

Be suspect of the suspect in all things,

And blame him, let not his oaths convince you.

وإذا ما ظننتَ شرّاً فَخَفْهُ

رُبَّ شَرٍّ يقينُه مَظنونه

When you expect evil, then beware it;

Many an evil is certain, though suspected.

لا تَبِيتَنَّ آمِناً من ظَنينٍ

واحترسْ منه أوْ تليك أُمونه

Do not rest secure from suspecting foes,

Take care, else their treachery will surprise you.

كم رُكونٍ جنى عليكَ حِذاراً

مَنْ أطالَ الركونَ قلَّ رُكونه

How much ease has an enemy denied you,

When long ease made you less wary?

إنْ تَطُلْ مِحْنَتِي فلا أنا مَفْتو

نٌ زماني ولا أخي مفتونه

If my ordeal's prolonged, I'm not addled -

My time, nor my mind deranged.

بل فتىً ذو خَليقةٍ تَضْرحُ اللَّعْ

نَ إذا اللعنُ جرَّهُ مَلْعونه

Rather, I'm a lad whose nature slashes pain

When cursed, his curse returns to damn the curser.

غيرَ أَنِّي إذا غدا صاحبُ الما

لِ مديناً فإنني مديونه

Except when the owner of wealth is in debt to me -

Then I am in debt, though creditor by right.

أحملُ الدين في الحقوقِ وإن أُث

قِلْتُ والحقُّ قائمٌ قانونه

I'll carry debts in rights, even if blamed,

For right persists, its law remains.

راض مِنِّي جنونُ دهرٍ سخيفٍ

ربما ثَقَّفَ العقولَ جنونه

I'm pleased by the madness of a foolish time,

Maybe it will enlighten maddened minds.

راضني ثم هاجني فاعتلاه

بي شديدُ المحال لا موهونه

It pleased me then provoked me, yet it's ruled

By ceaseless whims, never reigned in.

وثَّبَ الدهرَ وَثْبَةً جشَّمَتْنِي

سَلَّ سَيْفٍ عَمِرتُ دهراً أصونه

It leaped at days in steps that bruised me,

Drew a sword whose edge I'd long sheathed.

طالَ عَهْدي به ولم يَتَغَيَّرْ

ليَ مصقولُه ولا مسنونه

Long was my pact with it, unchanged,

Burnished or worn by time.

وعزيزٌ عليَّ سلِّيه لكنْ

كُلُّ سَيْفٍ فللظهور كُمونه

Yet to draw it is hard, though in my heart a blaze

Nearly burst free from my secret depths.

جَرَّدته يدي وفي القلبِ وَجْدٌ

كادَ يَفْرِي تَجَمُّلِي مكنونه

I struck at time until its sharpness yielded,

After defiant excess, bent to me.

فضربتُ الزمانَ حتى استكانتْ

بِيضُهُ بعدما استطالتْ وجُونه

With a sword that rejects betrayal to the slain

When one trusted is betrayed.

بحسام يأبَى الخيانة في الرَّوْ

عِ إذا خان آمناً مأمونه

It's not forged of iron essence,

But from glory, its blade and sheath.

ليس من جوهرِ الحديدِ مَصُوغاً

بل من المجدِ نصلُهُ وجُفونه

If time were lent the loyalty in Musa's son,

Its epochs would not expire.

لو أُعير الزمانُ ما في ابنِ موسَى

من وفاءٍ لما تفانت قرونه

If the sword were lent the clarity in Musa's son,

No rust would tarnish its sheen.

لو أعيرَ الحُسامُ ما في ابن موسى

من صفاءٍ لما جلته قيونه

Majid, whose sweat soaked the earth of glory,

And fulfilled the boughs' branches.

ماجدٌ ساخ عرقُهُ في ثرى المجْ

دِ وأوفت على الغصون غُصونه

A lad in whom all wisdom stirs,

And stillness suits his composure.

من فَتىً للذَّكاءِ كلُّ حراكٍ

حلَّ فيه وللوقاء سكونُه

He never neglected to probe mysteries,

Keeping sharp eyes on the loyal.

لم يَزَلْ ذا تَفَقُّد للخفايا

مُذْكياتٍ على الصَّديقِ عُيونه

O scion of the Bareem clan, I have hope

In none but you Majid to fulfill it.

يا فَتَى آل بَرمكٍ ليَ مُرْجىً

ما أرى ماجداً سواك يكونه

I thank and praise you Abu Hasan of beauty,

When backs are burdened by debts.

أحمدَ الحمدِ يا أبا حسن الحسْ

نَى إذا الظهرُ أثقلتهُ ديونه

I thank and praise you Abu Hasan most fine,

When hearts are aligned with sorrows.

أحمدَ الحمدِ يا أبا حسن الحُسْ

نَى إذا القلبُ حَالفتْه شُجونه

There is a sanctity between us, and time has bit me,

Though its command could not rend.

بيننا حُرمةٌ وقد عضَّني الده

رُ ولا قَتْ ظهورَ أمرِي بطونه

The sword bears witness you're the true sword,

No deceiver who would betray the undeceiving.

شهد السيفُ أنَّكَ السيفُ حقاً

لا كَهامٌ يخونُ من لا يخونه

So accomplish my need, for in needs

You're the fortunate bird, its omen blessed.

فامضِ في حاجتي فإنك في الحا

جةِ مسعودُ طائرٍ مَيمونه

Your share, I think, embraces glory,

So walk with your brother, we'll embrace our ruin.

لك حظّ أراه يُعْنِقُ في السَّيْ

رِ فساير أخاك تُعْنِقْ حَرونه

Musa is the confidant of those who confide,

Strengthened through his support of Aaron.

إنَّ موسى نَجِيُّ من لا يناجَى

شُدَّ منهُ بِعَوْنِهِ هارونه

So aid me, for perhaps with treasure laid bare

Lies one roused by another concealed.

فأعنِّي فَرُبَّ صاحبِ كنز

مستثارٌ بغيرِه مدفونه

Do not neglect a gathering where

My good thoughts of you prove true, for words have their crafts.

لا تدعْ محضراً تُحقِّقُ فيه

حُسْنَ ظَنِّي فالقولُ جَمٌّ فنونه

And dress my ode in the finest ode,

Like the sweetest melodies' trills.

واكسُ شعري من النشيدِ نشيداً

كالغناء المُشذَّراتِ لُحُونه

For how many faults have you cloaked, that I see

In none cloaked or composed wrong.

فلكم مُعْوِرٍ سترتَ فما أعْ

ور مكسورُه ولا ملحونه

And if you display the garb of a friend,

Like brocade - none other matches its weave.

وإذا ما نشرت بزَّ صديق

فكديباج غيرهِ بزيونه

Time has one possessed, so treat him,

And perhaps he will show me one possessed.

إنَّ للدهرِ منجنوناً فعالجْ

ه عسى أن يدور لي منجنونه

Be diligent in my need before one easy,

Whose heights are facile and fecund.

جُدْ بتسهيل حاجتي عند سهلٍ

للمعالي سهوله وحُزونه

A hopeful wish is a promise to its hopeful,

A promise, and its fulfillment secure.

وَعْدُ أمنيَّةِ المؤمل عنه

وعْد فيه ووعدُه مضمونه

Generosity released his wealth to reap praise,

As the hopeful's hands are freed from prison.

أطلقَ المالَ جودُهُ يجتني الحم

دَ وأيدي المؤملين سجونه

Between his robes, a sun of wisdom and rain

Of bounty spills upon us, abundant.

بين ثوبَيْهِ شمسُ رأي وغَيْثٍ

مستهَلُّ الحيا علينا هَتُونه

So guidance is where the sun rises from it,

And dew where its abundance spills.

فالهُدى حيث تطلعُ الشمسُ مِنْهُ

والندى حيث تستهِلُّ دجونه