شَرطِ الإِنصافُ لَو قيلَ اشتَرِت

شَرطِ الإِنصافُ لَو قيلَ اشتَرِت

وَعَدوّي مَن إِذا قالَ قَسَط

وَعَدوّي مَن إِذا قالَ قَسَط

Fairness is my condition, were I told, 'Set your terms.'

The condition of fairness, if it is said I bought

And my enemy is whoever speaks unjustly.

And my enemy is one who when he speaks is just

أَدَعُ الفَضلَ فَلا أَطلُبُهُ

أَدَعُ الفَضلَ فَلا أَطلُبُهُ

حَسبيَ العَدلُ مِن الناسِ فَقَط

حَسبيَ العَدلُ مِن الناسِ فَقَط

I forgo favor and do not seek it;

I leave virtue so I do not seek it

justice from people is enough for me—nothing more.

My contentment is justice from people only

وَسَطُ الإِخوانِ لا يَدخُلُ لي

وَسَطُ الإِخوانِ لا يَدخُلُ لي

في حِسابٍ وَأَخو الدونِ الوَسَط

في حِسابٍ وَأَخو الدونِ الوَسَط

Middling friends have no place with me

The middle of brothers does not enter for me

in any reckoning; the middling are kin to the base.

In any account, and the base's brother is the middle

وَالمُعَنّى مَن تَمَنّى خالياً

وَالمُعَنّى مَن تَمَنّى خالياً

نَقلَ أَخلاقيَ مِن بَعدِ الشَمَط

نَقلَ أَخلاقيَ مِن بَعدِ الشَمَط

And tormented is whoever idly wishes

And the meaning is whoever wishes vacant

to change my character after my hair has grayed.

Moved my morals after the auspices

أَيُّها الحُرُ الَّذي شيمَتُهُ

أَيُّها الحُرُ الَّذي شيمَتُهُ

صِحَّةُ الرَأيِ إِذا الرَأيُ اِختَلَط

صِحَّةُ الرَأيِ إِذا الرَأيُ اِختَلَط

O noble man, whose nature is

O you the free man whom his traits are

sound judgment when opinions grow confused:

The soundness of opinion when the opinion is mixed

شَطَطٌ أَعوَجُ ما كَلَّفتَني

شَطَطٌ أَعوَجُ ما كَلَّفتَني

وَمِنَ الجَورِ تَكاليفُ الشَطَط

وَمِنَ الجَورِ تَكاليفُ الشَطَط

what you have demanded of me is crooked excess,

Exceeding the limit is the most crooked thing you tasked me

and excessive burdens are an injustice.

And from injustice are the tasks of exceeding the limit

لَيسَ لي عَتبٌ عَلى حادِثَةٍ

لَيسَ لي عَتبٌ عَلى حادِثَةٍ

هَبنِيَ النَجمُ عَلا ثُمَّ هَبَط

هَبنِيَ النَجمُ عَلا ثُمَّ هَبَط

I have no complaint against any misfortune;

I have no reproach for an incident

consider me the star that rose and then fell.

The star raised me high then descended

لَستُ بِالمَرءِ إِذا أَسقَطتَهُ

لَستُ بِالمَرءِ إِذا أَسقَطتَهُ

مِن عِدادٍ في مُرَجّيكَ سَقَط

مِن عِدادٍ في مُرَجّيكَ سَقَط

I am not the man who, if you drop him

I am not the man if you made him fall

from your reckoning, falls among those who pin their hopes on you.

From the count in your expectations he fell

عادَةُ الأَيامِ عِندي غَضَّةٌ

عادَةُ الأَيامِ عِندي غَضَّةٌ

خُلَّةٌ تَصدِفُ أَو دارٌ تَشُطّ

خُلَّةٌ تَصدِفُ أَو دارٌ تَشُطّ

The custom of the days is fresh to me:

The habit of days for me is roughness

a friendship that turns away, or a dwelling that grows distant.

Seclusion that cracks or a house that crumbles