أَلا قُل لِشَمسِ الدَولَةِ اِبنِ مُحَمّدٍ

أَلا قُل لِشَمسِ الدَولَةِ اِبنِ مُحَمّدٍ

وَلا تَحتَشِم وَاَبلِغهُ ما أَنا ذاكِرُ

وَلا تَحتَشِم وَاَبلِغهُ ما أَنا ذاكِرُ

Listen, tell Shams al-Dawla, son of Muhammad,

Tell the sun of the state, the son of Muhammad,

and do not be bashful; convey to him what I say:

And do not be shy, convey what I remember,

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ تَلتَقيني بِعِلَّةٍ

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ تَلتَقيني بِعِلَّةٍ

وَعُذرٍ أَما ضاقَت عَليكَ المَعاذِرُ

وَعُذرٍ أَما ضاقَت عَليكَ المَعاذِرُ

Must you meet me every day with a pretext

Do you meet me every day with an excuse

and an excuse? Have you not run out of excuses?

And apology? Have the apologies narrowed on you?

أَما تَستَحي مِن فُرطِ ما أَنتَ ماطِلٌ

أَما تَستَحي مِن فُرطِ ما أَنتَ ماطِلٌ

فَتَقضي وَلا مِن طولِ ما أَنا صابِرُ

فَتَقضي وَلا مِن طولِ ما أَنا صابِرُ

Are you not ashamed of your excessive stalling,

Are you not ashamed of the excess of your procrastination

enough to repay—or of how long I have been patient?

So you fulfill, and I am not tired of patience?

أَما لِلمَواعيدِ المَشومَةِ مُنتَهىً

أَما لِلمَواعيدِ المَشومَةِ مُنتَهىً

لَدَيكَ وَلا لِلمَطلِ عِندَكَ آخِرُ

لَدَيكَ وَلا لِلمَطلِ عِندَكَ آخِرُ

Have your ill-fated promises no end,

Is there no end to the ill-omened appointments for you

nor your procrastination any limit?

And no last to the procrastination according to you?

وَهَبنِيَ أَخَّرتُ التَقاضي لِعِلَّةٍ

وَهَبنِيَ أَخَّرتُ التَقاضي لِعِلَّةٍ

أَما لَكَ مِن تِلقاءِ نَفسِكَ زاجِرُ

أَما لَكَ مِن تِلقاءِ نَفسِكَ زاجِرُ

And suppose I postponed demanding payment for a reason—

I postponed the request due to an excuse,

have you no admonisher within yourself?

Is there no deterrent in yourself?

فَلا تَعتَذِر عِندي بِأَنَّكَ عاجِزٌ

فَلا تَعتَذِر عِندي بِأَنَّكَ عاجِزٌ

فإِنَّكَ لَو رُمتَ القَضاءَ لِقادِرُ

فإِنَّكَ لَو رُمتَ القَضاءَ لِقادِرُ

Do not plead to me that you are unable,

So do not make excuses that you are incapable,

for if you sought to repay, you would surely be able.

For if you wanted to fulfill, you would be capable,

وَلَيسَ بِعارٍ لِلكَريمِ مَبيتُهُ

وَلَيسَ بِعارٍ لِلكَريمِ مَبيتُهُ

عَلى سَغَبٍ وَالعِرضُ أَبيَضُ طاهِرُ

عَلى سَغَبٍ وَالعِرضُ أَبيَضُ طاهِرُ

It is no disgrace for a noble man to spend the night

It is no shame for the generous to spend the night

in hunger, with his honor white and pure.

In poverty while honor is pure white,

وَلَكِنَّ عاراً أَن يُقالَ مُخَيِّبٌ

وَلَكِنَّ عاراً أَن يُقالَ مُخَيِّبٌ

لِسُؤالِهِ أَو ناكِثُ العَهدِ غادِرُ

لِسُؤالِهِ أَو ناكِثُ العَهدِ غادِرُ

But it is a disgrace to be called one who frustrates

But it is shameful to say he disappoints

requests made of him, or an oath-breaker, a betrayer.

his request or breaches the covenant, a traitor,

وَما ذاكَ إِن أَدّيَتَهُ بِكَ مُجحِفٌ

وَما ذاكَ إِن أَدّيَتَهُ بِكَ مُجحِفٌ

وَلا هُوَ إِن أَخَّرتَهُ بي ضائِرُ

وَلا هُوَ إِن أَخَّرتَهُ بي ضائِرُ

And that, if you repay it, will not ruin you,

That would not say so if you fulfilled it, a slanderer,

nor, if you postpone it, will it harm me.

Nor would I, if you delayed it, be harmed,

أَما الدَينُ رِقٌّ لِلفَتى وَمَذَلَّةٌ

أَما الدَينُ رِقٌّ لِلفَتى وَمَذَلَّةٌ

فَتأنَفَ مِن أَن يَستَرِقَّكَ شاعِرُ

فَتأنَفَ مِن أَن يَستَرِقَّكَ شاعِرُ

Is debt not bondage and humiliation for a man,

Debt is humiliation and disgrace for the youth,

so that you should scorn being enslaved by a poet?

So disdain to be made servile by a poet,

لَحا اللَهُ مَن لا يَبذُلُ العَرضَ دونَهُ

لَحا اللَهُ مَن لا يَبذُلُ العَرضَ دونَهُ

وَلا يَقتَني مِنهُ صَديقٌ وَشاكِرُ

وَلا يَقتَني مِنهُ صَديقٌ وَشاكِرُ

May God curse whoever will not spend his wealth to protect his honor,

May Allah destroy one who does not sacrifice wealth for it

and from whom neither a friend nor a grateful man gains anything.

And does not acquire a grateful, thankful friend,

أَما تَشتَري شُكري بِمالي فَتَنثَني

أَما تَشتَري شُكري بِمالي فَتَنثَني

وَسَعيُكَ مَشكورٌ وَمالُكَ وافِرُ

وَسَعيُكَ مَشكورٌ وَمالُكَ وافِرُ

Will you not buy my thanks with my own money, then go your way

Will you not buy my gratitude with my money and fold me,

with your effort appreciated and your wealth abundant?

While your effort is appreciated and your wealth abundant?

سَتَعلَمُ إِن فَكَّرتَ فِكرَةَ عالِمٍ

سَتَعلَمُ إِن فَكَّرتَ فِكرَةَ عالِمٍ

بِأَيّامِهِ أَيُّ الفَريقَينِ خاسِرُ

بِأَيّامِهِ أَيُّ الفَريقَينِ خاسِرُ

You will know, if you reflect as one who understands

You will know, if you ponder the thought of a scholar,

his times, which of the two sides is the loser.

Which of the two parties is the loser?

وَهاأَنا قَد قَدَّمتُ عَتَبي فَإِن يَحُل

وَهاأَنا قَد قَدَّمتُ عَتَبي فَإِن يَحُل

وَإِلّا فَحُسنُ الصَبرِ نِعمَ الذَخائِرُ

وَإِلّا فَحُسنُ الصَبرِ نِعمَ الذَخائِرُ

And here I have offered my reproach; if it resolves matters—

Otherwise, patience is excellent treasure,

otherwise, good patience is the best of treasures.

I know that reproach to you is lost,

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ العَتبَ عِندَكَ ضائِعٌ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ العَتبَ عِندَكَ ضائِعٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ لِلنَفسِ مُسلٍ وَعاذِرُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ لِلنَفسِ مُسلٍ وَعاذِرُ

And I know that reproach is wasted on you,

But it comforts the soul and makes excuses.

but it consoles the soul and gives it an excuse.