تَرى الرَجُلَ النَحيفَ فَتَزدَريهِ

تَرى الرَجُلَ النَحيفَ فَتَزدَريهِ

وَفي أَثوابِهِ أَسَدٌ مُزيرُ

وَفي أَثوابِهِ أَسَدٌ مُزيرُ

You see a slender man and scorn him,

You see the slender man so you spurn him,

yet within his clothes is a fierce lion.

Yet in his clothes a fierce lion lurks.

وَيُعجِبُكَ الطَريرُ فَتَبتَليهِ

وَيُعجِبُكَ الطَريرُ فَتَبتَليهِ

فَيُخلِفُ ظّنَّكَ الرَجُلُ الطَريرُ

فَيُخلِفُ ظّنَّكَ الرَجُلُ الطَريرُ

The handsome man pleases you, so you put him to the test,

The squawker pleases you, so you test him,

then the handsome man disappoints your expectations.

But he disappoints, that squawking man.

فَما عِظَمُ الرِجالِ لَهُم بِفَخرٍ

فَما عِظَمُ الرِجالِ لَهُم بِفَخرٍ

وَلَكِن فَخرُهُم كَرَمٌ وَخَيرُ

وَلَكِن فَخرُهُم كَرَمٌ وَخَيرُ

Men's great size is no glory to them;

A man's greatness is not in boasting -

rather, their glory is generosity and goodness.

Rather, greatness is in kindness and good.

بُغاثُ الطَيرِ أَكثَرُها فِراخاً

بُغاثُ الطَيرِ أَكثَرُها فِراخاً

وَاُمُّ الصَقرِ مِقلاةٌ نَزورُ

وَاُمُّ الصَقرِ مِقلاةٌ نَزورُ

Lowly birds have the most chicks,

The warbler has the most chicks,

while the falcon's mother loses her young and bears few.

While the falcon's mother is meager prey.

ضِعافُ الطَيرِ أَطوَلُها جُسوماً

ضِعافُ الطَيرِ أَطوَلُها جُسوماً

وَلَم تَطُلِ البُزاةُ وَلا الصُقورُ

وَلَم تَطُلِ البُزاةُ وَلا الصُقورُ

Weak birds have the longest bodies,

Among birds, the weakest fly the highest,

yet neither goshawks nor falcons are so long.

Yet kites and falcons never fly that long.

ضِعافُ الأُسدِ أَكثرُها زَئيراً

ضِعافُ الأُسدِ أَكثرُها زَئيراً

وَأَصرَمُها اللَواتي لا تَزيرُ

وَأَصرَمُها اللَواتي لا تَزيرُ

Weak lions roar the most,

Among lions, the weakest are loudest roaring,

and the boldest of them are those that do not roar.

While those who never roar do the most tearing.

لَقَد عَظُمَ البَعيرُ بِغَيرِ لُبِّ

لَقَد عَظُمَ البَعيرُ بِغَيرِ لُبِّ

فَلَم يَستَغنِ بِالعِظَمِ البَعيرُ

فَلَم يَستَغنِ بِالعِظَمِ البَعيرُ

Indeed, the camel has grown huge without intelligence,

The camel grew great without a hump,

yet its size has not made the camel self-sufficient.

So the hump did not empower the camel.

يُصَرِّفُهُ الصَبيُّ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ

يُصَرِّفُهُ الصَبيُّ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ

وَيَحبِسُهُ عَلى الخَسفِ الجَريرُ

وَيَحبِسُهُ عَلى الخَسفِ الجَريرُ

A boy turns it in every direction,

The boy turns the camel every which way,

and a halter holds it in humiliation.

While the pitiless driver has him trot.

وَتَضرِبُهُ الَوليدَةُ بِالهَراوى

وَتَضرِبُهُ الَوليدَةُ بِالهَراوى

فَلا غِيَرٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا نَكيرُ

فَلا غِيَرٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا نَكيرُ

And a slave girl beats it with clubs,

The baby strikes him with a stick -

yet it shows neither indignation nor protest.

He has no recourse but to bear it.

فَإِن أَكُ في شِرارِكُمُ قَليلاً

فَإِن أَكُ في شِرارِكُمُ قَليلاً

فَإِنّي في خِيارِكُمُ كَثيرُ

فَإِنّي في خِيارِكُمُ كَثيرُ

So if I count for little among your worst,

So if I am among the worst of you a little,

then indeed I count for much among your best.

I am also among the best of you a lot.