يا سيداً لم يلتبس عِرضُهُ

يا سيداً لم يلتبس عِرضُهُ

بذمِّ رائيهِ ولا خابرِهْ

بذمِّ رائيهِ ولا خابرِهْ

O master, whose honor has not been tainted

O master whose honor was never stained

by reproach from anyone who sees him or knows him;

By blaming his opinions or companion

ظاهرُهُ أحسنُ من غيبه

ظاهرُهُ أحسنُ من غيبه

وغيبُه أحسن من ظاهرِهْ

وغيبُه أحسن من ظاهرِهْ

his outward self is finer than his hidden self,

His outward self is better than his unseen self

and his hidden self finer than his outward self;

And his unseen self is better than his outward one

ومن إذا الرأي خبا نُورُهُ

ومن إذا الرأي خبا نُورُهُ

فإنما يقدحُ من خاطرِهْ

فإنما يقدحُ من خاطرِهْ

and who, when the light of judgment grows dim,

And when the light of opinion goes dim in someone

strikes fire only from his own thought.

It only sparks from his own mind

فلا ترى أثقبَ من ذهنهِ

فلا ترى أثقبَ من ذهنهِ

فيه ولا أيمَنَ من طائرِهْ

فيه ولا أيمَنَ من طائرِهْ

So you see no mind more penetrating than his

You will not see a mind sharper than his

in judgment, nor any omen more auspicious than his.

Nor a flying creature straighter than him

أوَّلُ ما أسأل من حاجةٍ

أوَّلُ ما أسأل من حاجةٍ

أن تقرأ الشعر إلى آخرِهْ

أن تقرأ الشعر إلى آخرِهْ

The first favor I ask

The first thing I ask out of need

is that you read the poem to its end,

Is that you read poetry to the very end

قراءةً تصدرُ عن نيةٍ

قراءةً تصدرُ عن نيةٍ

تُفهم قلب المرء عن ناظرِهْ

تُفهم قلب المرء عن ناظرِهْ

with a reading born of an intention

A recital stemming from an intention

that makes a man's heart understand what his eye sees.

To understand the heart beyond the seer

ثم كفاني بالذي تَرْتَئي

ثم كفاني بالذي تَرْتَئي

في جَيّد الشعر وفي شاعرِهْ

في جَيّد الشعر وفي شاعرِهْ

Then the judgment you form will suffice me

Then be content with what you deem

on the fine poetry and on its poet.

Is excellent in poetry and in the poet

وما أرَى التقصير يُخشَى على

وما أرَى التقصير يُخشَى على

فعلك بل يُخشى على شاكرِهْ

فعلك بل يُخشى على شاكرِهْ

And I do not think shortcoming is to be feared in

And I do not see shortcoming as feared

your deed, but rather in the one who gives thanks for it.

In your action, but as feared for the thankless one