أيا ابن المُعلَّى كن معلَّىً ولا تكنْ

أيا ابن المُعلَّى كن معلَّىً ولا تكنْ

حريصاً على تضييعكَ اسمَ أبيكا

حريصاً على تضييعكَ اسمَ أبيكا

O son of al-Mu‘allā, be exalted, and do not be

O son of the exalted one, be exalted and do not

intent on squandering your father's name.

Be keen on wasting your father's name

وصدّقْ أناساً فضَّلوك فأطنبوا

وصدّقْ أناساً فضَّلوك فأطنبوا

وكذّب من الحُسّادِ مُنْتقِصيكا

وكذّب من الحُسّادِ مُنْتقِصيكا

And vindicate those who praised you so lavishly,

And believe those who preferred you and spoke well of you

and prove wrong your detractors among the envious.

And deny those envious detractors of yours

منحتُكَ مصباحاً فأعشاك ضوؤُهُ

منحتُكَ مصباحاً فأعشاك ضوؤُهُ

وقد كان ظَنّي أنه سَيُريكا

وقد كان ظَنّي أنه سَيُريكا

I gave you a lamp, and its light dazzled you,

I gave you a lamp to give you its light

though I had thought it would make you see.

And I thought it would show you

جعلتك في حظٍّ شريكاً فخنتني

جعلتك في حظٍّ شريكاً فخنتني

ولو شئتُ لم أجعلكَ فيه شريكا

ولو شئتُ لم أجعلكَ فيه شريكا

I made you a partner in good fortune, and you betrayed me,

I made you a partner in good fortune but you betrayed me

though, had I wished, I would not have made you a partner in it.

And if I wanted I would not have made you a partner

أمن حُبّك الآدابَ خالفتَ حُكمَها

أمن حُبّك الآدابَ خالفتَ حُكمَها

فخُنتَ بظهر الغيبِ مؤتمنيكا

فخُنتَ بظهر الغيبِ مؤتمنيكا

Was it out of your love for literature that you defied its precepts,

Out of love for literature you went against its principles

and betrayed, behind their backs, those who trusted you?

And betrayed while absent the one who trusted you

نسختَ كتابي ثم كافأتَ نَسْخَهُ

نسختَ كتابي ثم كافأتَ نَسْخَهُ

بتضييعهِ أخلفتَ ظَنّي فيكا

بتضييعهِ أخلفتَ ظَنّي فيكا

You copied my book, then repaid that copying

You copied my book then rewarded its copying

by losing it; you belied my expectations of you.

By losing it, you failed my expectations in you

فقلتُ أَعِرني ما نسختَ أردُّه

فقلتُ أَعِرني ما نسختَ أردُّه

على إثْر نَسْخِيْهِ فلم تَر تيكا

على إثْر نَسْخِيْهِ فلم تَر تيكا

So I said, ‘Lend me what you copied; I shall return it

So I said lend me what you copied, I will return it

as soon as I have copied it,’ but you would not agree to that.

Right after copying it but you did not see to lend it to me

فقلتُ فكلِّف منْ رأيتَ انتساخَهُ

فقلتُ فكلِّف منْ رأيتَ انتساخَهُ

فماطَلْتني حَولاً بذاك دكيكا

فماطَلْتني حَولاً بذاك دكيكا

So I said, ‘Then have whomever you choose copy it.’

So I said then assign whoever you saw copied it

But you put me off over it for a full year.

But you stalled me about that for a year, you impudent one

أفِقْ أيها النَّشْوانُ قبل ملامةٍ

أفِقْ أيها النَّشْوانُ قبل ملامةٍ

تُعضُّك أطرافَ البنانِ وشيكا

تُعضُّك أطرافَ البنانِ وشيكا

Come to your senses, drunken one, before a reproach

Wake up o heedless one, before blame

that will soon make you bite your fingertips.

That bites the tips of your fingers approaches you

أيرضى مُعيرٌ من كتابٍ بنسخِه

أيرضى مُعيرٌ من كتابٍ بنسخِه

وتأبى عليه ذاك جُرتَ مليكا

وتأبى عليه ذاك جُرتَ مليكا

Would a lender settle for a copy of a book,

Does a borrower approve of copying his book

yet you deny him that? You have acted as an unjust king.

And you refuse to lend it to him, is that becoming of you?

فلا تكُ إما خائناً أو مُضيّعاً

فلا تكُ إما خائناً أو مُضيّعاً

ولكنْ أميناً حافظاً كذويكا

ولكنْ أميناً حافظاً كذويكا

So be neither treacherous nor negligent,

So be not a traitor or a waster

but trustworthy and careful, like your kin.

But rather a trustee, preserving, like your peers

ووكّلْ يديك السمْحتين بحاجتي

ووكّلْ يديك السمْحتين بحاجتي

وهَبْ لي يوماً من شهورِ سنيكا

وهَبْ لي يوماً من شهورِ سنيكا

And set your two generous hands to my request,

And appoint your gentle hands to fulfill my need

and grant me a day from the months of your years.

And give me a day from your months as a gift

وقِسْ راحةً تجني عليك مسبَّةً

وقِسْ راحةً تجني عليك مسبَّةً

بمَتْعَبةٍ تَحْميكَها وتقيكا

بمَتْعَبةٍ تَحْميكَها وتقيكا

And weigh ease that brings disgrace upon you

And rest, though it brings you blame

against toil that shields you from it and protects you.

Is better than toil that protects and shields you

أخوكَ فلا تجعلْهُ ضدَّك والتمسْ

أخوكَ فلا تجعلْهُ ضدَّك والتمسْ

لضدّك ما يُلفَى له كأخيكا

لضدّك ما يُلفَى له كأخيكا

Your brother—do not make him your foe, and seek

He is your brother so do not make him your enemy and seek

for your foe what may make him like your brother.

For your enemy what can be found for him like a brother