على رسلك اصبر يا رسول التلفهي

على رسلك اصبر يا رسول التلفهي

نممت لجلاسي على سر الخفي

نممت لجلاسي على سر الخفي

Easy now—be patient, O messenger of anguished longing.

Take your time; be patient, O messenger of anguish.

You betrayed my hidden secret to my companions.

You betrayed the hidden secret to my companions.

وانت اعيني فاقطعي واصل البكا

وانت اعيني فاقطعي واصل البكا

ليذهب هذا الاحمرار وتنشفي

ليذهب هذا الاحمرار وتنشفي

And you, my eyes, cut short this ceaseless weeping,

And you, my eyes, sever the bond of weeping,

so that this redness may fade and you may dry.

so this redness may fade and you may grow dry.

وانت ايا قلباه كم رحت خافقا

وانت ايا قلباه كم رحت خافقا

لذكر حبيب قاطع الحبل مسرف

لذكر حبيب قاطع الحبل مسرف

And you—ah, my heart—how often you have gone on pounding

And you, O my heart, how often have you gone on throbbing

at the thought of a beloved who severed the bond, wantonly cruel.

at the mention of a beloved, reckless in cutting the cord!

ويا روح كم راحت قفولك نحوه

ويا روح كم راحت قفولك نحوه

تطير وللاغيار لم تتشرف

تطير وللاغيار لم تتشرف

O soul, how often your caravans have set out toward him,

And O soul, how often have your returning caravans gone toward him,

flying, though never aspiring toward another.

flying, never looking toward others!

بوجدك يا يعقوب سري دع الاسى

بوجدك يا يعقوب سري دع الاسى

تقول بحسن الظن يوسف يوسفي

تقول بحسن الظن يوسف يوسفي

In your grief, O Jacob, lies my secret; put sorrow by.

By your longing, O Jacob of my inner self, abandon grief;

You say, in hopeful trust, “Joseph is my Joseph.”

you say in good faith, "Joseph is my Joseph."

جلا بقميص الغدر كوكب حسنة

جلا بقميص الغدر كوكب حسنة

وراح به في مهمه الوهم يختفي

وراح به في مهمه الوهم يختفي

The star of his beauty shone through treachery’s shirt,

He revealed the star of beauty in a shirt of treachery,

then went off with it, hiding in illusion’s wilderness.

and went off with it, hiding in the wilderness of illusion.

وقد جانس الاضداد عن غير حكمة

وقد جانس الاضداد عن غير حكمة

وخلا مسئيا غادرا خله الوفي

وخلا مسئيا غادرا خله الوفي

He has mingled opposites, with no wisdom,

And he consorted with adversaries, without wisdom,

and, an evildoer and traitor, abandoned his faithful friend.

and, wronging and betraying, abandoned his faithful friend.

وما الحب الا للامين اخى الوفا

وما الحب الا للامين اخى الوفا

رفيق الصفا فافطن اذا رحت تصطفي

رفيق الصفا فافطن اذا رحت تصطفي

There is no love save for the trustworthy, fidelity’s brother,

And love is only for the trustworthy, brother to fidelity,

a companion of pure devotion—so be discerning when you choose.

a companion of sincerity—be discerning when you choose.

ورب كذوب بالخديعة قائم

ورب كذوب بالخديعة قائم

يكدر اوقات الصفا بالتأفف

يكدر اوقات الصفا بالتأفف

Many a liar lives by deceit,

And many a habitual liar, busy with deceit,

clouding hours of harmony with lamentation.

spoils moments of serenity with grumbling.

يريد اندماجا بالكرام وزوره

يريد اندماجا بالكرام وزوره

صريح ونور الحق باد لمنصف

صريح ونور الحق باد لمنصف

He seeks admission among noble men, though his falsehood

He seeks to mingle with the noble, yet his falsehood

is patent, and truth’s light is manifest to the fair-minded.

is plain, and truth's light is manifest to the fair-minded.

اخو الحرص يدر به اللبيب بطوره

اخو الحرص يدر به اللبيب بطوره

ويعرف ذو المجد الفتى بالتعفف

ويعرف ذو المجد الفتى بالتعفف

The discerning man knows the greedy by his ways,

The discerning recognize the brother of greed by his ways,

and the noble youth is known by his self-restraint.

and the noble youth is known by his self-restraint.

وما صاحب الآمال قط بصاحب

وما صاحب الآمال قط بصاحب

على انه اثر الحوادث يقتفي

على انه اثر الحوادث يقتفي

A companion drawn by hopes of gain is never a true companion,

And a companion of hopes is never a true companion,

for he merely follows the tracks of fortune’s turns.

for he follows the trail of events.

يميل متى مال الظلال فتارة

يميل متى مال الظلال فتارة

مسيءٌ واخرى مفرط بالتلطف

مسيءٌ واخرى مفرط بالتلطف

He leans wherever the shadows lean: at one moment

He bends whenever the shadows bend: at times

doing harm, at another excessive in blandishment.

offensive, and at others excessive in courtesy.

وثان رفيق المال يرقب صيده

وثان رفيق المال يرقب صيده

وفي غير هذا وعده وعد مخلف

وفي غير هذا وعده وعد مخلف

A second is wealth’s companion, watching for his quarry,

And a second, a companion of wealth, watches for his prey;

and beyond this, his promise is a promise left unkept.

and in all else, his promise is an unkept promise.

ولم يدر ان المال ينفذ والعلي

ولم يدر ان المال ينفذ والعلي

رداء عميد باذل المال متحف

رداء عميد باذل المال متحف

He never learned that wealth runs out, while lofty honor

And he has not realized that wealth runs out, while high honor

is the mantle of a lord who spends his wealth and showers gifts.

is the mantle of a chief who bestows wealth and gifts.

وهل ملأ الخزان حفرة قبره

وهل ملأ الخزان حفرة قبره

اذا مات مالا بالأوهام مقرف

اذا مات مالا بالأوهام مقرف

Has the treasurer ever filled the hollow of his grave

And does the hoarder fill the hollow of his grave

with wealth when he dies, tainted by delusions?

with money when he dies, himself tainted by delusions?

اري الشهم يعطي المجد غاية حقه

اري الشهم يعطي المجد غاية حقه

وبالمجد عن لوث السفاسف يكتفي

وبالمجد عن لوث السفاسف يكتفي

I see the gallant man give glory its fullest due,

I see the noble-hearted man give honor its fullest due,

and in glory find enough to shun the stain of paltry things.

and be content with honor, free of the taint of trifles.

وما المجد دينار يرص بمخزن

وما المجد دينار يرص بمخزن

ولا شيم تروى بقول محرف

ولا شيم تروى بقول محرف

Glory is no dinar stacked in a storehouse,

Honor is not a dinar stacked in a storehouse,

nor virtues recounted in distorted speech.

nor virtues recounted in distorted words.

بلى هو طبع يسبغ الفضل حسبما

بلى هو طبع يسبغ الفضل حسبما

تمكنه الاقدار لا للتزلف

تمكنه الاقدار لا للتزلف

Rather, it is a nature that pours forth bounty as

Rather, it is a disposition that lavishes bounty as far as

the fates enable it—not to curry favor.

fate enables it—not to curry favor.

لواه لبذل البر طور محكم

لواه لبذل البر طور محكم

به لم يكن مستكرها بالتكلف

به لم يكن مستكرها بالتكلف

His standard in giving good is a firmly rooted nature;

A firmly settled disposition has inclined him to bestow kindness,

in this he is not driven by strained affectation.

one within him, not forced through affectation.

اخي اصحب الاخيار تشرف رتبة

اخي اصحب الاخيار تشرف رتبة

فمن يصحب الاشرار غير مشرف

فمن يصحب الاشرار غير مشرف

My brother, keep company with the good and rise in rank,

My brother, befriend the good, and your rank will rise;

for whoever keeps company with the wicked is not honored.

for whoever befriends the wicked is not honored.

وقد ترفع الدنيا دنيا وقدره

وقد ترفع الدنيا دنيا وقدره

وضيع مع التنكير غير معرف

وضيع مع التنكير غير معرف

The world may raise a base man, while his worth

And the world may exalt a base man, though his worth

remains base: indefinite, never made “definite.”

is low, obscure and unrecognized.

يقلد افعال الكرام لبغية

يقلد افعال الكرام لبغية

يحاولها والطبع ليس بمسعف

يحاولها والطبع ليس بمسعف

He imitates the deeds of noble men to attain an aim;

He imitates the deeds of the noble for an aim

he strives for it, but his nature lends no aid.

he pursues, but his nature lends no help.

الا انما الدنيا سراب بقيعة

الا انما الدنيا سراب بقيعة

ولم تعط ضوءٌ قط الا بها طفي

ولم تعط ضوءٌ قط الا بها طفي

Truly, this world is only a mirage upon a desert plain,

Behold, the world is only a mirage on an open plain,

and it never grants a light but that the light is quenched by it.

and it has never given a light that was not quenched within it.

فسلم لمولاك الامور وخل من

فسلم لمولاك الامور وخل من

يباين هذا واحفظ الله واعرف

يباين هذا واحفظ الله واعرف

So entrust all affairs to your Lord, and leave whoever

So entrust your affairs to your Lord, and leave whoever

rejects this; be mindful of God, and understand.

opposes this; be mindful of God, and know Him.