المرءُ بالهِمَّةِ والتَّجمُّلِ

المرءُ بالهِمَّةِ والتَّجمُّلِ

لا بالعَديدِ الدَّثْرِ والتَّمَوُّلِ

لا بالعَديدِ الدَّثْرِ والتَّمَوُّلِ

A person's worth lies in ambition and refinement,

A man is known by his aspirations, not by

not in great numbers or the amassing of wealth.

His raiment's cost and rich caparisons.

ما كلُمَنْ نصرْتَهُ بأنْصُلٍ

ما كلُمَنْ نصرْتَهُ بأنْصُلٍ

تأمُرهُ هِمَّتُهُ بأنْ صُلِ

تأمُرهُ هِمَّتُهُ بأنْ صُلِ

Not everyone you have aided with blades

Not everyone you succor with right hand

is urged by his resolve to charge.

Will he obey his soul's command to do the same.

كلاٌ لأبي النَّضرِ

كلاٌ لأبي النَّضرِ

مُوَفِّي واجبِبُ النَّحْلِ

مُوَفِّي واجبِبُ النَّحْلِ

Both [uncertain reading] are for Abū al-Naḍr,

Speaks Abu Nadhr well, and pays the debts

who fulfills the duty of giving.

That are his honor's charge. Which, then, is mine -

فما أدري جنى النَّخلِ

فما أدري جنى النَّخلِ

أراني أمْ جنى النَّحْلِ

أراني أمْ جنى النَّحْلِ

So I do not know: was it the fruit of date palms

The palms' fruit or the bees'?

he showed me, or the yield of bees?

O gazelle whose cheek outshines

يا غَزالاً بِوَجهِهِ جُدَرِيُّ

يا غَزالاً بِوَجهِهِ جُدَرِيُّ

ظَلَّ يَحكي كَواكِباً في هِلالِ

ظَلَّ يَحكي كَواكِباً في هِلالِ

O gazelle, upon whose face smallpox

The moon, your curls like stars that shine!

kept resembling stars within a crescent.

Blame me not if secretly some tears should flow -

لا تَلُمْني إنْ نَمَّ بالسِّرِّ دَمعي

لا تَلُمْني إنْ نَمَّ بالسِّرِّ دَمعي

فلهُ الذَّنبُ خالِصاً مِنهُ لا لي

فلهُ الذَّنبُ خالِصاً مِنهُ لا لي

Do not blame me if my tears betray the secret;

The blame is his alone; no fault have I.

for the blame is wholly theirs, arising from them, not mine.