إذا تَحدَّثْتَ في قَومٍ لِتُؤْنِسَهُمْ

إذا تَحدَّثْتَ في قَومٍ لِتُؤْنِسَهُمْ

بِما تُحَدِّتُ عن ماضٍ وعن آتِ

بِما تُحَدِّتُ عن ماضٍ وعن آتِ

If you speak among people to entertain them,

When you speak to a people to entertain them

with what you recount of the past and what is to come,

Of past and future things of which you tell

فَلا تُعِيدَنَّ قَولاً إنَّ طبعَهُمُ

فَلا تُعِيدَنَّ قَولاً إنَّ طبعَهُمُ

مُوَكَّلَ بِمُعاداةِ المُعاداتِ

مُوَكَّلَ بِمُعاداةِ المُعاداتِ

then do not repeat a saying, for their nature

Do not repeat a saying, for their nature

is given to detesting repeated sayings.

Is set on hating hated retellings