قولا لِحَمدانَ وَما شيمَتي

قولا لِحَمدانَ وَما شيمَتي

أَن أَهدِيَ النُصحَ لَهُ مُخلِصا

أَن أَهدِيَ النُصحَ لَهُ مُخلِصا

Tell Hamdan, you two—though it is not my way

Say to Hamdan, though it is not my way

Say to Hamdan—though it is not my custom

to offer him counsel sincerely—

To give sincere advice to him as a gift,

To tender sincere counsel unto him:

ما أَنتَ بِالحُرِّ فَتُلحى وَلا

ما أَنتَ بِالحُرِّ فَتُلحى وَلا

بِالعَبدِ أَستَعتِبُهُ بِالعَصا

بِالعَبدِ أَستَعتِبُهُ بِالعَصا

you are no free man to be reproached, nor

You are not free that I should wheedle you,

You are not free, that you might be dignified with reproach,

a slave whom I would set right with a stick.

Nor a slave that I should chastise you with a stick.

Nor a slave, that I might discipline you with the staff.

فَرَحمَةُ اللَهِ عَلى آدَمٍ

فَرَحمَةُ اللَهِ عَلى آدَمٍ

رَحمَةَ مَن عَمَّ وَمَن خَصَّصا

رَحمَةَ مَن عَمَّ وَمَن خَصَّصا

So may God's mercy be upon Adam—

So may God have mercy on Adam

So may the mercy of God be upon Adam,

the mercy invoked by those who pray for all and those who single him out.

A mercy on him who rules and him who is ruled.

The mercy of the One who gives broadly and precisely—

لَو كانَ يَدري أَنَّهُ خارِجٌ

لَو كانَ يَدري أَنَّهُ خارِجٌ

مِثلُكَ في أَبنائِهِ لَاِختَصى

مِثلُكَ في أَبنائِهِ لَاِختَصى

Had he known that there would come forth

If only he had known that the likes of you

For had he known that there would issue forth

someone like you among his sons, he would have castrated himself.

Would come from his children, he would have been more careful in choosing.

Among his sons one such as you, he would have castrated himself.