أَبا الفَضل لا ترتب بِفضلك أَنني

أَبا الفَضل لا ترتب بِفضلك أَنني

حَفَزتك وَالمُضطَر يُعذر في الحَفز

حَفَزتك وَالمُضطَر يُعذر في الحَفز

Abu al-Fadl, do not doubt your generosity because I

O Abul Fadl, do not blame me for urging you,

have urged you; the hard-pressed are excused for urging.

The needy is excused for his urging.

إِذا كانَ للمرء التَقَدم رُتبَةً

إِذا كانَ للمرء التَقَدم رُتبَةً

وَلا بُدَ مِنهُ فَالتَأخُرُ عَن عَجز

وَلا بُدَ مِنهُ فَالتَأخُرُ عَن عَجز

If taking the lead is a distinction for a man,

If a man has a high rank,

and is indispensable, then falling behind stems from incapacity.

And he must advance, to lag behind is from weakness.

وَلا بُدَ مِن هَز الكَريم لِأَنَّني

وَلا بُدَ مِن هَز الكَريم لِأَنَّني

رَأَيت الحسام العَضب أَمضى لَدى الهَز

رَأَيت الحسام العَضب أَمضى لَدى الهَز

And the generous man must be stirred, for I

I had to shake the generous man, because

have seen the keen-edged sword more effective when brandished.

I saw the sharp sword most effective when shaken.

وَلَو كانَ يَستَغني الكَريم بِطَبعه

وَلَو كانَ يَستَغني الكَريم بِطَبعه

عَن الهز لاستَغنى الجَواد عَن الهَمز

عَن الهز لاستَغنى الجَواد عَن الهَمز

And if the generous man could, by his nature, dispense

If the generous could dispense with shaking by his nature,

with stirring, the noble steed would dispense with spurring.

The noble horse would dispense with the spur.