أَشقى لجدّك أَن تَكون أَديباً

أَشقى لجدّك أَن تَكون أَديباً

أَو أَن يَرى فيكَ الوَرى تَهذيبا

أَو أَن يَرى فيكَ الوَرى تَهذيبا

It is worse luck for you to be a man of letters,

How wretched it is that you aspire to become a man of letters

or for people to see refinement in you.

Or that people see refinement in you

فَإِن اِستَقَمت فَإِن دَهرك كُلَهُ

فَإِن اِستَقَمت فَإِن دَهرك كُلَهُ

عِوَجٌ وَإِن أَخطَأت كُنتُ مُصيبا

عِوَجٌ وَإِن أَخطَأت كُنتُ مُصيبا

For if you are upright, your whole era

For if you walk straight, your whole life will be

is crooked; and if you err, I would be right.

Crooked, and if you err, you will be right

كَالفص لَيسَ يبين مَعنى نَقشه

كَالفص لَيسَ يبين مَعنى نَقشه

حَتّى يَكون بِناؤه مَقلوبا

حَتّى يَكون بِناؤه مَقلوبا

Like a seal-stone, the meaning of its engraving is not clear

Like an amulet whose inscription makes no sense

until its form is reversed.

Until its structure is inverted