إذا ما أطعتَ لأهل الحبيبِ

إذا ما أطعتَ لأهل الحبيبِ

بنيتَ البناءَ بآساسِه

بنيتَ البناءَ بآساسِه

If you obey the beloved's kin,

If you obey the people of the beloved

you build the edifice upon its foundations.

You build the building on its foundation

ولو لم تُرِد وصلَه لم تَذِلَّ

ولو لم تُرِد وصلَه لم تَذِلَّ

لأخدانِهِ أو لحُلاسِهِ

لأخدانِهِ أو لحُلاسِهِ

And had you not desired union with him, you would not have humbled yourself

And even if you do not want to reach him, you do not humiliate

before his close friends or his constant companions.

His cheeks or his garment

وممّا تمثّله الفارسيُّ

وممّا تمثّله الفارسيُّ

وأودَعَه بطنَ قرطاسِهِ

وأودَعَه بطنَ قرطاسِهِ

And among the sayings the Persian quoted

And among what the Persian represented

and lodged in the belly of his page was this:

And deposited in the belly of his paper

اذا كنتَ تطلب عفوَ الأميرِ

اذا كنتَ تطلب عفوَ الأميرِ

فخُذ في مداراة جُلّاسِهِ

فخُذ في مداراة جُلّاسِهِ

If you seek the emir's pardon,

If you seek the prince's pardon

then set about treating his companions tactfully.

Take care to compliment his servants