لا تُصِغَينَّ إلى مَقالِ سَفِيهِ

لا تُصِغَينَّ إلى مَقالِ سَفِيهِ

غادٍ عليكَ بزُخْرُفِ التَّمويِه

غادٍ عليكَ بزُخْرُفِ التَّمويِه

Do not heed the words of a fool

Do not listen to the words of a fool,

Who comes upon you at dawn with the finery of deceit.

Who comes to you with fancy embellishments.

وَشَّيتُ فيكَ القَولَ كَي تَحظَى بهِ

وَشَّيتُ فيكَ القَولَ كَي تَحظَى بهِ

فَغدا يُحرِّفُ لَفظَه ويَشِيه

فَغدا يُحرِّفُ لَفظَه ويَشِيه

I embroidered my speech about you, that you might gain favor through it;

I have admonished you with this advice, so you may benefit from it,

Then he began twisting its wording and embroidering it.

Yet tomorrow he distorts his words and alters them.

ما قلتُ قَوَّاداً يِرُبُّ مِعِيشَه

ما قلتُ قَوَّاداً يِرُبُّ مِعِيشَه

لكنْ مساعدُ خِلِّهِ وأخيهِ

لكنْ مساعدُ خِلِّهِ وأخيهِ

I did not say, “A pimp who cultivates his livelihood,”

I did not say this as a pimp who profits from his trade,

But rather, “A helper to his friend and his brother.”

But as a loyal friend and brother.

بطَلٌ إذا لَقِيَ الكميَّ أَماتَه

بطَلٌ إذا لَقِيَ الكميَّ أَماتَه

قبلَ الطِّعانِ بطعَنةٍ مِن فيهِ

قبلَ الطِّعانِ بطعَنةٍ مِن فيهِ

A hero who, when he meets an armored warrior, kills him

A hero who, when he meets the foe, destroys him

Before lances clash, with a thrust from his mouth.

Before the slanderer can wound with his stabs.

ومُطارِدٌ لا الدَّرزُ يَعصِمُ صَيدَه

ومُطارِدٌ لا الدَّرزُ يَعصِمُ صَيدَه

ما غابَ فيهِ ولا الفِرارُ يَقيِه

ما غابَ فيهِ ولا الفِرارُ يَقيِه

And a pursuer: no seam protects his prey

A hunter whom neither armor protects his prey,

While it hides within it, nor does flight shield it.

Nor does fleeing give it refuge from him.

قد قلتُ إذ خلعَ القميصَ وحُوِّلَت

قد قلتُ إذ خلعَ القميصَ وحُوِّلَت

لحَظَاتُه ويلٌ لِمَن يُؤذْيِهِ

لحَظَاتُه ويلٌ لِمَن يُؤذْيِهِ

I said, when he took off his shirt and turned

I have said this when he takes off his shirt and his

His glances: “Woe to whoever harms him!”

Moments are transformed - woe to him who would hurt him!

دَمُ صَيْدِهِ دَمُ جِسْمِهِ وحِرابُهُ

دَمُ صَيْدِهِ دَمُ جِسْمِهِ وحِرابُهُ

أظفارُه وطِرادُه يَعزيهِ

أظفارُه وطِرادُه يَعزيهِ

His prey’s blood is his body’s blood, and his spears

The blood of his prey is the blood of his own body, and his sword

Are his fingernails; his pursuit consoles him.

Is his claws, and tracking his prey brings him joy.

ولَه إذا الأقفاصَ رُحن عَوارياً

ولَه إذا الأقفاصَ رُحن عَوارياً

قفصا نِصابِ بَليدِهِ مِن فيهِ

قفصا نِصابِ بَليدِهِ مِن فيهِ

And he has, when the cages return empty at dusk,

And when cages are emptied of their wild animals,

The two cages of his dull one’s base, from his mouth.

For him is a cage of his slow-witted prey.

لو جازَ أن يَخفَى على اللهِ امرؤٌ

لو جازَ أن يَخفَى على اللهِ امرؤٌ

من خَلقِه خَفِيَ الذي يُخفيهِ

من خَلقِه خَفِيَ الذي يُخفيهِ

If a man could ever be hidden from God

If it were possible for a man to be hidden from God

Among His creatures, the one he conceals would be hidden.

Among his creations, that which hides him would hide him.

كم خارجٍ مِن دارِه ومُخلِّفٍ

كم خارجٍ مِن دارِه ومُخلِّفٍ

فيها قُبورَ بَناتِهِ وبَنيهِ

فيها قُبورَ بَناتِهِ وبَنيهِ

How many a man leaves his house, leaving behind

How many who leave their homes and abandon

Within it the graves of his daughters and sons.

In them the graves of their daughters and sons!

خُلِطَتْ بها نُطَفُ السُّقاةُ فمَا يُطا

خُلِطَتْ بها نُطَفُ السُّقاةُ فمَا يُطا

إلا على ابنِ سَفِيهةٍ وسفيهِ

إلا على ابنِ سَفِيهةٍ وسفيهِ

The cupbearers’ drops of semen were mixed there, so no step is taken

With them is mixed the seed of drunkards - so it breeds

Except upon the son of a foolish woman and a foolish man.

Only the son of a fool and a fool.

قَبَّحْتَ مِن ظُلْمِ القصائدِ عامداً

قَبَّحْتَ مِن ظُلْمِ القصائدِ عامداً

فَنشَرْنَ عنك قبيحَ ما تَطويِه

فَنشَرْنَ عنك قبيحَ ما تَطويِه

You deliberately disparaged the poems, doing them wrong;

You have vilified, intentionally, the injustice of poetry,

So they revealed about you the ugliness of what you conceal.

So we spread about you the ugliness you conceal.

فبحُرمةِ العَصْبِ الذي أُلبِستَه

فبحُرمةِ العَصْبِ الذي أُلبِستَه

ونَباهةُ الأفعال تاجُ نَبيهِ

ونَباهةُ الأفعال تاجُ نَبيهِ

So, by the sanctity of the striped cloth you were clothed in—

By the sanctity of the lineage you donned,

And distinction in deeds is a distinguished man’s crown—

And the nobility of deeds being the crown of the prophet.

لا تَظلِمَنْ شِعري ولا تَتَكَرَّهَنْ

لا تَظلِمَنْ شِعري ولا تَتَكَرَّهَنْ

ألفاظَه فالمِسكُ غيرُ كَريهِ

ألفاظَه فالمِسكُ غيرُ كَريهِ

Do not wrong my poetry, nor loathe

Do not wrong my poetry or reject

Its words, for musk is not loathsome.

Its words - for musk is not unpleasant.