رَأَيتُ البَحبَحانِيَّ اِستَقَلَّت

رَأَيتُ البَحبَحانِيَّ اِستَقَلَّت

رَكائِبُهُ بِحِرمانٍ عَظيمِ

رَكائِبُهُ بِحِرمانٍ عَظيمِ

I saw al-Bahbahani—off went

I saw the clown had lost

his riding camels, bearing great disappointment.

His means of conveyance through dire deprivation

إِذا رامَ التَخَلُّقَ جاذَبَتهُ

إِذا رامَ التَخَلُّقَ جاذَبَتهُ

خَلائِقُهُ إِلى الطَبعِ القَديمِ

خَلائِقُهُ إِلى الطَبعِ القَديمِ

Whenever he tried to assume good manners, he was dragged

When he would feign refinement, his

by his own traits back to his old nature.

Nature pulled him back toward the old habit

بَكى آمالَهُ لَمّا رَآها

بَكى آمالَهُ لَمّا رَآها

عِياناً وَهيَ دارِسَةُ الرُسومِ

عِياناً وَهيَ دارِسَةُ الرُسومِ

He mourned his hopes when he saw them

He wept for his hopes when he saw them

plainly, their traces effaced.

Plainly lying fallow

وَتَرتَ القَومَ ثُمَّ ظَنَنتَ فيهِم

وَتَرتَ القَومَ ثُمَّ ظَنَنتَ فيهِم

ظُنوناً لَستَ فيها بِالحَكيمِ

ظُنوناً لَستَ فيها بِالحَكيمِ

You wronged the people, then made assumptions about them—

You blamed the people, then supposed about them

assumptions that showed you were not wise.

Conjectures in which you were not wise

تُعَربِدُ غَيرَ مُحتَشِمٍ وَتَشدو

تُعَربِدُ غَيرَ مُحتَشِمٍ وَتَشدو

فَلا تَأتي بِلَحنٍ مُستَقيمِ

فَلا تَأتي بِلَحنٍ مُستَقيمِ

You rant drunkenly, unashamed, and sing,

You act indecently without modesty, and you chant

yet produce no proper tune.

But you make no proper musical measure

فَتُخطِئُ في الغِناءِ عَلى المُغَنّي

فَتُخطِئُ في الغِناءِ عَلى المُغَنّي

وَتُخطِئُ في النِدامِ عَلى النَديمِ

وَتُخطِئُ في النِدامِ عَلى النَديمِ

So you wrong the singer in song,

Thus you err singing for the singer

and wrong the drinking companion over drink.

And err consoling the boon companion

نَهَيتُكَ عَن تَعَرُّضِ عِرضِ حُرٍّ

نَهَيتُكَ عَن تَعَرُّضِ عِرضِ حُرٍّ

فَإِنَّ الذَمَّ مِن شَأنِ الذَميمِ

فَإِنَّ الذَمَّ مِن شَأنِ الذَميمِ

I forbade you to assail a noble man's honor,

I warned you against violating the honor of a freeman

for reviling is the way of the vile.

For blame is the habit of the blamer

وَقُلتُ تَوَقَّ مُحتَمِلاً يُرَوّي

وَقُلتُ تَوَقَّ مُحتَمِلاً يُرَوّي

عَنِ الأَضغانِ بِالخُلُقِ الكَريمِ

عَنِ الأَضغانِ بِالخُلُقِ الكَريمِ

And I said: beware a forbearing man who holds back

And I said: Be careful and forebearing; quench

from rancor through his noble character.

Rancor through noble manners

فَما خُرقُ السَفيهِ وَإِن تَعَدّى

فَما خُرقُ السَفيهِ وَإِن تَعَدّى

بِأَبلَغَ فيكَ مِن حِقدِ الحَليمِ

بِأَبلَغَ فيكَ مِن حِقدِ الحَليمِ

For a fool's rashness, however far he goes,

Yet the breach of the fool, be he aggressive,

hurts you no more than a forbearing man's rancor.

Is no subtler toward you than the hatred of the forbearing

مَتى أَحرَجتَ ذا كَرَمٍ تَخَطّى

مَتى أَحرَجتَ ذا كَرَمٍ تَخَطّى

إِلَيكَ بِبَعضِ أَخلاقِ اللَئيمِ

إِلَيكَ بِبَعضِ أَخلاقِ اللَئيمِ

Whenever you push a noble man too far, he advances

When you put to shame a noble one who stepped

toward you with some of a base man's ways.

Toward you with some of the traits of the wretch