نضحتك لو طاوعت من لك ينصح

نضحتك لو طاوعت من لك ينصح

وكل إِناء بالَّذي فيه يرشح

وكل إِناء بالَّذي فيه يرشح

I sprinkled you with counsel—if only you had heeded one who advises you.

Had you obeyed me when I gave you advice,

And every vessel seeps what it contains.

For every vessel leaks what is inside it.

وحذرتك الدهياء قبل وقوعها

وحذرتك الدهياء قبل وقوعها

وأَوضحتها والحازم الرأي الَّذي يوضح

وأَوضحتها والحازم الرأي الَّذي يوضح

And I warned you of the dire calamity before its occurrence.

The cunning warned you before it happened,

And I made it plain; the man of firm judgment is one who makes things clear.

And made clear the wise opinion that clarifies.

فحقرت أَفعال الرجال استهانة

فحقرت أَفعال الرجال استهانة

وطببت آن السم في الماء ينفح

وطببت آن السم في الماء ينفح

Yet you belittled men's deeds in contempt.

You belittled the deeds of men out of arrogance,

And you practiced medicine while poison spread through the water.

And considered that poison in water exhales fragrance.

ولم تدر أَنم السد هدته فارة

ولم تدر أَنم السد هدته فارة

ومن غصن بان جمرة النار تقدح

ومن غصن بان جمرة النار تقدح

And you did not know that a mouse had brought down the dam.

You did not know that the dam guided its torrents,

And from a bān-tree branch, an ember of fire is struck.

And that from a branch the embers of fire are lit.

بجيدك أَصل الحبل صار وطرفه

بجيدك أَصل الحبل صار وطرفه

عدوك يجريه عليك ويمتح

عدوك يجريه عليك ويمتح

One end of the rope is now around your neck; its other end—

With your own hands you made the rope at its root,

your enemy works it against you and hauls it up.

Your enemy runs it over you and grabs it.

وقد قتل الكندي في حي قيصر

وقد قتل الكندي في حي قيصر

بخدعته الطماح والخب يطمح

بخدعته الطماح والخب يطمح

And al-Kindi was indeed killed in Caesar's abode,

Al-Kindi was killed in Caesar's district

through al-Tammah's deceit—and the schemer aspires.

By the scheming of the ambitious and the cunning.

وكل امرئ يعصي المحب ويرعوي

وكل امرئ يعصي المحب ويرعوي

لشانيه يلقى ما يسوء ويترح

لشانيه يلقى ما يسوء ويترح

And whoever disobeys the one who loves him, yet yields

And everyone who disobeys the loving one and cuddles

to his hater, meets what distresses him and grieves.

His foe will encounter what pains him and saddens him.

أَناشدك اللَه الَّذي جل ذكره

أَناشدك اللَه الَّذي جل ذكره

لتسمع مني ما أَقول وأَشرح

لتسمع مني ما أَقول وأَشرح

I adjure you by God, whose remembrance is exalted,

I adjure you by Allah the Almighty,

to hear from me what I say and explain.

To listen to what I am saying and explaining.

فلا تأمن الأَفعى وَإِن لان جلدها

فلا تأمن الأَفعى وَإِن لان جلدها

ففي نابها سم وداء مُبرح

ففي نابها سم وداء مُبرح

So do not trust the viper, even if its skin is soft,

Do not feel safe from the viper even if its skin is soft,

for in its fang are venom and agonizing illness.

For in its fangs is lethal poison and a fatal illness.