ما لُمتُ في أَفعالِهِ صالِحاً

ما لُمتُ في أَفعالِهِ صالِحاً

بَل خِلتُهُ أَحسَنَ مِنّي ضَمير

بَل خِلتُهُ أَحسَنَ مِنّي ضَمير

I did not blame Salih for his deeds;

I do not blame him for his good deeds,

rather, I thought him better than myself in conscience.

Rather, I find him more virtuous than myself.

يا قَومِ لَو كُنتُ أَميراً لَكُم

يا قَومِ لَو كُنتُ أَميراً لَكُم

ذَمَمتُم في الغَيبِ ذاكَ الأَمير

ذَمَمتُم في الغَيبِ ذاكَ الأَمير

O my people, if I were your emir,

O people, if I were your leader,

you would blame that emir behind his back.

You would criticize that leader in his absence.

وَإِنَّما سائِسُكُم دائِبٌ يُر

وَإِنَّما سائِسُكُم دائِبٌ يُر

عى المَطايا وَيَسوقُ الحَمير

عى المَطايا وَيَسوقُ الحَمير

And your governor merely labors tirelessly, tending—

Yet your guide constantly rides

the mounts and driving the donkeys.

Mules and leads donkeys.

وَاِبنُ جَميرٍ فَوقَكُم عاتِمٌ

وَاِبنُ جَميرٍ فَوقَكُم عاتِمٌ

فَهَل سَمِعتُم بِأَبيهِ جَمير

فَهَل سَمِعتُم بِأَبيهِ جَمير

And Ibn Jamir, set above you, is slow to act;

And the son of Jamir hovering over you is ignorant,

so have you heard of his father, Jamir?

Have you heard of his father Jamir?

وَرَدتُمُ الآجِنَ مِن دينِكُم

وَرَدتُمُ الآجِنَ مِن دينِكُم

وَما ظَفِرتُم بِالصَريحِ النَمير

وَما ظَفِرتُم بِالصَريحِ النَمير

You have reached the stagnant waters of your religion,

You have rejected the foreigner from your religion,

and have not found the clear, wholesome water.

Yet you have not attained the bright summit.

عالِمُكُم يَضرِبُ في غَمرَةٍ

عالِمُكُم يَضرِبُ في غَمرَةٍ

كَالعِلجِ بِالقَفرِ يَلُسُّ الغَمير

كَالعِلجِ بِالقَفرِ يَلُسُّ الغَمير

Your scholar wanders in bewilderment,

Your scholar strikes in the darkness

like a wild ass in the wilderness, nibbling green growth beneath dry grass.

Like a lost camel in the wasteland sitting still.

فَعَرِّفوني بِفَتاً مِنكُمُ

فَعَرِّفوني بِفَتاً مِنكُمُ

لا يَمتَري الناسَ وَلَكِن يَمير

لا يَمتَري الناسَ وَلَكِن يَمير

So introduce me to a young man among you

Show me one of your youths,

who does not milk people, but brings them provisions.

Who does not fool people, but leads.

سامَرتُكُم دَهراً وَفارَقتُكُم

سامَرتُكُم دَهراً وَفارَقتُكُم

عَن هِجرَةٍ ما سَمَرَ اِبنا سَمير

عَن هِجرَةٍ ما سَمَرَ اِبنا سَمير

I conversed with you by night for an age, and parted from you

I associated with you all for a time and left you

in estrangement, as long as Samir’s two sons converse by night.

After a migration - the son of Samir never kept night.

إِن أَقمَرَ اللَيلُ عَلى وَفدِكُم

إِن أَقمَرَ اللَيلُ عَلى وَفدِكُم

وَجَدتُكُم مِن قَمَرٍ أَو قَمير

وَجَدتُكُم مِن قَمَرٍ أَو قَمير

If night turns moonlit over your delegation,

If the night shone its moonlight on your delegation,

I find you moon-dazzled or moon-struck.

I would find you made of moonlight or mirage.