إِذا طَرَقَ المِسكينُ دارَكَ فَاِحبُهُ

إِذا طَرَقَ المِسكينُ دارَكَ فَاِحبُهُ

قَليلاً وَلَو مِقدارَ حَبَّةِ خَردَلِ

قَليلاً وَلَو مِقدارَ حَبَّةِ خَردَلِ

If a poor man knocks at your house, give him

If the poor come knocking at your door, love them

a little, even a mustard seed's worth.

A little, even if only the size of a mustard seed.

وَلا تَحتَقِر شَيئاً تُساعِفُهُ بِهِ

وَلا تَحتَقِر شَيئاً تُساعِفُهُ بِهِ

فَكَم مِن حَصاةٍ أَيَّدَت ظَهرَ مِجدَلِ

فَكَم مِن حَصاةٍ أَيَّدَت ظَهرَ مِجدَلِ

And do not scorn anything with which you help him;

Do not belittle anything with which you might double it

for many a pebble has strengthened a fortress's back.

For how many pebbles have supported a fragile back?

وَما كَبِدُ العُصفورِ وَهيَ ضَئيلَةٌ

وَما كَبِدُ العُصفورِ وَهيَ ضَئيلَةٌ

بِعاجِزَةٍ عَن ضَبطِها نَفسَ أَجدَلِ

بِعاجِزَةٍ عَن ضَبطِها نَفسَ أَجدَلِ

Nor is a sparrow's liver, tiny though it is,

And the breast of a sparrow, how small it is,

unable to hold a falcon's life in its power.

Yet unable to be grasped by the hands of giants.

لَطالَ عَلَيَّ الوَقتُ وَالنَفسُ عُمرُها

لَطالَ عَلَيَّ الوَقتُ وَالنَفسُ عُمرُها

كَأَقصَرِ ظِلٍّ في الزَمانِ الشَمَردَلِ

كَأَقصَرِ ظِلٍّ في الزَمانِ الشَمَردَلِ

Time has dragged on for me, though the soul's lifespan

Long has time been upon me and my soul -

is like the shortest shadow in far-stretching time—

its life is as brief as the shadows in shifty sands.

مَدى حَيَوانٍ في هَواءٍ وَلُجَّةٍ

مَدى حَيَوانٍ في هَواءٍ وَلُجَّةٍ

وَأَرضٍ وَتُربٍ مُستَكِنٍّ وَجَندَلِ

وَأَرضٍ وَتُربٍ مُستَكِنٍّ وَجَندَلِ

the span of creatures in air and ocean depths,

The lifespan of a creature in turbid air, on land

and on earth, in hidden dust, and among rocks.

and soil, sheltered and bundled.

فَبَيَّنَ إِذا حاوَلتَ إِفهامَ سامِعٍ

فَبَيَّنَ إِذا حاوَلتَ إِفهامَ سامِعٍ

فَإِنَّ بَياناً مِن قَضاءٍ مُعَدَّلِ

فَإِنَّ بَياناً مِن قَضاءٍ مُعَدَّلِ

So make things clear when you try to make a listener understand,

So make clear, if you try to enlighten a listener -

for clarity is part of just judgment.

for elucidation from just authority is ideal.

تَقولُ حُمَيدٌ قالَ وَالمَرءُ مادَرى

تَقولُ حُمَيدٌ قالَ وَالمَرءُ مادَرى

حُمَيدَ اِبنَ ثَورٍ أَم حُمَيدَ بنَ بَحدَلِ

حُمَيدَ اِبنَ ثَورٍ أَم حُمَيدَ بنَ بَحدَلِ

You say, "Humayd said," though the man does not know:

You say Humayd said, though man cannot know -

Humayd ibn Thawr, or Humayd ibn Bahdal?

Is it Humayd son of Thawr or Humayd son of Bahdal?

إِذا ما دَعِيُّ القَومِ ضاهى صَريحَهُم

إِذا ما دَعِيُّ القَومِ ضاهى صَريحَهُم

فَلا تَنكُرَن وَاِعدُدهُ آخَرَ عَبدَلِ

فَلا تَنكُرَن وَاِعدُدهُ آخَرَ عَبدَلِ

If a clan's adopted son resembles its true-born son,

When the tribe’s envoy rivals their eloquence,

do not reject him; count him as another ʿAbdal.

do not deny him - consider him the last servant.

أَلَيسَ كَباقي أَحرُفِ الوَزنِ لامُهُ

أَلَيسَ كَباقي أَحرُفِ الوَزنِ لامُهُ

وَما فُصِلَت مِن لامِ سَهلٍ وَأَهدَلِ

وَما فُصِلَت مِن لامِ سَهلٍ وَأَهدَلِ

Is not its lām like the other letters of the word-pattern?

Is not his lam like the rest of the meter’s letters?

And it is no different from the lām in 'sahl' and 'ahdal'.

And has it not been separated from the lam of gentle sand?