لا يَحسَبُ الجودَ مِن رَبِّ النَخيلِ جَداً

لا يَحسَبُ الجودَ مِن رَبِّ النَخيلِ جَداً

حَتّى تَجودَ عَلى السودِ الغَرابيبِ

حَتّى تَجودَ عَلى السودِ الغَرابيبِ

One does not reckon the palm-owner's generosity true bounty

The palm tree's generosity is not deemed great

until you give freely to the jet-black ones.

Until it bestows upon the black locusts

ما أَغدَرَ الإِنسُ كَم خَشفٍ تَرَبَّبَهُم

ما أَغدَرَ الإِنسُ كَم خَشفٍ تَرَبَّبَهُم

فَغادَروهُ أَكيلاً بَعدَ تَربيبِ

فَغادَروهُ أَكيلاً بَعدَ تَربيبِ

How treacherous humankind is! Many a fawn took them as its masters,

How ungrateful is man! How many fledglings did he raise

then they left it as food after rearing it!

Only to abandon them grown up after fostering

هَذي الحَياةُ أَجاءَتنا بِمَعرِفَةٍ

هَذي الحَياةُ أَجاءَتنا بِمَعرِفَةٍ

إِلى الطَعامِ وَسَترٍ بِالجَلابيبِ

إِلى الطَعامِ وَسَترٍ بِالجَلابيبِ

This life has driven us, through awareness,

This life has granted us knowledge

to food and a covering of robes.

Of food and clothing with robes

لَو لَم تُحِسَّ لَكانَ الجِسمُ مُطَّرِحاً

لَو لَم تُحِسَّ لَكانَ الجِسمُ مُطَّرِحاً

لَذعَ الهَواجِرِ أَو وَقعَ الشَآبيبِ

لَذعَ الهَواجِرِ أَو وَقعَ الشَآبيبِ

Had you no sensation, the body would lie exposed

If the body felt no pain it would be prone

to the scorching of midday heat or the beating of downpours.

To the stinging of hornets or other calamities

فَاِهجُر صَديقَكَ إِن خِفتَ الفَسادَ بِهِ

فَاِهجُر صَديقَكَ إِن خِفتَ الفَسادَ بِهِ

إِنَّ الهِجاءَ لَمَبدوءٌ بِتَشبيبِ

إِنَّ الهِجاءَ لَمَبدوءٌ بِتَشبيبِ

So forsake your friend if you fear corruption through him;

Abandon your friend if you fear moral corruption from him

indeed, satire begins with verses of love.

Slander is initiated by fake admiration

وَالكَفُّ تُقطَعُ إِن خيفَ الهَلاكُ بِها

وَالكَفُّ تُقطَعُ إِن خيفَ الهَلاكُ بِها

عَلى الذِراعِ بِتَقديرٍ وَتَسبيبِ

عَلى الذِراعِ بِتَقديرٍ وَتَسبيبِ

And the hand is severed if destruction through it is feared

The hand is cut off if its preservation risks destruction

for the forearm, with deliberation and reasoning.

On the arm with due process and cause

طُرقُ النُفوسِ إِلى الأُخرى مُضَلَّلَةٌ

طُرقُ النُفوسِ إِلى الأُخرى مُضَلَّلَةٌ

وَالرُعبُ فيهِنَّ مِن أَجلِ الأَعابيبِ

وَالرُعبُ فيهِنَّ مِن أَجلِ الأَعابيبِ

The souls' paths to the other life are obscured,

The ways of souls toward one another are misguided

and fear dwells in them because of fabrications.

And fear among them is due to evildoers

تَرجو اِنفِساحاً وَكَم لِلماءِ مِن جِهَةٍ

تَرجو اِنفِساحاً وَكَم لِلماءِ مِن جِهَةٍ

إِذا تَخَلَّصَ مِن ضيقِ الأَنابيبِ

إِذا تَخَلَّصَ مِن ضيقِ الأَنابيبِ

They hope for room to spread; how many directions water can take

You long for reprieve but water has many directions

once it escapes the narrow confines of pipes!

When freed from the narrowness of pipes

أَما رَأَيتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ غادِيَةً

أَما رَأَيتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ غادِيَةً

عَلى القُلوبِ بِتَبغيضٍ وَتَحبيبِ

عَلى القُلوبِ بِتَبغيضٍ وَتَحبيبِ

Have you not seen time's vicissitudes coming each morning

Have you not seen the passing of fate

upon hearts, stirring hatred and love?

Upon hearts with hatred and love

وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ إِذا كانَت لَهُ أُذُنٌ

وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ إِذا كانَت لَهُ أُذُنٌ

لَم تُخلِهِ مِن وِشاياتٍ وَتَخبيبِ

لَم تُخلِهِ مِن وِشاياتٍ وَتَخبيبِ

And every living creature, if it has an ear,

And every living being with an ear

is never left free of slander and the sowing of discord.

Is not devoid of gossip and slander

عَجِبتُ لِلرومِ لَم يَهدِ الزَمانُ لَها

عَجِبتُ لِلرومِ لَم يَهدِ الزَمانُ لَها

حَتفاً هَداهُ إِلى سابورَ أَو بيبِ

حَتفاً هَداهُ إِلى سابورَ أَو بيبِ

I marveled at the Romans: time has not bestowed upon them

I am amazed the Romans' time has not erected for them

the death it bestowed upon Sābūr or Bīb.

A fortress guided by Shapur or Beb

إِن تَجعَلِ اللَجَّةَ الخَضراءَ واقِيَةٌ

إِن تَجعَلِ اللَجَّةَ الخَضراءَ واقِيَةٌ

فَالمُلكُ يُحفَظُ بِالخُضرِ اليَعابيبِ

فَالمُلكُ يُحفَظُ بِالخُضرِ اليَعابيبِ

If they make the green deep their shield,

If you make the green meadow a shield

then sovereignty is guarded by dark, swift steeds.

Then the kingdom is protected by the young locusts