نَزَلَ المَسيلَ وَباتَ يَشكو سَيلَهُ

نَزَلَ المَسيلَ وَباتَ يَشكو سَيلَهُ

أَلّا عَلَوتَ فَبِتَّ غَيرَ مُراقَبِ

أَلّا عَلَوتَ فَبِتَّ غَيرَ مُراقَبِ

He lodged in the watercourse and spent the night complaining of its flood.

The flood came down and spent the night lamenting its torrent

Why did you not climb higher and spend the night unwatched?

If only you had risen high, you would have stayed without being watched

جَمَعَ المَثالِبَ ثُمَّ جاءَ تَعَرُّضاً

جَمَعَ المَثالِبَ ثُمَّ جاءَ تَعَرُّضاً

بِالمُخزِياتِ يَدُقُّ بابَ الثالِبِ

بِالمُخزِياتِ يَدُقُّ بابَ الثالِبِ

He amassed faults, then came courting reproach,

He gathered up reproaches, then came exposing

With disgraceful deeds, knocking at the detractor's door.

With disgraces knocking on the door of the blameworthy one

وَإِذا اِجتَمَعتَ عَلى مَعايِبَ جَمَّةٍ

وَإِذا اِجتَمَعتَ عَلى مَعايِبَ جَمَّةٍ

فَتَنَحَّ جُهدَكَ عَن طَريقِ العايِبِ

فَتَنَحَّ جُهدَكَ عَن طَريقِ العايِبِ

And if you are made up of many faults,

And when many gather upon the faults of someone

Then keep as far as you can from the faultfinder's path.

Then withdraw your efforts from the path of the fault finder