إنَّ التي نُجلُكَ قد نَالها

إنَّ التي نُجلُكَ قد نَالها

غيرُ التي قد نلتَها منّي

غيرُ التي قد نلتَها منّي

Indeed, what your son has attained

The one you adore has been won

is different from what you have received from me.

By another, not me, whom you've shunned

فتى أبوه أَنت نعم الفتى

فتى أبوه أَنت نعم الفتى

صدّق والده ظني

صدّق والده ظني

A youth with you as his father—what a fine youth!

My boy you're a man - how you've grown!

His father has borne out my opinion.

Your father was right, I'm outdone

أَلَمْ تكنْ لا شيءَ حتى إذا

أَلَمْ تكنْ لا شيءَ حتى إذا

نسَلتَه أَصبحت ذا شأنِ

نسَلتَه أَصبحت ذا شأنِ

Were you not a nobody until

Born worthless, with honour you're clad

you begot him and became a man of standing?

A worthy opponent you've had

وكل عزٍّ لَكَ تُزهى به

وكل عزٍّ لَكَ تُزهى به

أنك كنتَ الديكَ في القُنّ

أنك كنتَ الديكَ في القُنّ

And all the honor you boast of

Your triumphs all stem from the fact

is that you were the rooster in the coop.

That a cockerel once filled your dad

قلْ لابنِكَ النابغِ في علمه

قلْ لابنِكَ النابغِ في علمه

مقالةً يَنْقلها عنّي

مقالةً يَنْقلها عنّي

Tell your son, brilliant in his learning,

So say to your genius of a son

a saying he will pass on from me:

As my envoy these words to him run

يقوّل الدهر أساليبه

يقوّل الدهر أساليبه

فصار يُمني الأصلَ للغصنِ

فصار يُمني الأصلَ للغصنِ

Time makes its ways speak,

Fortune's wheel is a fickle old crone

so now it gives the root hope for the branch.

Who gives roots as gifts to the cones