وَعاذِلَةٍ هَبَّت بِلَيلٍ تَلومُني

وَعاذِلَةٍ هَبَّت بِلَيلٍ تَلومُني

وَلَم يَغتَمِرني قَبلَ ذاكَ عَذولُ

وَلَم يَغتَمِرني قَبلَ ذاكَ عَذولُ

And a reproachful woman rose at night to blame me,

A blamer reproached me at night and blamed me,

and no reproacher had overwhelmed me before that.

Though I had not been blamed before that censure.

تَقولُ اِتَّئِد لا يَدعُكَ الناسُ مُملِقاً

تَقولُ اِتَّئِد لا يَدعُكَ الناسُ مُملِقاً

وَتُزرى بِمَن يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ تَعولُ

وَتُزرى بِمَن يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ تَعولُ

She says, "Be measured, lest people leave you destitute,

She said: "Beware of flattery, lest people find you insincere."

and you bring disgrace upon those you support, O son of noble men."

And you judge, O son of nobles, whom you rely upon.

فَقُلتُ أَبَت نَفسٌ عَلَيَّ كَريمَةٌ

فَقُلتُ أَبَت نَفسٌ عَلَيَّ كَريمَةٌ

وَطارِقُ لَيلٍ غَيرَ ذاكَ يَقولُ

وَطارِقُ لَيلٍ غَيرَ ذاكَ يَقولُ

So I said, "My noble soul will not permit it,

I said: "A noble soul within me refuses that,

and a visitor by night says otherwise.

And another night visitor says something else.

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا عَمرَكِ اللَهَ أَنَّني

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا عَمرَكِ اللَهَ أَنَّني

كَريمٌ عَلى حينِ الكِرامُ قَليلُ

كَريمٌ عَلى حينِ الكِرامُ قَليلُ

Do you not know—I adjure you by God—that I am

Don't you know, may Allah prolong your life, that I

generous at a time when the generous are few?

Am noble when nobility is scarce?

وَإِنِّيَ لا أُخزى إِذا قيلَ مُملِقٌ

وَإِنِّيَ لا أُخزى إِذا قيلَ مُملِقٌ

سَخِيٌّ وَأُخزى أُن يُقالَ بَخيلُ

سَخِيٌّ وَأُخزى أُن يُقالَ بَخيلُ

And I am not ashamed when I am called 'destitute

I am not shamed when called a flatterer.

and generous'; but I am ashamed to be called 'miserly.'

I am shamed when called stingy and mean.

فَلا تَتبَعي العَينَ الغَوِيَّةَ وَاِنظُري

فَلا تَتبَعي العَينَ الغَوِيَّةَ وَاِنظُري

إِلى عُنصُرِ الأَحسابِ أَينَ يَؤولُ

إِلى عُنصُرِ الأَحسابِ أَينَ يَؤولُ

So do not follow the misguided eye; look

So do not follow the tempting eye, and look

to the root of ancestral honor, and where it leads.

To the essence of accounts, where they lead.

وَلا تَذهَبَن عَيناكِ في كُلِّ شَرمَحٍ

وَلا تَذهَبَن عَيناكِ في كُلِّ شَرمَحٍ

لَهُ قَصَبٌ جوفُ العِظامِ أَسيلُ

لَهُ قَصَبٌ جوفُ العِظامِ أَسيلُ

And do not let your eyes wander over every tall man

Let not your eyes wander to every coquettish one,

with smooth limbs and hollow bones.

Hollow of bones, with slender twigs.

عَسى أَن تَمَنّى عِرسُهُ أَنَّني لَها

عَسى أَن تَمَنّى عِرسُهُ أَنَّني لَها

بِهِ حينَ يَشتَدُّ الزَمانُ بَديلُ

بِهِ حينَ يَشتَدُّ الزَمانُ بَديلُ

Perhaps his wife will wish that, for her, I were

Maybe his bride wishes I were hers

a replacement for him when times grow harsh.

When times get hard, her alternative.

إِذا كُنتُ في القَومِ الطِوالِ فَضَلتُهُم

إِذا كُنتُ في القَومِ الطِوالِ فَضَلتُهُم

بِعارِفَةٍ حَتّى يُقال طَويلُ

بِعارِفَةٍ حَتّى يُقال طَويلُ

When I am among tall men, I surpass them

If I surpass the tall men in discernment

through kindness, until I am called 'tall.'

Until it is said: "He is long in wisdom."

وَلا خَيرَ في حُسنِ الجُسومِ وَطولِها

وَلا خَيرَ في حُسنِ الجُسومِ وَطولِها

إِذا لَم يَزِن حُسنَ الجُسومِ عُقولُ

إِذا لَم يَزِن حُسنَ الجُسومِ عُقولُ

And there is no good in the beauty of bodies and their height

There is no good in handsome bodies and height

if minds do not match the beauty of those bodies.

If minds do not weigh beauty and height.

وَكائِن رَأَينا مِن فُروعٍ طَويلَةٍ

وَكائِن رَأَينا مِن فُروعٍ طَويلَةٍ

تَموتُ إِذا لَم يُحَيهِنَّ أُصولُ

تَموتُ إِذا لَم يُحَيهِنَّ أُصولُ

And how many tall branches we have seen

We have seen tall branches that die

die when roots do not give them life!

When roots do not give them life.

فَإِن لا يَكُن جِسمي طَويلاً فَإِنَّني

فَإِن لا يَكُن جِسمي طَويلاً فَإِنَّني

لَهُ بِالفَعالِ الصالحاتِ وَصولُ

لَهُ بِالفَعالِ الصالحاتِ وَصولُ

So if my body is not tall, I still

If my body is not tall, my deeds climb high,

attain that height through good deeds.

And I reach by good deeds perpetually.

وَلَم أَرَ كَالمَعروفِ أَمّا مَذاقُهُ

وَلَم أَرَ كَالمَعروفِ أَمّا مَذاقُهُ

فَحُلوٌ وَأَمّا وَجهُهُ فَجَميلُ

فَحُلوٌ وَأَمّا وَجهُهُ فَجَميلُ

And I have seen nothing like kindness: as for its taste,

I have not known anything as good as kindness.

it is sweet; and as for its face, it is beautiful."

Its taste is sweet and its face is beautiful."