أَقِلّي عَليَّ اللَومَ يا أُمَّ بَوزَعا

أَقِلّي عَليَّ اللَومَ يا أُمَّ بَوزَعا

وَلا تَجزَعي مِمّا أَصابَ فأَوجَعا

وَلا تَجزَعي مِمّا أَصابَ فأَوجَعا

Blame me less, O Umm Bawzaʿ.

Blame me less, O mother of Bawza'a

Lessen your blame upon me, O Umm Bawza', and do not grieve over what has struck and caused pain.

And do not despair over what befell and caused pain.

And do not grieve for what has hurt me

Do not scold me, for I do not see Time making amends when a day passes, nor does blame bring it back.

فَلا تَعذُليني لا أَرى الدَهرَ مُعتِباً

فَلا تَعذُليني لا أَرى الدَهرَ مُعتِباً

إِذا ما مَضى يَومٌ وَلا اللَومَ مُرجِعا

إِذا ما مَضى يَومٌ وَلا اللَومَ مُرجِعا

So do not reproach me: I do not see Time making amends

So do not rebuke me, I do not see time as blaming

But I see that man is a target for destruction, meeting his fate whether ascending high or descending low.

once a day has passed, nor blame bringing it back.

When a day has passed, blame cannot retrieve it

And piety is truly the best of provisions, while a man's share of his wealth is only what he has enjoyed.

وَلَكِن اَرى أَنَّ الفَتى عُرضَةُ الرَدى

وَلَكِن اَرى أَنَّ الفَتى عُرضَةُ الرَدى

وَلاقي المَنايا مُصعِداً وَمُفَرِّعا

وَلاقي المَنايا مُصعِداً وَمُفَرِّعا

Yet I see that a man is a target for death,

But I see the young man is prone to mishaps

So I charge you, O Umm 'Amir, should you part from me, for some counsel in certain times proves useful.

and encounters death, ascending and descending.

And meets death ascending and descending

Do not marry, if Time separates us, a man with a hairy nape and a low forehead,

وأَنَّ التُقى خَيرُ المَتاعِ وإِنَّما

وأَنَّ التُقى خَيرُ المَتاعِ وإِنَّما

نَصيبُ الفَتى مِن مالِهِ ما تَمتَّعا

نَصيبُ الفَتى مِن مالِهِ ما تَمتَّعا

And that piety is the best provision; and only

And piety is the best provision, and indeed

A two-faced man among the people who has expanded his belly, yet acts harmfully and whose patience is narrow.

what a man enjoys of his wealth is his share.

A young man's share of his money is what he has enjoyed

Dull in all things save the sharpness of his teeth, with a small heart, a glutton in the evenings, and easily frightened.

فأوصيكِ إِن فارقتِني اُمُّ عامِرٍ

فأوصيكِ إِن فارقتِني اُمُّ عامِرٍ

وَبَعضُ الوَصايا في أَماكِنَ تَنفَعا

وَبَعضُ الوَصايا في أَماكِنَ تَنفَعا

So I counsel you, Umm ʿAmir, if you part from me—

So I advise you, if I leave you, O mother of Aamir

Striking his jaws against his chest bone in greed, yet when men rush to noble deeds, he veils his face.

and some counsels prove useful in certain circumstances.

And some advice in places that benefit

Nor a clumsy, heavy-footed runt among men, who, when he walks or speaks, acts the fool.

وَلا تَنكَحي إِن فَرَّقَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا

وَلا تَنكَحي إِن فَرَّقَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا

أَغَمَّ القَفا والوَجه لَيسَ بأَنزَعا

أَغَمَّ القَفا والوَجه لَيسَ بأَنزَعا

Do not marry, if Time separates us,

Do not marry, if time separates us

But belong to a beloved or a magnificent noble soul, who gives freely when base men hesitate,

a man thick-haired at nape and face, without receding temples,

With a frown on his face and expression, not easily softened

One who joins ties, possessed of honor and zeal, and patience when Time bites and inflicts pain.

مِنَ القَومِ ذا لَونَينِ وَسَّعَ بَطنَهُ

مِنَ القَومِ ذا لَونَينِ وَسَّعَ بَطنَهُ

وَلَكِن أَذَّياً حِلمُهُ ما تَوَسَّعا

وَلَكِن أَذَّياً حِلمُهُ ما تَوَسَّعا

a man of two colors among men, who has enlarged his belly,

Of the people with two faces, whose belly has expanded

And one who, should a visitor call at your house, his separation from you for a day feels like a whole eternity.

yet is narrow in forbearance, which has never broadened;

But his patience, when tested, does not expand

I shall recount many traits regarding myself, and an ancient glory that has long soared high.

كَليلاً سِوى ما كانَ من حَدِّ ضِرسِهِ

كَليلاً سِوى ما كانَ من حَدِّ ضِرسِهِ

أُكَيبِدَ مِبطانَ العَشيّاتِ أَروَعا

أُكَيبِدَ مِبطانَ العَشيّاتِ أَروَعا

blunt, save for whatever sharpness his molar has;

Sleeping except when his canine presses

For I have seen none like me who cauterizes for his own cure, nor one who cuts the jugular vein so decisively.

a potbellied little man, a glutton in the evenings, easily frightened;

He saddled the abdomens of the evenings out of covetousness

I was never one to kindle evil among them, nor, when evil grew serious, was I one to cower.

ضَروباً بِلَحَييهِ عَلى عَظمِ زَورِهِ

ضَروباً بِلَحَييهِ عَلى عَظمِ زَورِهِ

إِذا القَومُ هَشّوا لِلفَعالِ تَقَنَّعا

إِذا القَومُ هَشّوا لِلفَعالِ تَقَنَّعا

forever striking his two jaws against his breastbone;

Brandishing his beard over the bones of his cheeks

And I would perceive the hateful one plotting against me, who, upon seeing my calm gaze, would shrink away in fear.

when men eagerly turn to action, he veils himself.

When people were dejected at the doer's begging

وَلا قُرزُلاً وَسطَ الرِجالِ جُنادِفاً

وَلا قُرزُلاً وَسطَ الرِجالِ جُنادِفاً

إِذا ما مَشى أَو قالَ قَولاً تَبَلتَعا

إِذا ما مَشى أَو قالَ قَولاً تَبَلتَعا

Nor a squat, ugly fellow, hulking among men,

Nor a short man among men contending

who puts on airs whenever he walks or utters a word.

If he walks or says a word, he struts

وَكوني حَبيباً أَو لأَروَعَ ماجِدٍ

وَكوني حَبيباً أَو لأَروَعَ ماجِدٍ

إِذا ظَنَّ أَوباشُ الرِجالِ تَبرَّعا

إِذا ظَنَّ أَوباشُ الرِجالِ تَبرَّعا

And be a beloved, or wife to an imposing, noble man,

And be for the best and most glorious man

who gives freely when the rabble of men grow suspicious;

When the riffraff think the prominent have given freely

وَصولٍ وَذي أَكرومَةٍ وَحَميَّة

وَصولٍ وَذي أَكرومَةٍ وَحَميَّة

وَصبراً إِذا ما الدَهرُ عَضَّ فأَوجَعا

وَصبراً إِذا ما الدَهرُ عَضَّ فأَوجَعا

one who maintains ties, possessed of nobility and protective pride.

With determination, dignity, and zeal

And have patience when Time bites and causes pain.

And patience if time has bitten and hurt

وَأُخرى إِذا ما زارَ بَيتَكِ زائِرٌ

وَأُخرى إِذا ما زارَ بَيتَكِ زائِرٌ

زيالَكِ يَوماً كانَ كالدَهرِ أَجمَعا

زيالَكِ يَوماً كانَ كالدَهرِ أَجمَعا

And another counsel: if a visitor comes to your house,

And another when a visitor comes to your house

a day's separation from you would be like all eternity.

Like your time together that was like all time

سأَذكُرُ مِن نَفسي خَلائِقَ جَمَّةً

سأَذكُرُ مِن نَفسي خَلائِقَ جَمَّةً

وَمَجداً قَديماً طالَما قَد تَرفَّعا

وَمَجداً قَديماً طالَما قَد تَرفَّعا

I shall recount many qualities of my own,

I will recall from myself many traits

and ancient glory that has so often risen high.

And ancient glory that has long been lofty

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلي كاوياً لِدَوائِهِ

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلي كاوياً لِدَوائِهِ

وَلا قاطِعاً عِرقاً سَنوناً وأَخدَعا

وَلا قاطِعاً عِرقاً سَنوناً وأَخدَعا

For I have seen no one like me at cauterizing to cure himself,

So I have not seen anyone like me enduring his remedies

nor a keen cutter of a vein and a neck-vein.

Nor cutting the vein for years and being deceived

وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَرَّثَ الشَرَّ بَينَهُم

وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَرَّثَ الشَرَّ بَينَهُم

وَلا حينَ جَدَّ الشَرُّ مِمَّن تَخَشَّعا

وَلا حينَ جَدَّ الشَرُّ مِمَّن تَخَشَّعا

And I was not one of those who kindled strife among them,

And I was not one who sowed evil amongst them

nor, when strife became grave, one of those who cowered.

And when evil intensified, I did not show humility

وَكُنتُ أَرى ذا الضِغنِ مِمَّن يَكيدُني

وَكُنتُ أَرى ذا الضِغنِ مِمَّن يَكيدُني

إِذا ما رآني فاتِرَ الطَرفِ أَخشَعا

إِذا ما رآني فاتِرَ الطَرفِ أَخشَعا

And I would see a bearer of rancor, one who plotted against me,

I saw the envious one who schemes against me

whenever he saw me, slack-eyed and cowed.

When he saw me with downcast eyes show humility