يا لائمي إنْ لم تكن عينُنا

يا لائمي إنْ لم تكن عينُنا

ذواتهم يا لائمي كن همُ

ذواتهم يا لائمي كن همُ

O my reproacher, if our very essence is not

O you who blame me, if our eyes

their own selves, O my reproacher, be them.

Have not themselves, O you who blame me, become anxious,

ما كلُّ من حرَّر أنفاسَه

ما كلُّ من حرَّر أنفاسَه

لكلِّ ما جئتَ به يلهم

لكلِّ ما جئتَ به يلهم

Not everyone who has refined his breaths

Not everyone who freed his breath

is inspired with all that you have brought.

Is inspired by everything you have brought,

إنَّ الفتى الناصحَ هذا الذي

إنَّ الفتى الناصحَ هذا الذي

يوضح ما قال ولا يُبهم

يوضح ما قال ولا يُبهم

Indeed, the sincere young adviser is this one who

Indeed this young man who gives advice

clarifies what he has said and does not obscure it.

Clarifies what he said and does not obscure,

إنَّ الذي جاءهم نصحاً

إنَّ الذي جاءهم نصحاً

مبلغاً ومشفقاً إنْ همُ

مبلغاً ومشفقاً إنْ همُ

Indeed, he who came to them with counsel

Indeed he who came to them with advice,

was conveying it and showing compassion—if they

Informing and caring - if they

كانوا لما قد سمعوا أهله

كانوا لما قد سمعوا أهله

وعندنا السامعُ من يفهم

وعندنا السامعُ من يفهم

were worthy of what they had heard;

Had been fit to hear what they heard,

and, to us, the listener is one who understands.

And with us the listener is one who understands,

ألزمته الهاء إلى ميمها

ألزمته الهاء إلى ميمها

وحكم ذا في الشِّعر لا يلزم

وحكم ذا في الشِّعر لا يلزم

I imposed on it the hāʾ beside its mīm,

I have matched it from “h” to “m”,

and this rule is not binding in poetry.

And this judgment in poetry does not necessarily follow.