حَسود مَريض القَلب يَخفي أَنينه

حَسود مَريض القَلب يَخفي أَنينه

وَيُضحى كَئيب البال عِندي حَزينه

وَيُضحى كَئيب البال عِندي حَزينه

An envious man, sick at heart, hides his groaning,

The envious sick at heart hides his moaning

And grows downcast in my presence, sorrowful in mind.

And feigns to be sad when with me communing

يَلوم عَلي إِن رُحت في العلم راغِباً

يَلوم عَلي إِن رُحت في العلم راغِباً

أَجمِّع مِن عِند الرُواة فُنونه

أَجمِّع مِن عِند الرُواة فُنونه

He reproaches me if I set out eager for knowledge,

He blames me if I seek after knowledge keenly

Gathering its branches from the transmitters.

And gather lore from narrators wisely

وَأَملك أَبكار الكَلام وَعَونه

وَأَملك أَبكار الكَلام وَعَونه

وَاِحفَظ مِما أَستَفيد عُيونه

وَاِحفَظ مِما أَستَفيد عُيونه

And I possess speech's virgins and its matrons,

And hold the virgin speech in mastery

And retain the choicest of what I learn.

And keep in memory all I gather seenly

وَيَزعم إِن العلم لا يَجلب الغِنى

وَيَزعم إِن العلم لا يَجلب الغِنى

وَيُحسن بِالجَهل الذَميم ظُنونه

وَيُحسن بِالجَهل الذَميم ظُنونه

And he claims that knowledge does not bring wealth,

And claims that knowledge brings not richness only

And thinks well of contemptible ignorance.

And judges ignorance good witted, cleanly

فَيا لائِمي دَعني أُغالي بِقيمَتي

فَيا لائِمي دَعني أُغالي بِقيمَتي

فَقيمة كُل الناس مِما يحسِنونه

فَقيمة كُل الناس مِما يحسِنونه

So, my reproacher, let me value myself highly,

Then cease to blame me; let me rate my value

For everyone's worth lies in what they do well.

By what I know and what I can do comely

إِذا عُدَّ الناس لَم أَكُ دونَهُ

إِذا عُدَّ الناس لَم أَكُ دونَهُ

وَكُنتُ أَرى الفَخر المُسوِّدَ دونَه

وَكُنتُ أَرى الفَخر المُسوِّدَ دونَه

When people are reckoned, I am not his inferior,

When people are counted, I am not the lowest

And I saw ennobling glory apart from him.

And always scorn to be of black coats mostly

إِذا ما رَأى الراؤون نَطقي وَعيَّه

إِذا ما رَأى الراؤون نَطقي وَعيَّه

رأَوا حَرَكاتي قَد هَتَكنَ سُكونه

رأَوا حَرَكاتي قَد هَتَكنَ سُكونه

When observers perceive my speech and his inarticulacy,

When speakers see my eloquence and senses

They see that my movements have rent his stillness.

They find my ways have torn pretense to pieces

وَما ثُمَّ ريب في حَياتي وَمَوته

وَما ثُمَّ ريب في حَياتي وَمَوته

فَأَعجَب بِمَيت كَيفَ لا يَدفنونَه

فَأَعجَب بِمَيت كَيفَ لا يَدفنونَه

And there is no doubt about my life and his death.

And in my life and death no doubt arises

So I marvel at a dead man: how is it they do not bury him?

That dead men should be left above ground uneasily

أَبى اللَه لي مِن صُنعهِ أَن يَكونَني

أَبى اللَه لي مِن صُنعهِ أَن يَكونَني

إِذا ما ذَكرنا فَخرنا وَأَكونَه

إِذا ما ذَكرنا فَخرنا وَأَكونَه

God, in His kindness to me, would not let him be me,

God willed that I when virtues are recited

When we recount our glory, or let me be him.

Be named among the first, and readily