أَوصي غَنيّاً فَما أَنفكُّ أَذمرُهُ

أَوصي غَنيّاً فَما أَنفكُّ أَذمرُهُ

أَخشى عليه أُموراً ذاتَ عقّالِ

أَخشى عليه أُموراً ذاتَ عقّالِ

I counsel Ghani, and never cease urging him on.

I advise a rich man, yet I don't stop blaming him

I fear for him troubles that will hobble him.

I fear for him matters of sound reason

إِمّا هللتَ وَلَم تنظر إِلى نَشبٍ

إِمّا هللتَ وَلَم تنظر إِلى نَشبٍ

كَما تَعَطَّلَ بَعد الخلقةِ الحالي

كَما تَعَطَّلَ بَعد الخلقةِ الحالي

If you lose heart and look to no wealth,

Either you went wild and did not look at any pride

like a wearer of jewels left bare after creation,

As it was incapacitated after the present condition

فَقَد فَتَحتُ لَك الأَبوابَ مغلقَةً

فَقَد فَتَحتُ لَك الأَبوابَ مغلقَةً

فاِدخُل عَلى كُلِّ ذي تاجينِ مِفضالِ

فاِدخُل عَلى كُلِّ ذي تاجينِ مِفضالِ

then I have opened for you doors that were shut;

So I opened for you closed doors

so enter the presence of every bountiful lord of two crowns.

Enter upon every two-crowned one generously

دار المُلوكِ تَعِش في غمرِ مجدِهِمُ

دار المُلوكِ تَعِش في غمرِ مجدِهِمُ

واِرفَع رَجاءَك عَن عَمٍّ وَعَن خالِ

واِرفَع رَجاءَك عَن عَمٍّ وَعَن خالِ

Court the kings, and you will live amid the abundance of their glory;

The house of kings, live in the abundance of their glory

and lift your hopes away from a paternal uncle and a maternal uncle.

And raise your hope from an uncle and from a maternal uncle

إِلقِ الرِجالَ بِما لاقوكَ مِن كَثَبٍ

إِلقِ الرِجالَ بِما لاقوكَ مِن كَثَبٍ

ضرّاً بضرٍّ وَإِبهالاً بابهالِ

ضرّاً بضرٍّ وَإِبهالاً بابهالِ

Meet men at close quarters as they meet you:

Meet men with what they met you with

harm for harm, and disregard for disregard.

Harm for harm, and favor for favor

داود داودُ لا تفلت حَبائله

داود داودُ لا تفلت حَبائله

واِشدد يديك بِباقي للودّ وَصّالِ

واِشدد يديك بِباقي للودّ وَصّالِ

Dawud, Dawud—do not let his bonds slip;

David, David do not let his ropes slip

and hold fast with both hands to one steadfast and faithful in affection.

And tighten your hand with the rest of affection and connection

فَما نسيت فداكَ الناسُ كلُّهُمُ

فَما نسيت فداكَ الناسُ كلُّهُمُ

وَما أَثمَرُ من أَهلٍ وَمِن مالِ

وَما أَثمَرُ من أَهلٍ وَمِن مالِ

For I have not forgotten—may all people ransom you,

The people altogether did not forget your sacrifice

and whatever I have amassed of kin and wealth—

And did not bear fruit from family or wealth

يَومَ الرويثةِ وَالأَعداءُ قَد حضروا

يَومَ الرويثةِ وَالأَعداءُ قَد حضروا

إِذ جئتُ أَمشي عَلى خَوفٍ وَأَهوالِ

إِذ جئتُ أَمشي عَلى خَوفٍ وَأَهوالِ

the day at al-Ruwaytha, with the enemies already present,

The day of Ruwaitha, and the enemies had come

when I came walking amid fear and terrors,

When I came walking in fear and horrors

وَالناسُ يَرمونَ عَن شَرٍّ بِأَعيُنِهِم

وَالناسُ يَرمونَ عَن شَرٍّ بِأَعيُنِهِم

كالصَقرِ أَصبحَ فَوقَ المَرقبِ العالي

كالصَقرِ أَصبحَ فَوقَ المَرقبِ العالي

while people shot glances with their eyes out of malice.

And people avert evil with their eyes

He was like a falcon perched above the lofty lookout;

Like a falcon that rose above the high watchtower

لا يَرفعونَ إِلَيهِ الطرفَ خشيَتهُ

لا يَرفعونَ إِلَيهِ الطرفَ خشيَتهُ

لا خَوفَ فُحشٍ وَلكن خَوفَ إِجلالِ

لا خَوفَ فُحشٍ وَلكن خَوفَ إِجلالِ

they did not raise their gaze toward him, for fear of him—

They do not lift their eyes to it, fearing it

not fear of abuse, but reverential awe—

Not fear of gross immorality, but fear of reverence

حَتّى تَلافَيتَ حاجاتي فَسؤتَهُمُ

حَتّى تَلافَيتَ حاجاتي فَسؤتَهُمُ

فَقَد تبرّا أُولو الشَحناءِ أَحوالي

فَقَد تبرّا أُولو الشَحناءِ أَحوالي

until you met my needs and thereby vexed them;

Until you met my needs, so you asked them

for the spiteful had turned away from my plight.

So the first ones with hatred changed their conditions

ثُمَّ استَقَلَّ بهم ضَخمٌ حمالتُهُ

ثُمَّ استَقَلَّ بهم ضَخمٌ حمالتُهُ

أَلقى أَشطّةَ ظَهري بَعد إِثقالِ

أَلقى أَشطّةَ ظَهري بَعد إِثقالِ

Then one mighty in bearing burdens lifted them up;

Then a giant carried them, his burdens

he cast the load-straps off my back after it had been weighed down.

Cast off the straps of my back after the heaviness

خفضتَ جأشاً وَقَد رامَ النشوزُ وَقَد

خفضتَ جأشاً وَقَد رامَ النشوزُ وَقَد

جاءَت لتلحقَ بالمِصرَينِ أَحمالي

جاءَت لتلحقَ بالمِصرَينِ أَحمالي

You stilled a heart that had sought to rise in turmoil, and already

You lowered violent anger after rebellion came

my loads had come to reach the two cities.

To join the Egyptians, my burdens