قُل لِقَومٍ ما فيهِمُ مِن رَشيدِ

قُل لِقَومٍ ما فيهِمُ مِن رَشيدِ

لا وَلا فَوقَ بُخلِهِم مِن مَزيدِ

لا وَلا فَوقَ بُخلِهِم مِن مَزيدِ

Tell a people among whom no one is wise,

Say to a people among whom there is no wise one,

No—nor is there any greater stinginess than theirs:

Beyond their stinginess there is no increase,

لَن تَنالوا العُلى بِصَحنِ قَديدٍ

لَن تَنالوا العُلى بِصَحنِ قَديدٍ

وَبِناءٍ بَنَيتُموهُ مَشيدِ

وَبِناءٍ بَنَيتُموهُ مَشيدِ

You will not attain eminence with a dish of dried meat,

You will not attain glory with a bowl of soup,

And a lofty building you have built,

And a building you have erected as a pillar.

وَسُتورٍ قَد عُلِّقَت وَدَهالي

وَسُتورٍ قَد عُلِّقَت وَدَهالي

زَ طِوالٍ مِن خَلفِ بابٍ حَديدِ

زَ طِوالٍ مِن خَلفِ بابٍ حَديدِ

And curtains that have been hung, and corridors

And curtains that have been hung, and poems

Long, behind an iron door.

Of long lines behind an iron door.

إِنَّما تُدرَكُ المَكارِمُ بِالصَ

إِنَّما تُدرَكُ المَكارِمُ بِالصَ

برِ لِهَدمِ الحَلوى وَأَكلِ الثَريدِ

برِ لِهَدمِ الحَلوى وَأَكلِ الثَريدِ

Noble virtues are attained only through patience

Indeed, virtues are attained with patience,

In demolishing sweetmeats and eating tharid.

To demolish sweetmeats and eat dry bread.

لَيسَ صَدّي عَنكُم صُدودَ تَجافٍ

لَيسَ صَدّي عَنكُم صُدودَ تَجافٍ

هُوَ ذَمٌّ يُشيبُ رَأسَ الوَليدِ

هُوَ ذَمٌّ يُشيبُ رَأسَ الوَليدِ

My turning away from you is not an aloof withdrawal;

It is not to deter you, detachments of aloofness,

It is censure that turns an infant’s hair gray,

It is blame that makes the hair of the young turn gray,

بِهجاءٍ في كُلِّ يَومٍ عَتيدٍ

بِهجاءٍ في كُلِّ يَومٍ عَتيدٍ

وَبِذَمٍّ في كُلِّ يَومٍ جَديدِ

وَبِذَمٍّ في كُلِّ يَومٍ جَديدِ

With satire ready every day,

With satire every day ready,

And fresh censure every day.

And with blame every day renewed.

هاكَ خُذها مِن ذي بَيانٍ فَما قَص

هاكَ خُذها مِن ذي بَيانٍ فَما قَص

صَرَ عَن شِعرِ جَرولٍ وَلَبيدِ

صَرَ عَن شِعرِ جَرولٍ وَلَبيدِ

Here—take it from one gifted with eloquence; for he has not fallen

Fallen short of the poetry of Jarwal and Labid.

Short of the poetry of Jarwal and Labid.