طرفة بن العبد
إذا كنت في حاجة مرسِلا
إِذا كُنتَ في حاجَةٍ مُـرسِـلاً
فَأَرسِـل حَكيـمـاً وَلا تـوصِـهِ
وَإِن ناصِـحٌ مِنـكَ يَـومـاً دَنا
فَــلا تَـنـأَ عَـنـهُ وَلا تُـقـصِــهِ
وَإِن بابُ أَمـرٍ عَلَيكَ اِلـتَـوى
فَـشــاوِر لَبـيـبـاً وَلا تَعـصِـهِ
وَذو الحَـقِّ لا تَنتَقِص حَقَّـهُ
فَإِنَّ القَطـيـعَةَ فـي نَـقـصِـهِ
وَلا تَذكُرِ الدَهرَ في مَجلِسٍ
حَـديثاً إِذا أَنتَ لَـم تُحصِــهِ
وَنُصَّ الـحَـديـثَ إِلى أَهـلِـهِ
فـَإِنَّ الـوَثـيـقَـةَ فـي نَـصِّــهِ
وَلا تَـحـرِصَـنَّ فَـرُبَّ اِمــرِئٍ
حَريصٍ مُضاعٍ عَلى حِرصِهِ
وَكَم مِن فَتىً سـاقِـطٍ عَقلُهُ
وَقَد يُعجَبُ الناسُ مِن شَخصِهِ
وَآخَـــرَ تَحـسِـــبُــهُ أَنــوَكــاً
وَيَأتـيـكَ بِالأَمـرِ مِـن فَـصِّـهِ
لَبِـسـتُ الـلَـيـالـي فَأَفنَينَني
وَسَربَلَني الدَهـرُ في قمصِهِ
Tarafah Ibn Al-Abd
If Ever a Task You Entrust to a Man
Translated by Mustafa Abdulmalek Al-Sumaidi
If ever a task you entrust to a hand
Send forth the wise—give no command
And if a true adviser draws near your side
Heed his counsel, and cast him not aside
If a matter’s course should twist your way
Consult the prudent, never turn away
Deny not him who holds a rightful due
For torn are ties as just claims fall through
Speak not of life’s affairs where sages meet
Unless your insight is sound and complete
Assign discourse to its rightful source
For trust is rooted in its proper course
Be not too grasping, lest you lose the whole
How many are lost by their greedy soul!
Many a youth is thought to lack all sense
Yet still commands the people’s reverence
While he whom you judge as dull and blind
Reveals pure wisdom few else may find
The nights I have worn have worn me thin
Its robe, Time has cloaked me deep within
