يا مُظْهراً نَخْوةً عند اللقاء لنا

يا مُظْهراً نَخْوةً عند اللقاء لنا

وكاسراً طرفَه من غير ما رمدِ

وكاسراً طرفَه من غير ما رمدِ

O you who flaunt your pride whenever you meet us,

O you who show us arrogance when we meet,

lowering your gaze though your eyes suffer no inflammation—

and lower your gaze though your eyes are not sore:

أما علمتَ بأني عنك في سِعَةٍ

أما علمتَ بأني عنك في سِعَةٍ

وفي غنى من عطايا الواحد الصمدِ

وفي غنى من عطايا الواحد الصمدِ

do you not know that I can well dispense with you,

Have you not learned that I have ample means without you,

rich as I am through the gifts of the One, the Eternal Refuge?

and am free of want through the gifts of the One, the Self-Sufficient?

فهبك أوتيتَ ما لم يؤته أحدٌ

فهبك أوتيتَ ما لم يؤته أحدٌ

من فضل جاهٍ ومن مالٍ ومن ولدِ

من فضل جاهٍ ومن مالٍ ومن ولدِ

Suppose you had been granted what no one else was granted:

So suppose you were given what no one else was given,

solid silver, riches, and children besides.

in distinction of rank, in wealth, and in offspring—

ألست من لُبْسَة الأحرار منسلخاً

ألست من لُبْسَة الأحرار منسلخاً

وكاسياً من لُبوس الشؤم والنكدِ

وكاسياً من لُبوس الشؤم والنكدِ

Are you not stripped of the attire of the free,

are you not stripped of the garb of free men,

and clothed in the garments of ill fortune and misery?

and clad in the garments of ill fortune and misery?

لا خير في نعمةٍ لا شكر يتبعها

لا خير في نعمةٍ لا شكر يتبعها

ولا يدٍ عُرِّيَتْ منِ اصطناع يدِ

ولا يدٍ عُرِّيَتْ منِ اصطناع يدِ

There is no good in a blessing unless gratitude follows it,

There is no good in a blessing not followed by gratitude,

nor in a hand kept from extending kindness to another.

nor in a hand bare of acts of kindness.

إن كنت أصبحتَ محسوداً على بَخَلٍ

إن كنت أصبحتَ محسوداً على بَخَلٍ

فذو السماحة أولى منك بالحسدِ

فذو السماحة أولى منك بالحسدِ

If you have come to be envied for your stinginess,

If you have become envied despite your stinginess,

the generous man is more deserving of envy than you.

then a generous man is more deserving of envy than you.

من جاد ساد ومن لم يأت عارفةً

من جاد ساد ومن لم يأت عارفةً

ولم يَجُدْ لاكتساب المجد لم يَسُدِ

ولم يَجُدْ لاكتساب المجد لم يَسُدِ

Whoever gives generously becomes a master; whoever performs no kindness

Whoever gives generously attains eminence; and whoever does no kindness

and does not strive to win glory shall never attain mastery.

and does not give generously to win glory attains no eminence.