بِعني نُسَيبُ وَلا تَهَب لي إِنَّني

بِعني نُسَيبُ وَلا تَهَب لي إِنَّني

لا أَستَثيبُ وَلا أُثيبُ الواهِبا

لا أَستَثيبُ وَلا أُثيبُ الواهِبا

Sell to me, Nusayb; do not give to me, for I

Sell to me, Nusayb, and do not give me gifts, for I

neither seek recompense nor reward the giver.

neither seek recompense nor reward the giver.

إِنَّ العَطيَّةَ خَيرُ ما وَجَّهتَها

إِنَّ العَطيَّةَ خَيرُ ما وَجَّهتَها

وَحَسِبتَها حَمداً وَأَجراً واجِبا

وَحَسِبتَها حَمداً وَأَجراً واجِبا

Indeed, a gift is best when you bestow it,

Indeed, a gift is good when you bestow it,

reckoning it a source of praise and an assured reward.

and reckon it to earn praise and a reward rightly due.

وَمِنَ العَطيَّةِ ما يَعودُ غَرامَةً

وَمِنَ العَطيَّةِ ما يَعودُ غَرامَةً

وَمَلامَةً تَبقى وَمَنّاً كاذِبا

وَمَلامَةً تَبقى وَمَنّاً كاذِبا

For some gifts return as a liability,

And some gifts turn into a loss,

as lasting reproach and a false reminder of favor.

and enduring blame, and false claims of favor.

وَبَلوتُ أَخلاقَ الرِجالِ وَفِعلَهُم

وَبَلوتُ أَخلاقَ الرِجالِ وَفِعلَهُم

فَشَبِعتُ عِلماً مِنهُمُ وَتَجارِبا

فَشَبِعتُ عِلماً مِنهُمُ وَتَجارِبا

I have tested the characters of men and their deeds,

I have tested men's characters and their deeds,

until I had my fill of knowledge of them and experience.

so I have had my fill of knowledge of them and experience.

فَأَخَذتُ مِنها ما رَضيتُ بِأَخذِهِ

فَأَخَذتُ مِنها ما رَضيتُ بِأَخذِهِ

وَتَرَكتُ أَكثَرَ ما هُنالِكَ جانِبا

وَتَرَكتُ أَكثَرَ ما هُنالِكَ جانِبا

From those ways I took what I was content to take,

So I took from these what I was content to take,

and set aside most of what was there.

and left most of what was there aside.

فَإِذا وَعَدتُ الوَعدَ كُنتُ كَغارِمٍ

فَإِذا وَعَدتُ الوَعدَ كُنتُ كَغارِمٍ

دَيناً أَقَرَّ بِهِ وَأَحضَرَ كاتِبا

دَيناً أَقَرَّ بِهِ وَأَحضَرَ كاتِبا

Whenever I make a promise, I am like one liable for

So when I make a promise, I am like a debtor

a debt he has acknowledged and brought a scribe to record,

who has acknowledged a debt and summoned a scribe,

حَتّى أُنَفِّذَهُ كَما وَجَّهتُهُ

حَتّى أُنَفِّذَهُ كَما وَجَّهتُهُ

وَكَفى عَليَّ لَهُ بِنَفسي طالِبا

وَكَفى عَليَّ لَهُ بِنَفسي طالِبا

until I fulfill it exactly as I pledged it;

until I fulfill it just as I intended it;

my own soul is claimant enough against me for it.

and my own self suffices to demand it of me.

وَإِذا فَعَلتُ فَعَلتُ غَيرَ مُحاسَبٍ

وَإِذا فَعَلتُ فَعَلتُ غَيرَ مُحاسَبٍ

وَكَفى بِرَبِّكَ جازياً وَمُحاسِبا

وَكَفى بِرَبِّكَ جازياً وَمُحاسِبا

And when I act, I act without being called to account;

And when I act, I act without being held to account,

your Lord suffices as rewarder and reckoner.

and your Lord suffices as requiter and reckoner.

وَإِذا مَنَعتُ مَنَعتُ مَنعاً بَيِّناً

وَإِذا مَنَعتُ مَنَعتُ مَنعاً بَيِّناً

وَأَرَحتُ مِن طولِ العَناءِ الراغِبا

وَأَرَحتُ مِن طولِ العَناءِ الراغِبا

And when I refuse, I refuse with a clear refusal,

And when I refuse, I make my refusal plain,

sparing the petitioner prolonged trouble.

and spare the seeker prolonged hardship.

لا أَشتَري الحَمدَ القَليلَ بَقاؤُهُ

لا أَشتَري الحَمدَ القَليلَ بَقاؤُهُ

يَوماً بِذَمِّ الدَهرِ أَجمَعَ واصِبا

يَوماً بِذَمِّ الدَهرِ أَجمَعَ واصِبا

I do not buy praise that lasts but little—

I do not buy praise whose duration is brief,

a day’s worth—at the cost of ceaseless blame for all time.

ever, at the price of unceasing blame for all time.