ماذا يَسُرُّكَ مِن مالٍ تُجَمِّعُهُ

ماذا يَسُرُّكَ مِن مالٍ تُجَمِّعُهُ

أَو ما يُغُمُّكَ مِنهُ إِذ تُفَرِّقُهُ

أَو ما يُغُمُّكَ مِنهُ إِذ تُفَرِّقُهُ

What joy can wealth you hoard bring you,

What pleases you about the wealth you amass,

or what grief when you give it away?

or what grieves you about it when you distribute it?

وَلَم يَكُن لَكَ مالٌ يَومَ تَكسُبُهُ

وَلَم يَكُن لَكَ مالٌ يَومَ تَكسُبُهُ

لَكِنَّهُ لَكَ مالٌ يَومَ تُنفِقُهُ

لَكِنَّهُ لَكَ مالٌ يَومَ تُنفِقُهُ

For wealth is not truly yours the day you earn it;

And wealth is not yours on the day you earn it,

it is truly yours the day you spend it.

but it is yours on the day you spend it.

تُحِبُّ مِن أَجلِهِ الدُنيا وَتورِثُها

تُحِبُّ مِن أَجلِهِ الدُنيا وَتورِثُها

وَسَوفَ توبِقُكَ الدُنيا وَتوبِقُهُ

وَسَوفَ توبِقُكَ الدُنيا وَتوبِقُهُ

For its sake you love this world and pass it on as an inheritance,

For its sake you love the world and make it your heir,

yet the world will destroy you—and destroy it too.

and the world will destroy you and destroy it.

سَتَرتَهُ عَن عُيونِ الناسِ كُلِّهُمُ

سَتَرتَهُ عَن عُيونِ الناسِ كُلِّهُمُ

وَلَستَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يَرمُقُهُ

وَلَستَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يَرمُقُهُ

You concealed it from the eyes of all mankind,

You have hidden it from the eyes of all people,

not knowing that Fate keeps watch upon it.

and you do not know that Time is watching it.

إِن لَم تُبَكِّر إِلَيهِ في نَوائِبِهِ

إِن لَم تُبَكِّر إِلَيهِ في نَوائِبِهِ

فَسَوفَ يَطرُقُهُ رَكضاً فَيُرهِقُهُ

فَسَوفَ يَطرُقُهُ رَكضاً فَيُرهِقُهُ

If you do not hasten to use it amid Fate’s calamities,

If you do not hasten to it amid Time’s calamities,

Fate will charge upon it and overwhelm it.

then Time will assail it at a gallop and overwhelm it.