عَلَيكَ بِاليَأسِ مِنَ الناسِ

عَلَيكَ بِاليَأسِ مِنَ الناسِ

إِنَّ الغِنى وَيحَكَ في الياسِ

إِنَّ الغِنى وَيحَكَ في الياسِ

Give up hope of people.

Do not despair of people,

Cling to despair regarding all mankind,

For wealth, alas for you, lies in giving up hope.

Though wealth may make you despair.

For true wealth, woe to you, in such despair you'll find.

كَم صاحِبٍ قَد كانَ لي وامِقاً

كَم صاحِبٍ قَد كانَ لي وامِقاً

إِذ كانَ في حالاتِ إِفلاسِ

إِذ كانَ في حالاتِ إِفلاسِ

How many a friend had been fond of me

How many a friend was sincere to me,

How many a friend was once loving to me,

When he was in a state of destitution.

When he was in a state of poverty.

Whilst he endured states of penury.

أَقولُ لَو قَد نالَ هَذا الغِنى

أَقولُ لَو قَد نالَ هَذا الغِنى

أَقعَدَني حُبّاً عَلى الراسِ

أَقعَدَني حُبّاً عَلى الراسِ

I would say: if this man attained wealth,

I say, if only he had attained this wealth,

I said, "If he were to attain this wealth,

He would seat me upon his head out of love.

He would have honored me and held me above all.

He would place me, for love, upon his head."

حَتّى إِذا صارَ إِلى ما اِشتَهى

حَتّى إِذا صارَ إِلى ما اِشتَهى

وَعَدَّهُ الناسُ مِنَ الناسِ

وَعَدَّهُ الناسُ مِنَ الناسِ

Until, when he attained what he desired,

Until when he attained what he desired,

Yet when he reached the goal he had desired,

And people counted him as one of them,

And people counted him among the eminent,

And was counted by men as one to be admired,

قَطَّعَ بِالقِنطيرِ حَبلَ الصَفا

قَطَّعَ بِالقِنطيرِ حَبلَ الصَفا

مِنّي وَلَمّا يَرضَ بِالفاسِ

مِنّي وَلَمّا يَرضَ بِالفاسِ

He hacked through the cord of friendship with a great axe—

He cut off his ties of affection from me,

He severed the cord of friendship with a spike,

His bond with me—not content with a mere axe.

And was not content with just separation.

From me, not content with the axe's strike.