فإنك إن حَضَّضتِني ونَدبتِني

فإنك إن حَضَّضتِني ونَدبتِني

بصالح أخلاق الفتى لكذوبُ

بصالح أخلاق الفتى لكذوبُ

For if you urge me and summon me

For you, if you urge me and call upon me

to the worthy virtues of a young man, you are surely lying.

by a young man's noble virtues, are surely a liar.

وما زلتُ مِثل الغَيث يعروك مَرة

وما زلتُ مِثل الغَيث يعروك مَرة

فيعلى ويولي مَرة فينيبُ

فيعلى ويولي مَرة فينيبُ

I have always been like rain: at one time it comes upon you;

And I have always been like rain that visits you at times,

then it rises and draws far away, and at another time returns.

then rises, and at times turns away, then returns.

وما السائل المحروبُ يَرجعُ خائباً

وما السائل المحروبُ يَرجعُ خائباً

ولكن بخيل الأغنياء يخيبُ

ولكن بخيل الأغنياء يخيبُ

No dispossessed petitioner returns disappointed,

And the beggar stripped of his wealth does not return disappointed,

but the miser among the rich is the one who fails.

but the miser among the rich meets failure.

وي المال أحداثُ وإن شح ربهُ

وي المال أحداثُ وإن شح ربهُ

يصيبُ الفتى من ماله وتصيبُ

يصيبُ الفتى من ماله وتصيبُ

Wealth, too, is subject to vicissitudes, though its owner hoard it:

Alas, wealth has its calamities, even if its owner is miserly;

the young man takes his share from his wealth, and those events take theirs.

the young man takes a share of his wealth, and they take a share as well.