بَلَوتُ بَني الدُنيا فَلَم أَرى فيهُمُ

بَلَوتُ بَني الدُنيا فَلَم أَرى فيهُمُ

سِوى مَن غَدا وَالبُخلُ مِلءَ إِهابِهِ

سِوى مَن غَدا وَالبُخلُ مِلءَ إِهابِهِ

I tested the children of this world and saw none among them

I experienced the people of this world, but did not see among them

Except those whose very skins were filled with miserliness.

Except one who became stingy, with greed filling his clothing

فَجَرَّدتُ مِن غَمدِ القَناعَةِ صارِماً

فَجَرَّدتُ مِن غَمدِ القَناعَةِ صارِماً

قَطَعتُ رَجائي مِنهُمُ بِذُبابِهِ

قَطَعتُ رَجائي مِنهُمُ بِذُبابِهِ

So I drew a sharp sword from the sheath of contentment,

So I unsheathed from the scabbard of contentment a sharp sword

And with its edge I severed my hopes in them.

And I cut off my hopes in them with its blade

فَلا ذا يَراني واقِفاً في طَريقِهِ

فَلا ذا يَراني واقِفاً في طَريقِهِ

وَلا ذا يَراني قاعِداً عِندَ بابِهِ

وَلا ذا يَراني قاعِداً عِندَ بابِهِ

So this man does not see me standing in his path,

Thus no one sees me standing in their path

Nor does that man see me sitting at his door.

Nor sitting at their door

غَنيٌّ بِلا مالٍ عَنِ الناسِ كُلِّهِم

غَنيٌّ بِلا مالٍ عَنِ الناسِ كُلِّهِم

وَلَيسَ الغِنى إِلّا عَنِ الشَيءِ لا بِهِ

وَلَيسَ الغِنى إِلّا عَنِ الشَيءِ لا بِهِ

Rich without wealth, I have no need of anyone;

Rich without wealth, needless of all people

And wealth lies only in not needing a thing, not in possessing it.

And riches is only in needing nothing, not in it

إِذا ما ظالِمُ استَحسَنَ الظُلمَ مَذهَباً

إِذا ما ظالِمُ استَحسَنَ الظُلمَ مَذهَباً

وَلَجَّ عُتُوّاً في قَبيحِ اِكتِسابِهِ

وَلَجَّ عُتُوّاً في قَبيحِ اِكتِسابِهِ

When an oppressor deems oppression a worthy course,

When an oppressor takes oppression as a fine approach

And persists arrogantly in his vile deeds,

And persists in the ugliness of his earning

فَكِلهُ إِلى صَرفِ اللَيالي فَإِنَّها

فَكِلهُ إِلى صَرفِ اللَيالي فَإِنَّها

سَتُبدي لَهُ ما لَم يَكُن في حِسابِهِ

سَتُبدي لَهُ ما لَم يَكُن في حِسابِهِ

So leave him to the vicissitudes of the nights, for they

Then everything is left to the passage of nights, for they

Will reveal to him what he had not reckoned with.

Will show him what was not in his calculations

فَكَم قَد رَأَينا ظالِماً مُتَمَرِّداً

فَكَم قَد رَأَينا ظالِماً مُتَمَرِّداً

يَرى النَجمَ تيهاً تَحتَ ظِلِّ رِكابِهِ

يَرى النَجمَ تيهاً تَحتَ ظِلِّ رِكابِهِ

For many a rebellious oppressor have we seen,

How many oppressors, obstinate, we have seen

Who, in his conceit, saw the star beneath his stirrup's shadow.

Who see the stars collapse under the shade of his feet

فَعَمَّا قَليلٍ وَهُوَ في غَفَلاتِهِ

فَعَمَّا قَليلٍ وَهُوَ في غَفَلاتِهِ

أَناخَت صُروفُ الحادِثاتِ بِبابِهِ

أَناخَت صُروفُ الحادِثاتِ بِبابِهِ

Then, before long, while he was lost in heedlessness,

But after a little while, when he is in his heedlessness

The vicissitudes of calamity knelt at his door.

The vicissitudes of events will arrive at his door

فَأَصبَحَ لا مالٌ لَهُ وَلا جاهٌ يُرتَجى

فَأَصبَحَ لا مالٌ لَهُ وَلا جاهٌ يُرتَجى

وَلا حَسَناتٌ تَلتَقي في كِتابِهِ

وَلا حَسَناتٌ تَلتَقي في كِتابِهِ

So he was left with no wealth, nor any standing to hope for,

So he is left with no money, no status to hope for

Nor any good deeds gathered in his book.

No good deeds recorded in his book

وَجوزِيَ بِالأَمرِ الَّذي كانَ فاعِلاً

وَجوزِيَ بِالأَمرِ الَّذي كانَ فاعِلاً

وَصَبَّ عَلَيهِ اللَهُ سَوطَ عَذابِهِ

وَصَبَّ عَلَيهِ اللَهُ سَوطَ عَذابِهِ

And he was requited for what he had done,

And he is rewarded for that which he did

And God poured upon him the lash of His punishment.

As God poured upon him the whip of His punishment