وَكَم ساعٍ لِيُثري لَم يَنَلهُ

وَكَم ساعٍ لِيُثري لَم يَنَلهُ

وَآخِرُ ما سَعى الخُلُقُ الثَراءَ

وَآخِرُ ما سَعى الخُلُقُ الثَراءَ

And how many a man striving to grow rich has never attained it!

How many a striver seeks to grow rich yet fails to attain it,

And the last thing character sought was wealth.

While wealth remains the ultimate aim of creation's pursuit.

وَساعٍ يِجمَعُ الأَموالَ جَمعاً

وَساعٍ يِجمَعُ الأَموالَ جَمعاً

لِيورِثَها أَعادِيَهُ شَقاءَ

لِيورِثَها أَعادِيَهُ شَقاءَ

And one strives, amassing riches,

And a striver who amasses wealth, gathering it incessantly,

To bequeath them to his enemies, to his misery.

Only to bequeath it to his enemies, to his own wretchedness.

وَما سِيّانِ ذو خُبرٍ بَصيرٌ

وَما سِيّانِ ذو خُبرٍ بَصيرٌ

وَآخَرُ جاهِلٌ لَيسا سَواءَ

وَآخَرُ جاهِلٌ لَيسا سَواءَ

Nor are they equal: a discerning man of experience

They are not equal: the one of insight and experience,

And another, ignorant—the two are not alike.

And the other who is ignorant—they are not the same.

وَمَن يَستَعتِبِ الحَدَثانِ يَوماً

وَمَن يَستَعتِبِ الحَدَثانِ يَوماً

يَكُن ذاكَ العِتابُ لَهُ عَناءَ

يَكُن ذاكَ العِتابُ لَهُ عَناءَ

And if anyone seeks redress from time’s vicissitudes one day,

And whoever seeks to remonstrate with the vicissitudes of Time,

That reproach will be a hardship for him.

Will find that such a plea brings nothing but weariness.

وَيُزري بالفَتى الإِعدامَ حَتّى

وَيُزري بالفَتى الإِعدامَ حَتّى

مَتى يُصِبِ المَقالَ يُقَل أَساءَ

مَتى يُصِبِ المَقالَ يُقَل أَساءَ

And poverty so demeans a young man that

Destitution brings scorn upon a man, so much so that

Whenever he speaks rightly, it is said, “He has erred.”

When he speaks the truth, it is said, "He has spoken ill."