إِذا كانَ إِكرامي صَديقِيَ واجِباً

إِذا كانَ إِكرامي صَديقِيَ واجِباً

فَإِكرامُ نَفسي لا مَحالَةَ أَوجَبُ

فَإِكرامُ نَفسي لا مَحالَةَ أَوجَبُ

If honoring my friend is a duty,

If honoring my friend is my duty,

then honoring myself is, beyond doubt, a greater duty.

then honoring myself is surely a greater duty.

وَأَحلِفُ ما الإِنسانُ إِلّا مُذَمَّمٌ

وَأَحلِفُ ما الإِنسانُ إِلّا مُذَمَّمٌ

أَخو الفَقرِ مِنّا وَالمَليكُ المُحَجَّبُ

أَخو الفَقرِ مِنّا وَالمَليكُ المُحَجَّبُ

And I swear: the human being is nothing but blameworthy—

And I swear: man is nothing but blameworthy—

the brother of poverty among us and the secluded king alike.

poverty's brother among us and the secluded king alike.

أَيَعقِلُ نَجمُ اللَيلِ أَو بَدرُ تِمِّهِ

أَيَعقِلُ نَجمُ اللَيلِ أَو بَدرُ تِمِّهِ

فَيُصبِحَ مِن أَفعالِنا يَتَعَجَّبُ

فَيُصبِحَ مِن أَفعالِنا يَتَعَجَّبُ

Could the night’s star—or its moon at the full—come to reason,

Does the star of night, or the moon in its fullness, have reason,

and by morning stand amazed at our deeds?

so that it might come to marvel at our deeds?