لا تَحمَدَن حَسَناً في الجودِ إِن مَطَرَت

لا تَحمَدَن حَسَناً في الجودِ إِن مَطَرَت

كَفّاهُ جَزلاً وَلا تَذمُمهُ إِن رَزَما

كَفّاهُ جَزلاً وَلا تَذمُمهُ إِن رَزَما

Do not praise Hasan for generosity if they rain—

Do not praise Hasan for generosity if rain pours

his two hands, abundantly—nor blame him if they thunder.

abundantly from his hands, nor blame him if he holds back.

فَلَيسَ يَبخَلُ إِشفاقاً عَلى جِدَةٍ

فَلَيسَ يَبخَلُ إِشفاقاً عَلى جِدَةٍ

وَلا يَجودُ لِفَضلِ الجودِ مُغتَنِما

وَلا يَجودُ لِفَضلِ الجودِ مُغتَنِما

For he does not withhold out of concern for wealth,

For he does not withhold out of concern for his wealth,

nor is he generous in pursuit of generosity’s merit.

Nor does he give to gain the merit of generosity.

لَكِنَّها خَطَراتٌ مِن وَساوِسِهِ

لَكِنَّها خَطَراتٌ مِن وَساوِسِهِ

يُعطي وَيَمنَعُ لا بُخلاً وَلا كَرَما

يُعطي وَيَمنَعُ لا بُخلاً وَلا كَرَما

Rather, these are passing impulses from his inner whisperings:

Rather, these are passing impulses from his inner whisperings:

he gives and withholds—neither from stinginess nor generosity.

He gives and withholds, neither out of miserliness nor generosity.