حيِّ على خيرِ العَمَل

حيِّ على خيرِ العَمَل

على الغزالِ والغَزَل

على الغزالِ والغَزَل

Come to the best of deeds,

Greet the best of deeds

to the gazelle and love poetry.

The gazelle and the spinning

لو كان لِي بِضاعَه

لو كان لِي بِضاعَه

او في يَدِي صِنَاعَه

او في يَدِي صِنَاعَه

Had I possessed merchandise,

If I had merchandise

or a craft in my hand,

Or a profession in my hands

ألّقى بها الَمجاعه

ألّقى بها الَمجاعه

لم أَخلَعِ الخلاعَه

لم أَخلَعِ الخلاعَه

with which to fend off starvation,

I would give it to the hungry

I would not have cast off wantonness,

I would not take off my robe

ولم أُفِق من الجَذَل

ولم أُفِق من الجَذَل

ولا دَرَستُ مسألَه

ولا دَرَستُ مسألَه

nor awoken from merriment,

And I would not ask for baseness

nor studied a question,

And I did not study an issue

ولا رَحَلتُ يَعمَلَه

ولا رَحَلتُ يَعمَلَه

ولا قَطعتُ مَجهلَه

ولا قَطعتُ مَجهلَه

nor saddled a hardy she-camel,

And I did not travel for work

nor crossed a trackless wilderness,

And I did not cut ignorance

ولا طلَبتُ مَنزِلَه

ولا طلَبتُ مَنزِلَه

ولا تعلَّمتُ الجَدَل

ولا تعلَّمتُ الجَدَل

nor sought high rank,

And I did not seek residence

nor learned disputation,

And I did not learn debate

ولا دَخَلتُ مَدرَسَه

ولا دَخَلتُ مَدرَسَه

سِباعُها مُفتَرِسَه

سِباعُها مُفتَرِسَه

nor entered a school

And I did not enter school

whose wild beasts are predatory,

Its predators are ferocious

وجُوهُهمُ مُعَبِّسه

وجُوهُهمُ مُعَبِّسه

ما لِي وتِلكَ الَمنحَسَه

ما لِي وتِلكَ الَمنحَسَه

their faces scowling.

And their faces are frowning

What have I to do with that ill-starred place,

What do I and that ominous

لولا النِّفاقُ والحِيَل

لولا النِّفاقُ والحِيَل

الأصفرُ المنقوشُ

الأصفرُ المنقوشُ

were it not for hypocrisy and stratagems?

Were it not for hypocrisy and tricks

The yellow, stamped coin—

The yellow engraved

شِيدتَ بهِ العُروشُ

شِيدتَ بهِ العُروشُ

بهِ الفتى يَعِيشُ

بهِ الفتى يَعِيشُ

with it thrones were raised;

Palaces were built with it

with it a young man lives,

The young man lives by it

وباسمهِ يَطيش

وباسمهِ يَطيش

لولاهُ ما شاءَ فَعَل

لولاهُ ما شاءَ فَعَل

and in its name he acts recklessly.

And by its name he floats

Without it, he could not do as he pleased.

Were it not for him, he would have done what he wanted

يا عجباً كلَّ العَجَب

يا عجباً كلَّ العَجَب

لا أَدَبٌ ولا حَسَب

لا أَدَبٌ ولا حَسَب

Oh, wonder of wonders!

What a wonder, all wonder

Neither learning nor ancestral honor,

No manners, nor lineage

ولا تُقىً ولا نَسَب

ولا تُقىً ولا نَسَب

يُغنِي الفتَى عن الذَّهَب

يُغنِي الفتَى عن الذَّهَب

nor piety nor lineage,

Neither piety nor ancestry

can spare a young man the need for gold.

It enriches the young man over gold

سبحانَهُ عزَّ وجَل

سبحانَهُ عزَّ وجَل

بُؤساً لِرَبِّ المِحبَرَه

بُؤساً لِرَبِّ المِحبَرَه

Glory be to it—mighty and exalted!

Glory be to Him, Honorable and Majestic

Woe to the master of the inkwell!

Misery to the owner of the inkwell

وعيشه ما أكدَرَه

وعيشه ما أكدَرَه

ودرسه ودفتره

ودرسه ودفتره

And his life—how dreary it is!

And his life how bitter it is

And his studies and his notebook!

And his school and his notebook

يا ويلَهُ ما أدبَرَه

يا ويلَهُ ما أدبَرَه

إن لَم تُصَدِّقني فَسَل

إن لَم تُصَدِّقني فَسَل

Oh, woe to him—how ill-fated he is!

Oh what a ruin he has

If you do not believe me, then ask.

If you do not believe me, then ask

اصعَد إلى تلكَ الغُرف

اصعَد إلى تلكَ الغُرف

وانظر إلى تلكَ الحِرفَ

وانظر إلى تلكَ الحِرفَ

Go up to those chambers,

Climb up to those rooms

and look at those crafts,

And look at those letters

وابكِ لفَضِلي والشَّرَف

وابكِ لفَضِلي والشَّرَف

واحكُم لِغَيرِي بالسَّرَف

واحكُم لِغَيرِي بالسَّرَف

and weep for my merit and for honor,

And cry for my virtues and honor

and rule lavishly in others' favor,

And judge others to be excessive

واضرِب بخِذلانِي الَمثَل

واضرِب بخِذلانِي الَمثَل

and make my abandonment a byword.

And cite my humiliation as an example