تَذَكَّرَ لَمّا ضاقَ بِالهَمِّ صَدرُهُ

تَذَكَّرَ لَمّا ضاقَ بِالهَمِّ صَدرُهُ

وَأَدبَرَ عَنهُ كُلُّ مَولىً وَناصِرِ

وَأَدبَرَ عَنهُ كُلُّ مَولىً وَناصِرِ

He remembered him when care constricted his breast,

He remembered, when worry constricted his breast,

and every patron and helper turned away from him,

And every patron and supporter turned away from him,

وَخَلّاهُ خِلّانُ الصَفاءِ لِما بِهِ

وَخَلّاهُ خِلّانُ الصَفاءِ لِما بِهِ

وَلَم يَرَ في البَلوى مَقاماً لِصابِرِ

وَلَم يَرَ في البَلوى مَقاماً لِصابِرِ

and friends of true affection abandoned him because of what afflicted him,

And friends of pure affection left him to what beset him,

and amid adversity he found no place for one who patiently endures.

And he saw in affliction no room for one who endures.

أَتاكَ اِمرُؤٌ فيهِ لِنُعماكَ مَوضِعٌ

أَتاكَ اِمرُؤٌ فيهِ لِنُعماكَ مَوضِعٌ

فَعاجِلهُ لا تُغلَب عَلَيهِ وَبادِرِ

فَعاجِلهُ لا تُغلَب عَلَيهِ وَبادِرِ

A man has come to you, one in whom your bounty has room to act;

A man has come to you in whom your bounty has a place;

so hasten to him—do not let yourself be outdone in his cause; be first.

So hasten to help him; let none beat you to him, and be swift.

وَلَستَ الفَتى يَحتالُ شُرَّ خِصالِهِ

وَلَستَ الفَتى يَحتالُ شُرَّ خِصالِهِ

وَتُلقي لَهُ آمالُهُ بِالمَعاذِرِ

وَتُلقي لَهُ آمالُهُ بِالمَعاذِرِ

You are not the man for whose virtues praise must resort to artifice,

Nor are you the man whose basest trait resorts to guile,

and whose hopes are met with excuses.

And whose hopes offer him excuses.

لِأَنَّكَ مَجبولٌ عَلى الجودِ وَحدَهُ

لِأَنَّكَ مَجبولٌ عَلى الجودِ وَحدَهُ

وَلَستَ عَلى بُخلٍ يَخافُ بِقادِرِ

وَلَستَ عَلى بُخلٍ يَخافُ بِقادِرِ

For you are fashioned by nature for generosity, and generosity alone,

For you are fashioned for generosity alone,

and are incapable of any miserliness one might fear.

And you are not capable of the stinginess one fears.

وَدينُكَ أَن لا تَتَّقي سائِلاً بَلا

وَدينُكَ أَن لا تَتَّقي سائِلاً بَلا

فَإِن قُلتَها لي فَهيَ إِحدى الكَبائِرِ

فَإِن قُلتَها لي فَهيَ إِحدى الكَبائِرِ

Your creed is never to ward off a petitioner with “No”;

And your creed is not to fend off a petitioner with 'no';

for if you said it to me, it would count as one of the major sins.

For if you say it to me, then it is one of the grave sins.