وَكُنتَ أَخي أَيّامَ عودُكَ يابِس

وَكُنتَ أَخي أَيّامَ عودُكَ يابِس

فَلَمّا اِكتَسى وَاِخضَرَّ صِرتَ مَع الدَهرِ

فَلَمّا اِكتَسى وَاِخضَرَّ صِرتَ مَع الدَهرِ

You were my brother in the days when your bough was dry;

And you were my brother in the days when your branch was dry.

but once it clothed itself and turned green, you sided with Time.

But when it clothed itself in leaves and turned green, you sided with fortune.

لَعَمرُكَ لَو ذَوَّقتَني ثَمرَ الغِنى

لَعَمرُكَ لَو ذَوَّقتَني ثَمرَ الغِنى

أَذَقتُكَ ما يُرضيكَ مِن ثَمَرِ الشُكرِ

أَذَقتُكَ ما يُرضيكَ مِن ثَمَرِ الشُكرِ

By your life, had you let me taste the fruit of wealth,

By your life, had you let me taste the fruit of wealth,

I would have let you taste, from gratitude’s fruit, enough to please you.

I would have let you taste what delights you from the fruit of gratitude.

فَلَو نِلتُ ما يُغني بِكَ اليَوم أَو غَداً

فَلَو نِلتُ ما يُغني بِكَ اليَوم أَو غَداً

أَنَلتُكَ ما يَبقى إِلى آخرِ الدَهرِ

أَنَلتُكَ ما يَبقى إِلى آخرِ الدَهرِ

Had I obtained through you what would suffice me today or tomorrow,

So, if through you I gained what frees me from need, today or tomorrow,

I would have granted you what endures until the end of time.

I would grant you what endures until the end of time.

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الفَقرَ يُرجى لَهُ الغِنى

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الفَقرَ يُرجى لَهُ الغِنى

وَأَنَّ الغِنى يُخشى عَلَيهِ مِنَ الكُفرِ

وَأَنَّ الغِنى يُخشى عَلَيهِ مِنَ الكُفرِ

Do you not see that poverty may hope for wealth,

Have you not seen that, in poverty, one hopes for wealth,

while wealth has ingratitude to fear?

and that one fears for wealth because of ingratitude?