بخِلتُ وَلَيسَ البُخلُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةً

بخِلتُ وَلَيسَ البُخلُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةً

وَلَكِن رَأَيتُ الفَقرَ شَرَّ سَبيلِ

وَلَكِن رَأَيتُ الفَقرَ شَرَّ سَبيلِ

I was miserly, though miserliness is not my nature,

I acted miserly, but miserliness is not my nature,

But I saw poverty as the worst path.

Rather I saw poverty is the worst path.

لَمَوتُ الفَتى خَيرٌ مِنَ البُخلِ لِلفَتى

لَمَوتُ الفَتى خَيرٌ مِنَ البُخلِ لِلفَتى

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤال بَخيلِ

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤال بَخيلِ

A young man's death is surely better for him than miserliness,

Death is better for the young man than miserliness,

Yet miserliness is surely better than begging from a miser.

And miserliness is better than asking from a miser.

فَلا تَسأَلَن مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ مَرَّة

فَلا تَسأَلَن مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ مَرَّة

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ سَؤولِ

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ سَؤولِ

So never beg from one who has begged even once,

So do not ask one who has asked before,

For death is surely better than begging from a habitual beggar.

For death is better than asking a constant asker.

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَيءٌ لِوَجهِكَ قيمَةٌ

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَيءٌ لِوَجهِكَ قيمَةٌ

فَلا تَلقَ إِنساناً بِوَجه ذَليلِ

فَلا تَلقَ إِنساناً بِوَجه ذَليلِ

By your life, nothing can match the worth of your face,

By your life! Your face has no worth,

So meet no one with a humiliated face.

So do not meet people with a humiliated face.