يُصيبُ كُنوزَ مالٍ كلُّ فَدْمٍ

يُصيبُ كُنوزَ مالٍ كلُّ فَدْمٍ

بقيمةِ بعضِ فلسٍ لا يقومُ

بقيمةِ بعضِ فلسٍ لا يقومُ

Every dolt gains hoards of wealth,

Every spilt drop of blood attains treasures of wealth

Though he is not worth a fraction of a small coin.

Worthless as a coin that cannot stand

وكم يُمسي لبيبٌ لا يُصلِّي

وكم يُمسي لبيبٌ لا يُصلِّي

لشِدَّةِ ضُعفِهِ لكنْ يصومُ

لشِدَّةِ ضُعفِهِ لكنْ يصومُ

And many a discerning man reaches evening without praying,

And many a sensible man does not pray

Because of his great weakness—yet he fasts.

Due to his extreme weakness, yet he fasts

ولو يُعطى من الأرزاقِ كلٌّ

ولو يُعطى من الأرزاقِ كلٌّ

على مِقدارِهِ انتَصَفَ الحكيمُ

على مِقدارِهِ انتَصَفَ الحكيمُ

And if each were given a share of sustenance,

If everyone were given provision

According to his worth, the sage would receive his due.

According to their worth, the wise would be satisfied

ولم يعتبْ على الأيَّامِ شخصٌ

ولم يعتبْ على الأيَّامِ شخصٌ

يَرَى عدلَ القضاءِ ولا يلومُ

يَرَى عدلَ القضاءِ ولا يلومُ

And no one would reproach the days:

And no one would blame the days

He would see fate's justice and lay no blame.

When they see the justice of fate and do not complain

وبَينَ النَّاسِ ذو مالٍ بخيلٌ

وبَينَ النَّاسِ ذو مالٍ بخيلٌ

بفَضْلتهِ وصُعلُوكٌ كريمُ

بفَضْلتهِ وصُعلُوكٌ كريمُ

And among people is a rich man, stingy

And among the people there is a miser with wealth

With his surplus, and a pauper who is generous.

By his surplus and a generous pauper

وإنَّ تَكَرُّمَ الفُقَراءِ عِندي

وإنَّ تَكَرُّمَ الفُقَراءِ عِندي

كبُخلِ ذَوي الغِنَى عَيبٌ ذميمُ

كبُخلِ ذَوي الغِنَى عَيبٌ ذميمُ

And the generosity of the poor, in my view,

And the generosity of the poor to me

Like the stinginess of the rich, is a blameworthy fault.

Is better than the stinginess of the rich, a despicable flaw

وبعضٌ يَدَّعي ما ليسَ فيهِ

وبعضٌ يَدَّعي ما ليسَ فيهِ

وبعضٌ يشتري ما لا يَسومُ

وبعضٌ يشتري ما لا يَسومُ

And some claim what they do not possess,

And some claim what is not in them

And some buy what they do not bid for.

And another buys what he does not bargain over

وآخرُ يَنصَحُ الأصحابَ عمَّا

وآخرُ يَنصَحُ الأصحابَ عمَّا

بهِ كمُعالجٍ وَهُوَ السَّقيمُ

بهِ كمُعالجٍ وَهُوَ السَّقيمُ

And another advises his friends against what

And another advises friends about

Ails him, like a healer who is himself ill.

What ails him while he is the sick one

وفي الشُّعراءِ مَن في كلِّ وادٍ

وفي الشُّعراءِ مَن في كلِّ وادٍ

إذا هَدَرَتْ شَقاشِقُهُ يَهيمُ

إذا هَدَرَتْ شَقاشِقُهُ يَهيمُ

And among poets is one who, in every valley,

And among the poets there is one who in every valley

Wanders when his throat-pouches bellow.

When his petty talents wane he roams around

وبعضُ الشِّعرِ في أُذُنٍ كلامٌ

وبعضُ الشِّعرِ في أُذُنٍ كلامٌ

يَطيبُ وبعضُهُ فيها كُلُومُ

يَطيبُ وبعضُهُ فيها كُلُومُ

And some poetry is speech to the ear

And some poetry in the ear is speech

That delights, while some of it leaves wounds there.

That is sweet and some bitter bile

وكم رَجُلٍ يقومُ مَقامَ جيشٍ

وكم رَجُلٍ يقومُ مَقامَ جيشٍ

ويَسقُطُ دونَهُ الجيشُ العظيمُ

ويَسقُطُ دونَهُ الجيشُ العظيمُ

And many a man stands in place of an army,

And many a man takes the place of an army

While a mighty army falls short of him.

Yet the great army collapses because of him

وبعدَ الشَّمسِ كم تبدو نجومٌ

وبعدَ الشَّمسِ كم تبدو نجومٌ

ولكنْ ليسَ تَخلُفها النُّجومُ

ولكنْ ليسَ تَخلُفها النُّجومُ

And after the sun, how many stars appear!

And after the sun how many stars appear

Yet the stars do not take its place.

But the stars do not succeed it

وما سَلِمَ الكمالُ لذاتِ شخصٍ

وما سَلِمَ الكمالُ لذاتِ شخصٍ

فلا إنسانَ مِن عيبٍ سليمُ

فلا إنسانَ مِن عيبٍ سليمُ

And perfection has never belonged to any person,

And no person's being is safe from flaws

So no human being is free from fault.

So no human is free of faults

ويَغلِبُ كلَّ مقتَدِرٍ قديرٌ

ويَغلِبُ كلَّ مقتَدِرٍ قديرٌ

ويعلو كلَّ ذي علمٍ عليمُ

ويعلو كلَّ ذي علمٍ عليمُ

And every powerful one is overcome by one mightier,

And every powerful person is overcome by one more powerful

And above every learned one stands one more learned.

And everyone knowledgeable is surpassed by one more knowledgeable