قالَتْ حُرِمْتَ الغِنَى مِنْ حَيْثُ أُوتِيَهُ

سِواكَ والعُدْمُ مُشْتَقٌّ مِنَ العَدَمِ

She said: "You are deprived of wealth from wherever it comes

Except from you, and poverty stems from poverty."

فقُلتُ كُفِّي فليس العُدْمُ منقَصةً

وإنَّما المرءُ بالأخلاقِ والشِّيَمِ

So I said: "Enough! For poverty is no disgrace,

Rather man is known for his morals and virtues."

إن ضاقَ خطَّةُ حالي لمْ يضِقْ خُلُقي

أو قصَّرَ المالُ لمْ تقصُرْ له هِمَمي

"If my state becomes constricted, my ethics do not constrict,

Nor if money is scarce, are my aspirations shortened."

أمَا عَلِمْتِ وخيرُ العِلْمِ أنفعُهُ

أنَّ الغِنَى غيرُ محسوبٍ مِنَ الكَرَمِ

"Do you not know - and the best knowledge is most useful -

That wealth is not considered a virtue?"

أأحسبُ العُسْرَ جارًا لا يُفارقُني

وضامنُ اليُسْرِ عندي غيرُ متَّهَمِ

"Do I reckon difficulty an inseparable companion?

And the guarantor of ease for me is none other than the Almighty."