إِذا شِئتَ أَنْ تَلقى الهوانَ فُلذْ بمن

يُرَجَّى لنفعٍ أو لدفعِ مضرّةِ

If you wish to meet with humiliation, then hold fast to one

From whom is hoped a benefit or warding off of harm,

فَهامُ الرّجالِ الآنفينَ عزيزةٌ

وَإِنْ حُمِّلتْ مَنّاً لذي المنِّ ذلّتِ

For the souls of generous men are now made precious,

And if you bear benefits to the beneficent, you are humbled.

وَعَدِّ عَنِ الأَطماعِ فهْيَ مَذلّةٌ

وَلَو خالَطتْ شُمَّ الجبالِ لخرِّتِ

And refrain from greeds, for they are humiliation,

Even if they are mixed with the summits of mountains, they would crumble.

فَويلٌ لِنفسٍ حُلِّئِتْ عَن مَرامِها

وويلٌ لنفسٍ أُعطيتْ ما تمنّتِ

So woe to a soul that is adorned with other than its own purpose,

And woe to a soul that is given what it desired.

وَلَيسَ بِخافٍ قبحُ حرصٍ على غنىً

وَلَكنْ عقولٌ بالضّراعةِ جُنّتِ

And there is no shame in an eagerness for wealth,

Rather, minds are made insane by poverty.