مَنْ كَانَ يَمْلِكُ دِرْهَمَيْنِ تَعَلَّمَتْ

شَفَتاهُ أَنْواعَ الكَلامِ فَقَالا

He who owns two dirhams, his lips

Have learned all kinds of speech and say:

وَتَقَدَّمَ الفُصَحاءُ فَاسْتَمَعوا له

وَرَأَيْتَهُ بَيْنَ الوَرى مُخْتالا

The eloquent came forward to listen to him,

And you saw him swaggering among people.

لولا دَراهِمُهُ الَّتي فِي كِيسِهِ

لَرَأَيْتَهُ شَرَّ البَرِيَّةِ حالا

If not for the dirhams he has in his purse,

You would have seen him the worst of creatures.

إِنَّ الغَنيَّ إِذا تَكَلَّمَ كَاذِباً

قَالوا صَدَقْتَ وَما نَطَقْتَ مُحالا

When a rich man lies, they say “You speak true,”

And “You have not spoken falsehood at all.”

وَإِذا الفقيرُ أَصابَ قالوا لَمْ تُصِبْ

وَكَذَبْتَ يا هذا وَقُلْتَ ضلالا

But when a poor man is right, they say “You missed,

And lied, O you, and spoke heresy.”

إِنَّ الدَّراهِمَ فِي المَواطِنِ كُلّها

تَكْسُو الرِّجَالَ مَهابَةً وجَلالا

Dirhams in all places

Adorn men with awe and majesty.

فَهْيَ اللِّسانُ لِمنْ أَرادَ فَصاحةً

وَهْيَ السِّلاحُ لِمَنْ أَرادَ قِتالا

They are the tongue for him who wants eloquence,

And the weapon for him who wants to fight.