عَلَيكَ بِاليَأسِ مِنَ الناسِ

إِنَّ الغِنى وَيحَكَ في الياسِ

Do not despair of people,

Cling to despair regarding all mankind,

Though wealth may make you despair.

For true wealth, woe to you, in such despair you'll find.

كَم صاحِبٍ قَد كانَ لي وامِقاً

إِذ كانَ في حالاتِ إِفلاسِ

How many a friend was sincere to me,

How many a friend was once loving to me,

When he was in a state of poverty.

Whilst he endured states of penury.

أَقولُ لَو قَد نالَ هَذا الغِنى

أَقعَدَني حُبّاً عَلى الراسِ

I say, if only he had attained this wealth,

I said, "If he were to attain this wealth,

He would have honored me and held me above all.

He would place me, for love, upon his head."

حَتّى إِذا صارَ إِلى ما اِشتَهى

وَعَدَّهُ الناسُ مِنَ الناسِ

Until when he attained what he desired,

Yet when he reached the goal he had desired,

And people counted him among the eminent,

And was counted by men as one to be admired,

قَطَّعَ بِالقِنطيرِ حَبلَ الصَفا

مِنّي وَلَمّا يَرضَ بِالفاسِ

He cut off his ties of affection from me,

He severed the cord of friendship with a spike,

And was not content with just separation.

From me, not content with the axe's strike.