تَقولُ وَحادي الفَقرِ يُزعِجُ مَرقَدي

إِلى أَينَ يا ظَمآنُ قُلتُ إِلى البَحرِ

You say, "Poverty's companion disturbs my rest"

I said, "To where, O thirst?" "To the sea," was the reply.

فَقالَت أَما تَخشى عَوادِيَ لُجِّهِ

فَتُمسي عَلى كَفٍّ وَأَنتَ عَلى ظَهرِ

"Don't you fear," she said, "the sea's tumultuous tides

That you'll end up empty-handed though now carefree?"

فَقُلتُ سِوى البَحرِ الَّذي قَد عَنَيتِهِ

أَرَدتُ فَلَم أَنشَط إِلى اللُجَجِ الخُضرِ

I said, "Except for the sea I've longed for,

I wouldn't stir, not even for meadows green."

وَلَكِن إِلى البَحرِ الَّذي إِن لَقيتُهُ

غَنيتُ مِنَ العَليا دَعيني مِنَ الفَقرِ

Rather, the sea that, were we to meet, would enrich me,

Freeing me from want, let me be, from poverty.

فَلي هِمَّةٌ قَد أَكرَمَتني هُمومُها

وَلَم أَمتَهِنها بِالطَماحِ إِلى الوَفرِ

So my ambition has endowed me ambitions

That I've not debased, craving for plenty.

فَقالَت تَواضَع فَالزَمانُ كَما تَرى

فَقُلتُ نَعَم بَينَ السَماكَينِ وَالنَسرِ

"Be humble," she said, "for time, as you can see,

I said, "Yes, between falcon and fish my place will be."

وَماذا أَرى مِن ذا الزَمانِ وَرَبُّهُ

يُصَرِّفُهُ فيما أَرادَ مِنَ الأَمرِ

And what do I see of this age? Its Lord

Turns it to what He wants, as He sees fit.

أَيَأمُلُ حُرٌّ غَيرَهُ لِمُرادِهِ

وَمالِكُهُ لَم يَرضَ عَبداً سِوى الحُرِّ

Can the freeman hope to have his way

When his Master wouldn't let any but the free?

فَلا تَذكُرَنَّ الدَهرَ إِلّا بِصالِحٍ

وَإِيّاكُمُ وَالدَهرَ فَالصُلحُ لِلدَهرِ

So name no time but with good, I say,

And beware of time, for in time good can stay.