إِن جاعَ في شِدَّةٍ قَومٌ شَرِكتَهُمُ

في الجوعِ أَو تَنجَلي عَنهُم غَواشيها

If a people suffer extreme hunger,

Either share in their hunger, or turn away its pangs from them.

جوعُ الخَليفَةِ وَالدُنيا بِقَبضَتِهِ

في الزُهدِ مَنزِلَةٌ سُبحانَ موليها

The hunger of the Caliph and the world in his grasp -

In asceticism, what an exalted station, glory be to its Master.

فَمَن يُباري أَبا حَفصٍ وَسيرَتَهُ

أَو مَن يُحاوِلُ لِلفاروقِ تَشبيها

So who can compete with Abu Hafs and his conduct?

Or who can attempt to match Al-Farooq?

يَومَ اِشتَهَت زَوجُهُ الحَلوى فَقالَ لَها

مِن أَينَ لي ثَمَنُ الحَلوى فَأَشريها

The day his wife craved sweets and said to him,

“Where can I get the price for sweets so I may buy them?”

لا تَمتَطي شَهَواتِ النَفسِ جامِحَةً

فَكِسرَةُ الخُبزِ عَن حَلواكِ تَجزيها

“Do not let your soul’s desires run recklessly,

For a piece of bread will suffice you instead of your sweets.”

وَهَل يَفي بَيتُ مالِ المُسلِمينَ بِما

توحي إِلَيكِ إِذا طاوَعتِ موحيها

“Can the Muslim treasury provide for what

Whispers to you when you heed its whispers?”

قالَت لَكَ اللَهُ إِنّي لَستُ أَرزَؤُهُ

مالاً لِحاجَةِ نَفسٍ كُنتُ أَبغيها

She said, “By God, I do not consider it,

Wealth for the needs of a soul I desired.”

لَكِن أُجَنِّبُ شَيئاً مِن وَظيفَتِنا

في كُلِّ يَومٍ عَلى حالٍ أُسَوّيها

“Rather, I set aside something from our allowance

Each day, putting it aside evenly,”

حَتّى إِذا ما مَلَكنا ما يُكافِئُها

شَرَيتُها ثُمَّ إِنّي لا أُثَنّيها

“Until we own enough to equal its price,

Then I will buy it, and not repeat it.”

قالَ اِذهَبي وَاِعلَمي إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً

أَنَّ القَناعَةَ تُغني نَفسَ كاسيها

He said, “Go, and know that if you were ignorant,

Contentment enriches the soul of its owner.”

وَأَقبَلَت بَعدَ خَمسٍ وَهيَ حامِلَةٌ

دُرَيهِماتٍ لِتَقضي مِن تَشَهّيها

And she returned after five days, pregnant,

With dirhams to fulfill her craving.

فَقالَ نَبَّهتِ مِنّي غافِلاً فَدَعي

هَذي الدَراهِمَ إِذ لا حَقَّ لي فيها

So he said, “You have awakened me from heedlessness, so leave

These dirhams, for I have no right to them.”

وَيلي عَلى عُمَرٍ يَرضى بِموفِيَةٍ

عَلى الكَفافِ وَيَنهى مُستَزيديها

“Woe to me for Umar, who is content with sufficiency

For subsistence, yet prohibits those who ask for more.”

ما زادَ عَن قوتِنا فَالمُسلِمونَ بِهِ

أَولى فَقومي لِبَيتِ المالِ رُدّيها

“What exceeds our sustenance, the Muslims

Have more right to it, so go, return it to the treasury.”

كَذاكَ أَخلاقُهُ كانَت وَما عُهِدَت

بَعدَ النُبُوَّةِ أَخلاقٌ تُحاكيها

Thus were his morals, and none since prophethood

Have matched morals that emulate his.