رَأَيتُ صَغير الاِمرِ تَنمي شُؤونَه

رَأَيتُ صَغير الاِمرِ تَنمي شُؤونَه

فَيَكبُر حَتّى لا يَحد وَيَعظُم

فَيَكبُر حَتّى لا يَحد وَيَعظُم

I have seen a small matter whose ramifications grow,

I saw the small in rank grow in his affairs

so it grows beyond all bounds and becomes immense.

Until he became great with no limit to his greatness

وَإِن عَناءاً أَن تَفهَم جاهِلا

وَإِن عَناءاً أَن تَفهَم جاهِلا

فَيَحسَب جَهلا أَنَّهُ مِنكَ اِفهَم

فَيَحسَب جَهلا أَنَّهُ مِنكَ اِفهَم

And indeed, it is a hardship to make an ignorant man understand,

And though it wearies you to make a fool understand

for, in his ignorance, he thinks he understands better than you.

He reckons you a fool, he who understands not

مَتى يَبلُغ البُنيانُ يَوماً تَمامَه

مَتى يَبلُغ البُنيانُ يَوماً تَمامَه

اِذا كُنت تَبنيهِ وَغَيرك يَهدِم

اِذا كُنت تَبنيهِ وَغَيرك يَهدِم

When will a building ever reach completion,

When will a building one day reach completion

if you are building it while someone else tears it down?

If you build it while another demolishes?

مَتى يفضل المَثري اِذا ظَنَّ اِنَّهُ

مَتى يفضل المَثري اِذا ظَنَّ اِنَّهُ

اِذا جادَ بِالشَيءِ القَليلِ سَيعدم

اِذا جادَ بِالشَيءِ القَليلِ سَيعدم

When will a wealthy man be generous if he thinks that

When will the generous exceed if he supposes

if he gives even a little, he will become destitute?

That if he gives little, he will have nothing left?

مَتى يَنتَهي عَن سيء مِن اِتى بِهِ

مَتى يَنتَهي عَن سيء مِن اِتى بِهِ

اِذا لَم يَكُن مِنهُ عَلَيهِ تَندَم

اِذا لَم يَكُن مِنهُ عَلَيهِ تَندَم

When will one who has committed evil desist from it,

When will one desist from the evil he has done

if he feels no remorse for it?

If he feels no remorse for what he has done?

وَما الرِزقُ إِلّا قِسمَة بَين اِهلِه

وَما الرِزقُ إِلّا قِسمَة بَين اِهلِه

فَلا يَعدم الأَرزاقِ مثر وَمُعدَم

فَلا يَعدم الأَرزاقِ مثر وَمُعدَم

And sustenance is but an apportionment among its recipients,

Livelihood is but a division among its people

so neither the wealthy nor the destitute are without sustenance.

So neither wealthy nor destitute will lack sustenance

وَلَن يَستَطيعُ الدَهر تَغيير خَلقِه

وَلَن يَستَطيعُ الدَهر تَغيير خَلقِه

لَئيم وَلن يَستَطيعه مُتكرم

لَئيم وَلن يَستَطيعه مُتكرم

And changing his nature will never, throughout life, be possible

Time will never change its nature

for a base man; nor can a noble man do so.

Whether it be despicable or honorable

كَما إِن ماء المزن ما ذيق سائِغ

كَما إِن ماء المزن ما ذيق سائِغ

زلال وَماء البَحرِ يَلفِظُه الغَم

زلال وَماء البَحرِ يَلفِظُه الغَم

Just as raincloud water, whenever tasted, is pleasant to drink,

Just as the water of bitterness never tasted sweet

clear and pure, while anguish spits out seawater.

While the ocean's water makes one retch