طلبتُ الغِنى حرصاً على بذلِيَ الغِنى

طلبتُ الغِنى حرصاً على بذلِيَ الغِنى

فلم أره إلّا بكفّ بخيلِ

فلم أره إلّا بكفّ بخيلِ

I sought wealth, eager to give wealth away;

I sought wealth, eager to bestow wealth,

but I found it only in a miser’s hand.

Yet found it only in a miser's hand.

وكنتُ متى أرجو البخيلَ لحاجةٍ

وكنتُ متى أرجو البخيلَ لحاجةٍ

حُرِمتُ رشادي أو ظَلَلْتُ سبيلي

حُرِمتُ رشادي أو ظَلَلْتُ سبيلي

Whenever I looked to a miser to meet a need,

And whenever I looked to a miser to fulfill a need,

I had lost my good sense—or else had lost my way.

I was deprived of sound judgment or lost my way.

وقلتْ لمن ذمّ القليل ضراعةً

وقلتْ لمن ذمّ القليل ضراعةً

قليلٌ يصون الوجه غيرُ قليلِ

قليلٌ يصون الوجه غيرُ قليلِ

To one who scorned a pittance out of servile need, I said:

And I said to one who scorned scant means in his need:

A little that preserves one’s honor is no little thing.

A little that saves one's face is no little thing.

وكَم للّذي حازَ الغِنى بعد فقده

وكَم للّذي حازَ الغِنى بعد فقده

بكاءٌ ومن حزنٍ عليه طويلِ

بكاءٌ ومن حزنٍ عليه طويلِ

And how often, for one who gains wealth after lacking it,

And how much, after losing his wealth, does the man who gained it

there is weeping—and long grief over it!

Weep, and how long does he grieve over it!

فأين وأحوالُ الرّجالِ شتائتٌ

فأين وأحوالُ الرّجالِ شتائتٌ

مقامُ عزيزٍ من مقامِ ذليلِ

مقامُ عزيزٍ من مقامِ ذليلِ

How far apart, when men’s fortunes are so diverse,

So how—when men's circumstances are so varied—

are the stations of the honored and the lowly!

Can an honored man's station compare with an abased man's?

فَسل خالقاً فضلَ العطيّةِ مجزلاً

فَسل خالقاً فضلَ العطيّةِ مجزلاً

فإنّ عطاءَ الخلق غيرُ جزيلِ

فإنّ عطاءَ الخلق غيرُ جزيلِ

So ask the Creator for bounty—He bestows lavishly;

So ask the lavish-giving Creator for the bounty of His gift,

for the giving of created beings is never bountiful.

For mortals' giving is not bountiful.

وأشقى الورى مَن كان أكبرَ همّه

وأشقى الورى مَن كان أكبرَ همّه

هجاءُ ضَنينٍ أو مديحُ مُنيلِ

هجاءُ ضَنينٍ أو مديحُ مُنيلِ

The most wretched of mankind is he whose chief concern

And the most wretched of mankind is he whose greatest concern

is lampooning a miser or praising a benefactor.

Is satirizing a miser or praising a benefactor.