لولا احتياج ذوي المرو

لولا احتياج ذوي المرو

ءة ما كرهت ذوي اليسارْ

ءة ما كرهت ذوي اليسارْ

Were it not for the need of people of

Were it not for the need of people of honor,

honor, I would not have disliked the wealthy.

I would not have hated those of wealth.

أهل الغنى ما تبتغو

أهل الغنى ما تبتغو

ن به سوى نفع الديارْ

ن به سوى نفع الديارْ

People of wealth, you seek

People of wealth, you seek nothing

through it nothing but the welfare of your homes.

through it but the benefit of the land.

بكمُ إلى مجدي اعتذر

بكمُ إلى مجدي اعتذر

ت وما لكم عندي اعتذارْ

ت وما لكم عندي اعتذارْ

Because of you, I apologized to my dignity,

On your account I apologized to my glory,

but to you I owe no apology.

but you have no excuse before me.

العلم ما ضمن الغنى

العلم ما ضمن الغنى

والجهل ما جلب الشنارْ

والجهل ما جلب الشنارْ

Knowledge has not guaranteed wealth,

Learning has not guaranteed wealth,

nor has ignorance brought disgrace.

nor has ignorance brought disgrace.

ما غرني علمي وكم

ما غرني علمي وكم

لكمُ بما لكم اغترارْ

لكمُ بما لكم اغترارْ

My learning has not deluded me—yet how much

My learning has not made me vain; yet how great

you are deluded by what you possess!

is your vanity over what you possess!

لا أبتغي زهواً به

لا أبتغي زهواً به

بين البرية وافتخارْ

بين البرية وافتخارْ

I seek no vainglory through it,

I seek no vainglory through it

nor pride among humankind.

among humankind, nor boasting.

فلأطلبن المال أو

فلأطلبن المال أو

أقضي الحياة بلا قرارْ

أقضي الحياة بلا قرارْ

So I shall surely seek wealth, or

So I shall surely seek wealth, or

spend my life without rest,

spend my life without rest,

لأعلِّمَ المثرين كي

لأعلِّمَ المثرين كي

ف أعيش محمود الجوارْ

ف أعيش محمود الجوارْ

so that I may teach the wealthy how

so that I may teach the wealthy how

I live—as one praised for neighborliness.

I live, praised for my neighborliness.