إِذا اِفتَقَرَت نَفسي قَصَرتُ اِفتِقارَها

إِذا اِفتَقَرَت نَفسي قَصَرتُ اِفتِقارَها

عَلَيها فَلَم يَظهَر لَها أَبَداً فَقرُ

عَلَيها فَلَم يَظهَر لَها أَبَداً فَقرُ

When my soul grew poor, I confined its need

When my soul falls into poverty, I confine its poverty

When my soul was in need, I limited its neediness to itself,

within itself, so its poverty never showed.

To itself, so that its poverty never shows.

So poverty never appeared to it again.

وَإِن تَلقَني في الدَهرِ مَندوحَةُ الغِنى

وَإِن تَلقَني في الدَهرِ مَندوحَةُ الغِنى

يَكُن لِأَخِلاّئي التَوَسُّعُ وَاليُسرُ

يَكُن لِأَخِلاّئي التَوَسُّعُ وَاليُسرُ

And should wealth’s ample bounty find me in this life,

And if, in the course of time, wealth's abundance comes my way,

And if the prosperity of life throws me far away,

then abundance and ease shall belong to my dear friends.

My close friends shall have plenty and ease.

Then my friends have ample space and comfort.

فَلا العُسرُ يُزري بي إِذا هُوَ نالَني

فَلا العُسرُ يُزري بي إِذا هُوَ نالَني

وَلا اليُسرُ يَوماً إِن ظَفَرتُ هُوَ الفَخرُ

وَلا اليُسرُ يَوماً إِن ظَفَرتُ هُوَ الفَخرُ

Hardship does not demean me when it befalls me,

So hardship does not demean me when it befalls me,

So hardship does not harm me if it befalls me,

nor, if I attain prosperity one day, is that a cause for pride.

Nor is ease ever a source of pride, should I attain it.

Nor does prosperity make me boastful if I attain it.