غِنايَ غِنى نَفسي وَمالِي قَناعَتي

غِنايَ غِنى نَفسي وَمالِي قَناعَتي

وَكَنزِيَ آدابي وَزِيّي عَفافِيا

وَكَنزِيَ آدابي وَزِيّي عَفافِيا

My wealth is the wealth of my soul, and my fortune is my contentment;

My wealth is the richness of my soul, and my possessions are my contentment.

My treasure is my learning, my adornment my chastity;

And my treasure is my cultivated manners, and my garb is my chastity.

وَفَخرِيَ إِسلامي وَذُخري أَمانَتي

وَفَخرِيَ إِسلامي وَذُخري أَمانَتي

وَجُندِيَ أَشعاري وَسَيفي لِسانِيا

وَجُندِيَ أَشعاري وَسَيفي لِسانِيا

My pride is my Islam, and my reserve my trustworthiness;

And my pride is my Islam, and my reserve is my trustworthiness.

My troops are my poems, and my sword is my tongue.

And my army is my poems, and my sword is my tongue.

وَلي عَزَماتٌ كَالسُيوفِ قَواضِباً

وَلي عَزَماتٌ كَالسُيوفِ قَواضِباً

إِذا عَنَّ خَطبٌ وَالحُتوفُ قَواضِيا

إِذا عَنَّ خَطبٌ وَالحُتوفُ قَواضِيا

I possess resolves like keen-edged swords

And I have resolves, keen-cutting like swords,

When a grave crisis arises and deadly fates pass judgment;

When a crisis arises and death pronounces its sentence.

وَتَغشى صُدورَ النائِباتِ صُدورُها

وَتَغشى صُدورَ النائِباتِ صُدورُها

كَما غِشِيَت سُمرُ العَوالي التَراقِيا

كَما غِشِيَت سُمرُ العَوالي التَراقِيا

Their fronts charge headlong at the breasts of calamities,

And their points assail the breasts of calamities,

As the dusky shafts of lofty spears assail the collarbones.

As tall, brown-shafted spears have struck the collarbones.

أَلا لا يَذُمَّ الدَهرَ مَن كانَ عاجِزاً

أَلا لا يَذُمَّ الدَهرَ مَن كانَ عاجِزاً

وَلا يَعذِلِ الأَقدارَ مَن كانَ وانِيا

وَلا يَعذِلِ الأَقدارَ مَن كانَ وانِيا

Let no helpless man condemn the course of time,

Take heed: let no powerless person blame time,

Nor let a fainthearted man blame the decrees of fate.

Nor let the indolent reproach the fates.

فَمَن لَم تُبَلِّغهُ المَعالِيَ نَفسُهُ

فَمَن لَم تُبَلِّغهُ المَعالِيَ نَفسُهُ

فَغَيرُ جَديرٍ أَن يَنالَ المَعالِيا

فَغَيرُ جَديرٍ أَن يَنالَ المَعالِيا

For whoever is not brought to lofty heights by his own soul

For one whose own soul does not bring him to lofty heights

Is unworthy of attaining those lofty heights.

Is therefore unworthy of attaining lofty heights.