وَجَدتُ لِكُلِّ الناسِ في الجودِ خِطَّةً

وَجَدتُ لِكُلِّ الناسِ في الجودِ خِطَّةً

وَلَو كانَ سَقيُ الماءِ في مُنتَهى القُرِّ

وَلَو كانَ سَقيُ الماءِ في مُنتَهى القُرِّ

I found in everyone some measure of generosity,

I found that all people have a way of being generous,

I found that all people have a path to generosity,

even if only in giving water in the bitterest cold,

Even if giving water was extremely difficult.

Even if it be merely serving water in the bitterest cold,

سِوى المُعبَدِيِّينَ الَّذينَ قُدورُهُم

سِوى المُعبَدِيِّينَ الَّذينَ قُدورُهُم

تَحَرَّزَ فيها العَنكَبوتُ مِنَ الحَرِّ

تَحَرَّزَ فيها العَنكَبوتُ مِنَ الحَرِّ

except the Muʿbadīs, in whose pots

Except for the misers whose pots,

Except for the Ma'badis, within whose cooking pots

the spider took shelter from the heat.

Are so dusty that spiders take shelter in them from the heat.

The spider takes refuge to escape the heat.

هُمُ أَحرَزوا الرِغفانَ حَتّى تَكَلَّمَت

هُمُ أَحرَزوا الرِغفانَ حَتّى تَكَلَّمَت

أَمِنّا بِحَولِ اللَهِ مِن حَذَرِ الكَسرِ

أَمِنّا بِحَولِ اللَهِ مِن حَذَرِ الكَسرِ

They kept the loaves safe until the loaves spoke:

They have withheld kindness until their pots speak,

They guarded their loaves of bread until they spoke out:

"By God's power, we are safe from fear of being broken."

"We are protected by God from ever being broken."

"By God's power, we are safe from the dread of being broken!"