على مُهجَتِي تَجني الحوادث والدَّهرُ

على مُهجَتِي تَجني الحوادث والدَّهرُ

فأمَّا اصطباري فهو مُمَتنِعٌ وعرُ

فأمَّا اصطباري فهو مُمَتنِعٌ وعرُ

Calamities and time inflict harm on my soul;

Misfortunes and fate scoff at my determination,

but my endurance stands impregnable and rugged.

While my patience remains unbreakable and pure.

كأني أُلاقِي كلَّ يومٍ يَنُوبُني

كأني أُلاقِي كلَّ يومٍ يَنُوبُني

بذنبٍ وما ذَنبي سوى أَنَّني حُرُّ

بذنبٍ وما ذَنبي سوى أَنَّني حُرُّ

It is as though I endure each day that befalls me

It's as if each day accuses me of a sin,

for some sin—yet my only sin is that I am free.

My only sin being that I'm free.

فإن لم يكن عند الزَّمانِ سوى الذي

فإن لم يكن عند الزَّمانِ سوى الذي

أضيقُ به ذَرعاً فعندي له الصبرُ

أضيقُ به ذَرعاً فعندي له الصبرُ

So if time has nothing in store except what

If the times offer me nothing but that

taxes my endurance, I have patience for it.

Which I can scarcely endure, I'll face it with patience.

وقالوا تَوّصَّل بالخضوعِ إلى الغِنى

وقالوا تَوّصَّل بالخضوعِ إلى الغِنى

وما علمُوا أنَّ الخُضوعَ هو الفَقرُ

وما علمُوا أنَّ الخُضوعَ هو الفَقرُ

And they said, “Make your way to wealth through submission,”

They say, "Ingratiate yourself through humility, and you will attain wealth."

but they did not know that submission itself is poverty.

But they do not know that humility itself is poverty.

وبَيني وبين المالِ بابانِ حَرَّما

وبَيني وبين المالِ بابانِ حَرَّما

عليَّ الغِنَى نفسي الأبيةُ والدهرُ

عليَّ الغِنَى نفسي الأبيةُ والدهرُ

And between me and wealth stand two gates that deny

Between me and money stand two gates that forbid

me riches: my unbending soul and time.

Riches to me - my self-esteem and fate.

إذا قال هذا اليُسرُ أَبصَرتُ دونه

إذا قال هذا اليُسرُ أَبصَرتُ دونه

مواقفَ خَيرٌ من وقوفي بها العُسرُ

مواقفَ خَيرٌ من وقوفي بها العُسرُ

When it says, “Here is ease,” I see before it

When comfort says, "This way," I see beyond it

places where I would rather endure hardship than stand.

Stances of honor more rewarding than ease.

إذا قُدِّموا بالوفرِ أَقدَمتُ قَبلهم

إذا قُدِّموا بالوفرِ أَقدَمتُ قَبلهم

بنفسِ فقيرٍ كلُّ أخلاِقهِ وَفرُ

بنفسِ فقيرٍ كلُّ أخلاِقهِ وَفرُ

When they are given precedence for wealth, I step ahead of them

When they come with abundance, I come before them

with a poor man's soul, whose every virtue is wealth.

With the spirit of a poor man, all of whose morals are chivalry.

وماذا على مثلي إذا خَضَعَت له

وماذا على مثلي إذا خَضَعَت له

مطامعهُ في كفِّ مَن حصَلَ التِّبرُ

مطامعهُ في كفِّ مَن حصَلَ التِّبرُ

And what does it matter to one like me, once he has mastered

And what can the likes of me do if greed

his desires, in whose palm the gold has come to rest?

Succumbs to one whose hand has known generosity?

وأكثر ما عندي لمن قعدت به

وأكثر ما عندي لمن قعدت به

فضائلهُ الإعراض والنَّظرُ الشزرُ

فضائلهُ الإعراض والنَّظرُ الشزرُ

And the most I have for one let down

My best traits, when seated with the noble,

by his virtues is aversion and a hostile sidelong glance.

Are indifference and a gaze of disdain.