اِستَغنِ أَو مُت وَلا يَغرُركَ ذو نَشَبٍ

اِستَغنِ أَو مُت وَلا يَغرُركَ ذو نَشَبٍ

مِن اِبنِ عَمٍّ وَلا عَمٍّ وَلا خالِ

مِن اِبنِ عَمٍّ وَلا عَمٍّ وَلا خالِ

Be self-sufficient or die; do not let a wealthy man deceive you,

Be self-sufficient or die, and let not one with malice deceive you,

whether a paternal cousin, a paternal uncle, or a maternal uncle.

Not a cousin nor uncle nor maternal uncle.

يَلوونَ ما لَهُم عَن حَقِّ أَقرَبِهِم

يَلوونَ ما لَهُم عَن حَقِّ أَقرَبِهِم

وَعَن عَشيرَتِهِم وَالحَقُّ لِلوالي

وَعَن عَشيرَتِهِم وَالحَقُّ لِلوالي

They withhold what they own from their nearest kin's rightful share,

They twist away from the rights of their nearest kin

and from their clan, though the kinsman has a rightful claim.

And their tribe, though right belongs to the guardian.

فَاِجمَع وَلا تَحقِرَنَّ شَيئاً تَجَمِّعُهُ

فَاِجمَع وَلا تَحقِرَنَّ شَيئاً تَجَمِّعُهُ

وَلا تُضَيعَّنَهُ يَوماً عَلى حالِ

وَلا تُضَيعَّنَهُ يَوماً عَلى حالِ

So gather wealth, and never scorn anything you amass,

So gather and despise not the smallest thing you gather,

and never squander it, on any day, under any circumstances.

And lose it not any day, whatever your state.

إِنّي أُقيمُ عَلى الزَوراءِ أَعمُرُها

إِنّي أُقيمُ عَلى الزَوراءِ أَعمُرُها

إن الكَريمَ عَلى الإِخوانِ ذو المالِ

إن الكَريمَ عَلى الإِخوانِ ذو المالِ

I dwell at al-Zawra, cultivating it;

I dwell in Dhu Zawra to make it prosper,

indeed, the man honored among his brethren is the one with wealth.

For the generous man enriches his brethren.

لَها ثَلاثُ بِئارٍ في جَوانِبِها

لَها ثَلاثُ بِئارٍ في جَوانِبِها

في كُلِها عَقِبٌ تُسقى بِاِقبالِ

في كُلِها عَقِبٌ تُسقى بِاِقبالِ

It has three wells along its sides;

It has three wells at its extremities,

each holds replenishing water, and it is irrigated as the water comes in.

And at each a fill is watered from the buckets.

كُلُّ النِداءِ إِذا ناديتُ يَخذِلُني

كُلُّ النِداءِ إِذا ناديتُ يَخذِلُني

إِلاّ نِدائي إِذا نادَيتُ يا مالي

إِلاّ نِدائي إِذا نادَيتُ يا مالي

Every call fails me when I call out,

When I call, all calling fails me

except my call when I cry, 'O my wealth!'

Save my calling, "O my money," when I call it.

ما إِن أَقولُ لِشَيءٍ حينَ أَفعَلُهُ

ما إِن أَقولُ لِشَيءٍ حينَ أَفعَلُهُ

لا أَستَطيعُ وَلا يَنبو عَلى حالِ

لا أَستَطيعُ وَلا يَنبو عَلى حالِ

Never do I say of anything, when I undertake it,

When I say of a thing, upon doing it,

'I cannot,' nor does it fail me under any circumstances.

"I cannot," it stirs not, whatever my state.