أَأَنثُرُ دُرّاً بَينَ سارِحَةِ البَهمِ

أَأَنثُرُ دُرّاً بَينَ سارِحَةِ البَهمِ

وَأَنظِمُ مَنثوراً لِراعِيَةِ الغَنَمِ

وَأَنظِمُ مَنثوراً لِراعِيَةِ الغَنَمِ

Shall I scatter pearls among grazing lambs and kids,

Shall I scatter pearls among the carefree camels

and string loose pearls for a shepherdess of sheep?

And compose prose for the shepherdess?

لَعَمري لَئِن ضُيِّعتُ في شَرِّ بَلدَةٍ

لَعَمري لَئِن ضُيِّعتُ في شَرِّ بَلدَةٍ

فَلَستُ مُضيعاً فيهِمُ غُرَرَ الكَلِم

فَلَستُ مُضيعاً فيهِمُ غُرَرَ الكَلِم

By my life, even if I am neglected in the worst of towns,

By my life! Even if I am lost in an evil town

I will not squander among them the choicest words.

I am not lost among them, the calamities of words

لَئِن سَهَّلَ اللَهُ العَزيزُ بِلِطفِهِ

لَئِن سَهَّلَ اللَهُ العَزيزُ بِلِطفِهِ

وَصادَفتُ أَهلاً لِلعُلومِ وَلِلحِكَم

وَصادَفتُ أَهلاً لِلعُلومِ وَلِلحِكَم

If God, the Mighty, makes things easy through His kindness,

If the Almighty God facilitates with His kindness

and I find people worthy of learning and wisdom,

And I meet people receptive to knowledge and wisdom

بَثَثتُ مُفيداً وَاِستَفَدتُ وِدادَهُم

بَثَثتُ مُفيداً وَاِستَفَدتُ وِدادَهُم

وَإِلّا فَمَكنونٌ لَدَيَّ وَمُكتَتِم

وَإِلّا فَمَكنونٌ لَدَيَّ وَمُكتَتِم

I will impart knowledge for their benefit and gain their affection;

I will spread benefit and gain their affection

otherwise, it remains concealed within me and kept secret.

Otherwise it remains concealed with me, unuttered

وَمَن مَنَحَ الجُهّالَ عِلماً أَضاعَهُ

وَمَن مَنَحَ الجُهّالَ عِلماً أَضاعَهُ

وَمَن مَنَعَ المُستَوجِبينَ فَقَد ظَلَم

وَمَن مَنَعَ المُستَوجِبينَ فَقَد ظَلَم

And whoever grants knowledge to the ignorant squanders it,

He who grants knowledge to the ignorant wastes it

and whoever withholds it from those who deserve it has acted unjustly.

And he who denies the deserving has done wrong