وَمُتَّشِحٍ بِاللُّؤْمِ جَاذَبَني العُلا

وَمُتَّشِحٍ بِاللُّؤْمِ جَاذَبَني العُلا

فَقَدَّمَهُ يُسْرٌ وَأَخَّرَني عُسْرُ

فَقَدَّمَهُ يُسْرٌ وَأَخَّرَني عُسْرُ

And one cloaked in baseness vied with me for eminence;

Clad in the garb of grief, misfortune lured me;

So prosperity advanced him, and hardship held me back.

Ease it proffered, then abandoned me to hardship.

وَطَوَّقْتُ أَعْناقَ المَقادِيرِ ما أَتَى

وَطَوَّقْتُ أَعْناقَ المَقادِيرِ ما أَتَى

بِهِ الدَّهْرُ حَتَّى ذَلَّ لِلْعَجُزِ الصَّدْرُ

بِهِ الدَّهْرُ حَتَّى ذَلَّ لِلْعَجُزِ الصَّدْرُ

And I hung upon the necks of fate whatever was brought

I have endured the blows of fate until my breast

By time, until the front bowed to the rear.

Was humbled by powerlessness and want.

وَلَوْ نِيلَتِ الأَرْزاقُ بِالفَضلِ وَالحِجَى

وَلَوْ نِيلَتِ الأَرْزاقُ بِالفَضلِ وَالحِجَى

لَمَا كانَ يَرْجُو أَنْ يَثُوبَ لَهُ وَفْرٌ

لَمَا كانَ يَرْجُو أَنْ يَثُوبَ لَهُ وَفْرٌ

And if livelihoods were won through merit and wisdom,

Had wealth and glory been allotted with merit,

He would not hope for abundant wealth to accrue to him.

None would have hoped for largesse from another.

فَيا نَفْسُ صَبْراً إِنَّ لِلْهَمِّ فُرْجَةً

فَيا نَفْسُ صَبْراً إِنَّ لِلْهَمِّ فُرْجَةً

وَما لَكِ إَلّا العِزُّ عِنْدِي أَو القَبْرُ

وَما لَكِ إَلّا العِزُّ عِنْدِي أَو القَبْرُ

So, my soul, be patient: surely sorrow has relief.

Take comfort, my soul, relief comes after stress;

And with me, you shall have only honor or the grave.

For me, naught remains but honor or the grave.

وَلي حَسَبٌ يَسْتَوْعِبُ الأَرْضَ ذِكْرُهُ

وَلي حَسَبٌ يَسْتَوْعِبُ الأَرْضَ ذِكْرُهُ

على العُدْمُ وَالأَحْسابُ يَدْفِنُها الفَقْرُ

على العُدْمُ وَالأَحْسابُ يَدْفِنُها الفَقْرُ

And mine is a noble lineage whose renown encompasses the earth,

Renown is mine, encompassing the earth, that sets

Despite destitution—yet poverty buries noble lineages.

Oblivion at naught, though penury inter it.