يا باذلَ المال في عُدمٍ وفي سعةٍ

يا باذلَ المال في عُدمٍ وفي سعةٍ

ومُطعم الزاد في صبحٍ وفي غَسق

ومُطعم الزاد في صبحٍ وفي غَسق

O giver of wealth in want and in plenty,

O giver of wealth in want and in plenty,

O provider of provisions at morning and at dusk,

And giver of food at dawn and at nightfall,

وحاشر الناس أغنتهمْ فواضلهُ

وحاشر الناس أغنتهمْ فواضلهُ

إِلى مزيدٍ من النَّعماءِ مُندفِقِ

إِلى مزيدٍ من النَّعماءِ مُندفِقِ

and gatherer of the people—his abundant gifts have enriched them,

And gatherer of people whom his bounties have enriched,

with still more bounty streaming toward them;

Toward an overflowing increase of blessings.

في كل بيتٍ خوانٌ من مكارمهِ

في كل بيتٍ خوانٌ من مكارمهِ

يميرهُمُ وهو يدعوهم إِلى الطَّبق

يميرهُمُ وهو يدعوهم إِلى الطَّبق

In every home stands a table, one of his noble works;

In every house stands a table spread by his generosity;

he provisions them even as he calls them to the platter.

He supplies them with food while inviting them to the platter.

فاض النَّوال فلولا خوفُ مفعمةٍ

فاض النَّوال فلولا خوفُ مفعمةٍ

من بأس عدلك نادى الناس بالغرق

من بأس عدلك نادى الناس بالغرق

Bounty overflowed; were the brimming flood not held back

Bounty overflowed; but for fear of an overwhelming blow

by fear of your justice’s might, the people would cry, “We are drowning!”

From the might of your justice, people would have cried, “We drown!”

فكلُّ أرضٍ بها صوبٌ وساكبةٌ

فكلُّ أرضٍ بها صوبٌ وساكبةٌ

حتى الوغى من نجيع الخيل والعرق

حتى الوغى من نجيع الخيل والعرق

For every land has its downpour and its pouring cloud,

Thus every land has rain and pouring showers,

even the battlefield, from horses’ gore and sweat.

Even the battlefield—from the horses’ blood and sweat.

صُنْ منكبي عن زِحام ان غضِبتُ له

صُنْ منكبي عن زِحام ان غضِبتُ له

تمكَّن الطعن من عقلي ومن خُلقي

تمكَّن الطعن من عقلي ومن خُلقي

Guard my shoulder from the crush; for if it provokes my anger,

Protect my shoulder from jostling: if I grow angry at it,

stabbing will take command of my reason and my nature.

My reason and my character become open to reproach.

واِنْ رضيتُ به فالذلُّ منقَصةٌ

واِنْ رضيتُ به فالذلُّ منقَصةٌ

وكم تكلَّفتُه حملاً فلم اُطِقِ

وكم تكلَّفتُه حملاً فلم اُطِقِ

Yet if I submit to it, abasement diminishes me;

And if I accept it, humiliation is a blemish;

how often I have forced myself to bear it, yet could not.

And how often I struggled to bear it, yet could not!

أنا المريض بأحداثي وسورتها

أنا المريض بأحداثي وسورتها

وليس غير اِبائي حافظٌ رَمَقي

وليس غير اِبائي حافظٌ رَمَقي

I am made ill by my misfortunes and their violence,

I am sick with my misfortunes and their fury,

and nothing but my proud refusal preserves my last breath.

And only my pride preserves my last breath.

فهبهُ لي كعطاياكَ التي كثُرتْ

فهبهُ لي كعطاياكَ التي كثُرتْ

فالجودُ بالعزِّ فوق الجودِ بالوَرِقِ

فالجودُ بالعزِّ فوق الجودِ بالوَرِقِ

So grant me this, like the many gifts you have bestowed:

So grant it to me, like your many gifts,

generosity with honor surpasses generosity with silver.

For granting dignity surpasses granting silver.

انَّ اصفرار مِجَنِّ الشمس عن حزن

انَّ اصفرار مِجَنِّ الشمس عن حزن

على عُلاهُ لمرْماها إِلى الأُفُقِ

على عُلاهُ لمرْماها إِلى الأُفُقِ

Surely the sun’s shield yellows from grief

Indeed, the sun’s shield turns yellow with sorrow

over his lofty station—a grief that casts it toward the horizon.

For its lofty height, as it is cast toward the horizon.

واِنْ توهَّم قومٌ أنَّه حُمُقٌ

واِنْ توهَّم قومٌ أنَّه حُمُقٌ

فطالما اشتبهَ التَّوْقيرُ بالحُمُقِ

فطالما اشتبهَ التَّوْقيرُ بالحُمُقِ

And though some people imagine it to be folly,

And if some people suppose it is foolishness,

how often dignified restraint has been mistaken for folly.

For reverence has often been mistaken for foolishness.