أَعاذِلَ لَيسَ البُخلُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةً

أَعاذِلَ لَيسَ البُخلُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةً

وَلكِن رَأَيتُ الفَقرَ شَرَّ سَبيلِ

وَلكِن رَأَيتُ الفَقرَ شَرَّ سَبيلِ

O reproacher, miserliness is not in my nature.

I do not withhold out of miserliness,

But I have found poverty the worst path.

Rather, I have seen poverty to be an evil way.

لَمَوتُ الفَتى خَيرٌ مِن البُخلِ لِلفَتى

لَمَوتُ الفَتى خَيرٌ مِن البُخلِ لِلفَتى

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ بَخيلِ

وَلَلبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ بَخيلِ

Surely a young man's death is better for him than miserliness.

Death is better for the young man than miserliness,

And miserliness is surely better than begging from a miser.

And miserliness is better than asking from a miser.

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَيءٌ لِوَجهِكَ قيمَةٌ

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَيءٌ لِوَجهِكَ قيمَةٌ

فَلا تَلقَ مَخلوقاً بِوَجهِ ذَليلِ

فَلا تَلقَ مَخلوقاً بِوَجهِ ذَليلِ

By your life, nothing can equal the worth of your face.

By your life! You are not worth anything,

So meet no creature with a humbled face.

So do not meet people with a humiliated face.

وَلا تَسأَلَن مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ مَرَّةً

وَلا تَسأَلَن مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ مَرَّةً

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ سَؤولِ

فَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن سُؤالِ سَؤولِ

And never beg from anyone who has begged even once.

And do not ask someone who asks all the time,

For death is surely better than begging from a habitual beggar.

For death is better than asking a constant asker.