لا تَطلُبَنَّ مَعيشَةً بِمَذَلَّةٍ

لا تَطلُبَنَّ مَعيشَةً بِمَذَلَّةٍ

وَاِرفَع بِنَفسِكَ عَن دَنِيِّ المَطلَبِ

وَاِرفَع بِنَفسِكَ عَن دَنِيِّ المَطلَبِ

Never seek a livelihood through humiliation.

Do not seek a livelihood through humiliation,

Do not ever seek a livelihood through humiliation,

And raise yourself above base pursuits.

And raise yourself above the lowness of the seek.

And raise your soul above base pursuits.

وِإِذا اِفتَقَرتَ فَداوِ فَقرَكَ بِالغِنى

وِإِذا اِفتَقَرتَ فَداوِ فَقرَكَ بِالغِنى

عَن كُلِّ ذي دَنَسٍ كَجِلدِ الأَجرَبِ

عَن كُلِّ ذي دَنَسٍ كَجِلدِ الأَجرَبِ

And if you fall into poverty, cure your poverty with independence

And when you are poor, cure your poverty through riches

If you face poverty, cure your want with self-sufficiency

From anyone stained like the skin of one with scabies.

Far from all that is unclean as a leper’s rags.

From every tainted soul, avoided like mangy skin.

فَليَرجِعَنَّ إِلَيكَ رِزقُكَ كُلُّهُ

فَليَرجِعَنَّ إِلَيكَ رِزقُكَ كُلُّهُ

لَو كانَ أَبعَدَ مِن مَحَلِّ الكَوكَبِ

لَو كانَ أَبعَدَ مِن مَحَلِّ الكَوكَبِ

Then all your sustenance shall surely return to you,

So all your daily bread will come back to you,

For your destined sustenance shall surely come to you,

Even if it lay farther away than the star’s dwelling.

Though it were farther than the place of stars.

Even were it further than the abode of the stars.