إِذا كانَ ما قالَ الحَكيمُ فَما خَلا

إِذا كانَ ما قالَ الحَكيمُ فَما خَلا

زَمانِيَ مِنّي مُنذُ كانَ وَلا يَخلو

زَمانِيَ مِنّي مُنذُ كانَ وَلا يَخلو

If what the sage said is true, then never has

If what the sage said is true, then never has

my lifetime, since it began, been empty of me, nor will it be.

my time been without me since it began, nor will it be.

أُفَرِّقُ طَوراً ثُمَّ أَجمَعُ تارَةً

أُفَرِّقُ طَوراً ثُمَّ أَجمَعُ تارَةً

وَمِثلِيَ في حالاتِهِ السَدرُ وَالنَخلُ

وَمِثلِيَ في حالاتِهِ السَدرُ وَالنَخلُ

At times I scatter it, then at others gather it;

I scatter at one time, then gather at another;

and like me, through its changing states, are the lote tree and the date palm.

And the lote tree and date palm are like me in their states.

وَأَبخَلُ بِالطَبعِ الَّذي لَستُ

وَأَبخَلُ بِالطَبعِ الَّذي لَستُ

غالِباً وَمِن شَرِّ أَخلاقِ الرِجالِ هُوَ البُخلُ

غالِباً وَمِن شَرِّ أَخلاقِ الرِجالِ هُوَ البُخلُ

And I am miserly by a nature that I cannot

And I am miserly by a nature that I cannot

overcome; and among the worst traits of men is miserliness.

overcome; and among men's worst traits is miserliness.

أَرادَ اِبنَهُ المُثري لِيَأخُذَ إِرثَهُ

أَرادَ اِبنَهُ المُثري لِيَأخُذَ إِرثَهُ

وَلَو عَقَلَ الآباءُ ما وَضَعَ السَخلُ

وَلَو عَقَلَ الآباءُ ما وَضَعَ السَخلُ

His wealthy son wished for his death, so that he might take his inheritance;

The wealthy man wanted his son to take his inheritance;

had fathers possessed reason, they would not have begotten offspring.

And had fathers understood, no lamb or kid would have been born.