لا خَيرَ في المالِ أُعطاهُ وَأَجمَعُهُ

لا خَيرَ في المالِ أُعطاهُ وَأَجمَعُهُ

إِذا عَريتُ فَمِمّا حُزتُ عُرّيتُ

إِذا عَريتُ فَمِمّا حُزتُ عُرّيتُ

There is no good in wealth I am given and accumulate,

No good is there in wealth when given, amassed,

When I am left bare, stripped of what I acquired.

If I'm made bare then with what I gained clothed was I.

وَما اِنتِفاعي إِذا أَصبَحتُ ذا فِرَةٍ

وَما اِنتِفاعي إِذا أَصبَحتُ ذا فِرَةٍ

وَإِنَّما أَنا رِسلُ الضَرعِ صُرّيتُ

وَإِنَّما أَنا رِسلُ الضَرعِ صُرّيتُ

And what do I gain if I become wealthy,

Of no benefit is it when morn appears,

While I am only the udder's milk, held back?

If but a thread conceals me, then thread am I.

وَصاغَني اللَهُ مِن ماءٍ وَها أَنا ذا

وَصاغَني اللَهُ مِن ماءٍ وَها أَنا ذا

كَالماءِ أَجري بِقَدرٍ كَيفَ جُرّيتُ

كَالماءِ أَجري بِقَدرٍ كَيفَ جُرّيتُ

God fashioned me from water, and here I am,

God made me of water, yet behold I flow,

Like water, flowing by decree, however I am made to flow.

As flows water, by decree directed was I.

بُريتُ لِلأَمرِ لَم أَعرِف حَقائِقَهُ

بُريتُ لِلأَمرِ لَم أَعرِف حَقائِقَهُ

فَلَيتَني مِن حِسابِ اللَهِ بُرّيتُ

فَلَيتَني مِن حِسابِ اللَهِ بُرّيتُ

I was created for a purpose whose realities I did not know;

Created for a purpose I knew not true,

So would that I were exempt from God's reckoning.

Would that from God's reckoning exonerated was I!

أَرى خَيالَ إِزارٍ حَمَّهُ قَدَرٌ

أَرى خَيالَ إِزارٍ حَمَّهُ قَدَرٌ

ظَهَرتُ مِنهُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ وُرّيتُ

ظَهَرتُ مِنهُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ وُرّيتُ

I see the phantom of a waist-wrap that fate decreed;

I see a loincloth's image, Fate has filled it out,

I appeared from it briefly, then was hidden.

Revealed from it a little, then hidden was I.

ما لي رَضيتُ بِما أَنكَرتُهُ زَمَناً

ما لي رَضيتُ بِما أَنكَرتُهُ زَمَناً

وَخِلتُني بِصُروفِ الدَهرِ ضُرّيتُ

وَخِلتُني بِصُروفِ الدَهرِ ضُرّيتُ

Why have I grown content with what I rejected for a time,

Why did I accept what once I disapproved?

And thought myself inured to time's vicissitudes?

And left was I to time's caprice confounded was I.

فَهَل دَرى اللَيثُ إِذا ضَمَّ الرَجاجَ لَهُ

فَهَل دَرى اللَيثُ إِذا ضَمَّ الرَجاجَ لَهُ

فَمٌ وَقُدِّرَ لِلشَدقَينِ تَهريتُ

فَمٌ وَقُدِّرَ لِلشَدقَينِ تَهريتُ

So did the lion know, when the weak were gathered for him

Does the lion know when clamped are jaws on him,

By a mouth, and its two corners were ordained to gape wide?

A mouth decreed to rend his cheeks was I?

كَأَنَّنا في قِفارٍ ضَلَّ سالِكُها

كَأَنَّنا في قِفارٍ ضَلَّ سالِكُها

نَهجَ الطَريقِ وَما في القَومِ خَرّيتُ

نَهجَ الطَريقِ وَما في القَومِ خَرّيتُ

As though we were in wastes whose traveler had lost

As if in empty plains a lost traveller were we,

The course of the road, with no expert guide among the company.

The path we missed, no guide among us was I.

لَو يَنطُقُ اللَيلُ نادى كَم فَرى ظُلَمي

لَو يَنطُقُ اللَيلُ نادى كَم فَرى ظُلَمي

فَجرٌ وَأُدلِجتُ في حاجٍ وَأُسريتُ

فَجرٌ وَأُدلِجتُ في حاجٍ وَأُسريتُ

If night could speak, it would cry: 'How often my darkness has been cleft

Would night but speak, he'd call how much in gloom saw he!

By dawn! I was traversed on errands early in the night, and journeyed through by night,

Dawn came, imprisoned in needs, compelled was I.

وَأَعملَتني رِجالٌ في مَآرِبِها

وَأَعملَتني رِجالٌ في مَآرِبِها

كَأَنَّني جَملٌ لِلإِنسِ أُبريتُ

كَأَنَّني جَملٌ لِلإِنسِ أُبريتُ

And men put me to work for their purposes,

And men made me serve in their treacherous affairs,

As though I were a camel, nose-ringed for humankind.'

As if a camel for mankind enslaved was I.

لا يَصبِرونَ فَقيرٌ تَحتَ فاقَتِه

لا يَصبِرونَ فَقيرٌ تَحتَ فاقَتِه

إِنَّ السَباريتَ جابَتها السَباريتُ

إِنَّ السَباريتَ جابَتها السَباريتُ

They do not endure; a poor man is burdened by his want.

No patience for a pauper beneath his want,

Indeed, the barren wastes have been traversed by the destitute.

Raiders raided but by raiders plundered was I!

ناسٌ إِذا نَسَكوا عُدّوا مَلائِكَةً

ناسٌ إِذا نَسَكوا عُدّوا مَلائِكَةً

وَإِن طَغَوا فَهُمُ جِنٌّ عَفاريتُ

وَإِن طَغَوا فَهُمُ جِنٌّ عَفاريتُ

People, when they worship, are counted as angels;

Folk when devout are angels numbered,

And if they transgress, they are jinn—fiends.

But rebels when transgressing, evil spirits was I.

لا تَطرِيَنّي فَلي نَفسٌ مُجَرَّبَةٌ

لا تَطرِيَنّي فَلي نَفسٌ مُجَرَّبَةٌ

تُسِرُّ وَجداً إِذا بِالمَينِ أُطريتُ

تُسِرُّ وَجداً إِذا بِالمَينِ أُطريتُ

Do not lavish praise on me, for I have a tested soul,

Flatter me not, I've a soul that's tried,

Which conceals grief when I am praised with lies.

Pleased when blamed, when praised embarrassed was I.

وَإِن مُدِحتُ بِخَيرٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي

وَإِن مُدِحتُ بِخَيرٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي

حَسِبتُني بِقَبيحِ الذَمِّ فُرّيتُ

حَسِبتُني بِقَبيحِ الذَمِّ فُرّيتُ

And if I am praised for goodness not among my traits,

And if praised for good that's not my way,

I think myself torn apart by vile reproach.

I'm counted among the ugly damned was I.