1. لَقَد عَلِمتُ وَما الإِسرافُ مِن خُلُقي

    أَنَّ الَّذي هُوَ رِزقي سَوفَ يَأتيني

    I know full well—and extravagance is not in my nature—

    that my allotted sustenance will come to me:

  2. أَسعى لَهُ فَيُعَنّيني تَطَلُّبُهُ

    وَلَو جَلَستُ أَتاني لا يُعَنّيني

    I strive for it, and seeking it wearies me,

    though even if I sat still, it would come to me without wearying me;

  3. وَأَنَّ حَظَّ اِمرىءٍ غَيري سَيَبلُغُهُ

    لا بُدَّ لا بُدَّ أَن يَحتازَهُ دوني

    and that another man's share will reach him:

    inevitably, inevitably, he will secure it, not I.

  4. لا خَيرَ في طَمَعٍ يُدني لِمَنقَصَةٍ

    وَغُبَّرٍ مِن كَفافِ العَيشِ يَكفيني

    There is no good in greed that leads to disgrace;

    and scraps of life's bare sustenance suffice for me.

  5. لا أَركَبُ الأَمرَ تُزري بي عَواقِبُهُ

    وَلا يُعابُ بِهِ عِرضي وَلا ديني

    I undertake no affair whose consequences disgrace me,

    nor is my honor or my faith reproached because of it.

  6. كَم مِن فَقيرٍ غَنِيِّ النَفسِ تَعرِفُهُ

    وَمِن غَنِيٍّ فَقيرِ النَفسِ مِسكينِ

    How many a poor man, rich in spirit, you know,

    and many a rich man, poor in spirit and wretched!

  7. وَمِن عَدُوٍّ رَماني لَو قَصَدتُ لَهُ

    لَم يَأخُذِ النِصفَ مِنّي حينَ يَرميني

    And many an enemy has shot at me—had I aimed at him,

    he would have been no match for me as he shot at me.

  8. وَمِن أَخٍ لي طَوى كَشحاً فَقُلتُ لَهُ

    إِنَّ اِنطِواءَكَ عَنّي سَوفَ يَطويني

    And many a brother of mine turned his flank away, so I told him:

    “Indeed, your turning away from me will make me turn away.”

  9. إِنّي لَأَنطُقُ فيما كانَ مِن إِرَبي

    وَأُكثِرُ الصَمتَ فيما لَيسَ يَعنيني

    I do indeed speak of what concerns me,

    and keep mostly silent about what does not concern me.

  10. لا أَبتَغي وَصلَ مِن يَبغي مُفارَقَتي

    وَلا أَلينُ لِمَن لا يَشتَهي ليني

    I seek no bond with one who seeks to part from me,

    nor am I gentle with one who does not desire my gentleness.