اذاif انففتَyou spent ايامَكَyour days
اذا انففتَ ايامَكَ
فيin التَحصيلacquisition والتَجرِand trade
في التَحصيل والتَجرِ
If you spend your days
If you spend your days
In acquisition and trade,
In pursuit of knowledge and trade
تُضيفyou add الربحَthe profit فوقon top of الاصthe princi- (beginning of “principal”)
تُضيف الربحَ فوق الاص
ل-pal (completion of “principal”) والقوَةand power للجذرِto the root
ل والقوَة للجذرِ
Adding profit atop the princi-
You will add profit upon the root
pal, and power to the root,
And strength to the core
يمرُّpasses املالmoney كالضيفlike a guest
يمرُّ املال كالضيف
عَلىover أَكياسكyour bags البُجرِbulging
عَلى أَكياسك البُجرِ
While money passes like a guest
Money will pass as a guest
Over your bulging moneybags,
Through your overflowing pouches
وَلَمand did not تنفقyou spend علىon نفسكyourself
وَلَم تنفق على نفسك
الّاexcept أَنزَرَthe scantiest النَزِرthe scant amount
الّا أَنزَرَ النَزِر
And spend nothing on yourself
And you will not spend on yourself
But the merest pittance,
Except sparingly
فَقَدthen indeed جُدتَyou gave generously باغلىwith something dearer منthan
فَقَد جُدتَ باغلى من
نَفيسprecious المالwealth لوif تَدريyou knew
نَفيس المال لو تَدري
Then you have given something dearer than
For you have attained what is more precious
Precious wealth, if you only knew.
Than wealth, if you but knew
أَلَيسَare … not? السودُthe black ones والبيضُand the white ones
أَلَيسَ السودُ والبيضُ
منof الليلاتthe nights والنُهرِand the days
من الليلات والنُهرِ
Are not the black and the white
Are not the black and the white
Of nights and days
Of the same nights and rivers?
باغلىdearer ايُّهاO العاقلُrational one
باغلى ايُّها العاقلُ
منthan بيضٍwhite ones (silver) ومنand than صُفرِyellow ones (gold)
من بيضٍ ومن صُفرِ
Dearer, O man of reason,
O wise one, what is most precious
Than white silver and yellow gold?
Is neither white nor yellow