تعوَّد على الإِحسانِ يُغنيكَ زادُهُ

تعوَّد على الإِحسانِ يُغنيكَ زادُهُ

بما أنتَ أَهْلٌ أَنْ تكون مرادُهُ

بما أنتَ أَهْلٌ أَنْ تكون مرادُهُ

Make kindness a habit; its provisions will enrich you

Getting accustomed to benevolence will suffice you its provision

with what you merit as its intended recipient:

Since you are worthy of becoming its purpose

مراتِبَ يرقاها الذي باتَ كاسفاً

مراتِبَ يرقاها الذي باتَ كاسفاً

لحاجةِ مسكينٍ، تُقِضُّ وسادُهُ

لحاجةِ مسكينٍ، تُقِضُّ وسادُهُ

ranks attained by one who spends the night downcast

Ranks are attained by one who spent the night remorseful

over a poor man's need that unsettles his pillow.

For the need of a poor man, fulfilling his pillow

فمن صَحَبَ الإِحْسَانَ أغناهُ فضلُهُ

فمن صَحَبَ الإِحْسَانَ أغناهُ فضلُهُ

ومن صَدَّ عنه النَّاس ضاع عتادُهُ

ومن صَدَّ عنه النَّاس ضاع عتادُهُ

For whoever keeps company with kindness is enriched by its bounty;

So whoever accompanies benevolence, its merit enriches him

and whoever turns people away from it loses his resources.

And whoever turns people away from it, loses his supplies

شهدتُ على معطاءِ فضلٍ بأنَّهُ

شهدتُ على معطاءِ فضلٍ بأنَّهُ

يُقيلُ عزيزاً إن يزلُّ جوادُهُ

يُقيلُ عزيزاً إن يزلُّ جوادُهُ

I bear witness that a generous giver of bounty

I bear witness that the giver of bounty’s benevolence

helps a man of honor back up if his steed stumbles,

Saves a dear one if his generosity slips

ويحفظُ ماءَ الوجهِ للأكرمِ الذي

ويحفظُ ماءَ الوجهِ للأكرمِ الذي

أمالَ به دهرٌ، فأَفنى تلادُهُ

أمالَ به دهرٌ، فأَفنى تلادُهُ

and preserves the dignity of the noblest man, whom

And preserves the face’s water for the most generous one

time has brought low, consuming his inherited wealth.

Whom time relied upon, yet his offspring wasted

يوقِّيهِ ما لا تستطيبُ لسانُهُ

يوقِّيهِ ما لا تستطيبُ لسانُهُ

لحاجةِ مملاقٍ أَضَلَّ رقادُهُ

لحاجةِ مملاقٍ أَضَلَّ رقادُهُ

He shields him from what his tongue finds distasteful

It prevents him from what his tongue dislikes

for the need of a pauper who has lost his sleep.

For the need of a beggar whose slumber went astray

وآخرُ محروماً على وِسْعِ مالهِ

وآخرُ محروماً على وِسْعِ مالهِ

عطاءً لخيرٍ، قد نَمتهُ بلادُهُ

عطاءً لخيرٍ، قد نَمتهُ بلادُهُ

And another is deprived, despite his ample wealth,

While another deprived with the capacity of his money

of giving to good causes, though his country has nurtured him.

Giving to goodness, though his country slept

بلادٌ حَبتهُ الفضلَ لكن تنكَّرت

بلادٌ حَبتهُ الفضلَ لكن تنكَّرت

لها نفسهُ، حتى استبدَّ فسادُهُ

لها نفسهُ، حتى استبدَّ فسادُهُ

A country that bestowed bounty upon him, but was disowned

A country that loved him for his merit, but denied

by his own soul, until his corruption ruled unchecked.

Itself, until its corruption took over

فيا بؤسهُ من ناكرٍ حُسْنَ رِفْدِها

فيا بؤسهُ من ناكرٍ حُسْنَ رِفْدِها

ويا بؤسَ من إِبنٍ يرجَّى ذِيَادُهُ

ويا بؤسَ من إِبنٍ يرجَّى ذِيَادُهُ

So woe to him who denies the goodness of her support,

So what misery for one ungrateful of its good provision

and woe to a son whose defense is hoped for!

And what misery for a son hoped to increase it

أُعيذُ نجيباً أن يَرى فيه ساعداً

أُعيذُ نجيباً أن يَرى فيه ساعداً

على عُسرِ أمرٍ أو يراهُ عِمادُهُ

على عُسرِ أمرٍ أو يراهُ عِمادُهُ

I seek protection for a noble man, lest he see in him a helping arm

I seek refuge for a dignified one to see in him a hand

in a difficult affair, or regard him as his pillar.

Against hardship or consider him a pillar

فمن ينكُرُ الإِحسانَ من أُمِّهِ فمنْ

فمن ينكُرُ الإِحسانَ من أُمِّهِ فمنْ

يقيمُ له وزناً، وذاك عتادهُ؟!!

يقيمُ له وزناً، وذاك عتادهُ؟!!

For whoever denies his mother's kindness—who then

For one who denies the benevolence of his mother, who

will accord him any weight, when that is his stock-in-trade?!

Would stand for him, such is his supplies!