سَلِ الفضلَ أهلَ الفَضلِ قِدماً ولا تَسَل

سَلِ الفضلَ أهلَ الفَضلِ قِدماً ولا تَسَل

غُلاماً نَشا في الفقر ثم تَمَوَّلا

غُلاماً نَشا في الفقر ثم تَمَوَّلا

Seek bounty from those long possessed of bounty, and do not ask

Ask for favors from the noble

A young man who grew up in poverty, then became wealthy.

Do not ask from a boy who grew up poor then became wealthy

فلو مَلَك الدُّنيا جميعا بأسرِها

فلو مَلَك الدُّنيا جميعا بأسرِها

تُذكِّرُه الأيامُ ما كانَ أوَّلا

تُذكِّرُه الأيامُ ما كانَ أوَّلا

For even if he possessed the whole world in its entirety,

For if he owned the whole world and all its treasures

The days would remind him of what he once was.

The days would remind him of what he was before