إِذا شِئتَ أَنْ تَلقى الهوانَ فُلذْ بمن

إِذا شِئتَ أَنْ تَلقى الهوانَ فُلذْ بمن

يُرَجَّى لنفعٍ أو لدفعِ مضرّةِ

يُرَجَّى لنفعٍ أو لدفعِ مضرّةِ

If you wish to suffer humiliation, seek refuge with one

If you wish to meet with humiliation, then hold fast to one

from whom benefit is hoped, or the warding off of harm.

From whom is hoped a benefit or warding off of harm,

فَهامُ الرّجالِ الآنفينَ عزيزةٌ

فَهامُ الرّجالِ الآنفينَ عزيزةٌ

وَإِنْ حُمِّلتْ مَنّاً لذي المنِّ ذلّتِ

وَإِنْ حُمِّلتْ مَنّاً لذي المنِّ ذلّتِ

For the heads of men who scorn abasement are held high;

For the souls of generous men are now made precious,

yet if burdened with indebtedness to a benefactor, they are abased.

And if you bear benefits to the beneficent, you are humbled.

وَعَدِّ عَنِ الأَطماعِ فهْيَ مَذلّةٌ

وَعَدِّ عَنِ الأَطماعِ فهْيَ مَذلّةٌ

وَلَو خالَطتْ شُمَّ الجبالِ لخرِّتِ

وَلَو خالَطتْ شُمَّ الجبالِ لخرِّتِ

And turn away from covetous hopes, for they bring humiliation;

And refrain from greeds, for they are humiliation,

even if they mingled with the lofty mountains, those would collapse.

Even if they are mixed with the summits of mountains, they would crumble.

فَويلٌ لِنفسٍ حُلِّئِتْ عَن مَرامِها

فَويلٌ لِنفسٍ حُلِّئِتْ عَن مَرامِها

وويلٌ لنفسٍ أُعطيتْ ما تمنّتِ

وويلٌ لنفسٍ أُعطيتْ ما تمنّتِ

So woe to a soul barred from its goal,

So woe to a soul that is adorned with other than its own purpose,

and woe to a soul granted what it wished for.

And woe to a soul that is given what it desired.

وَلَيسَ بِخافٍ قبحُ حرصٍ على غنىً

وَلَيسَ بِخافٍ قبحُ حرصٍ على غنىً

وَلَكنْ عقولٌ بالضّراعةِ جُنّتِ

وَلَكنْ عقولٌ بالضّراعةِ جُنّتِ

And the ugliness of craving wealth is no secret;

And there is no shame in an eagerness for wealth,

yet minds have been maddened by servility.

Rather, minds are made insane by poverty.