دع الغِنى لبنيهِ

دع الغِنى لبنيهِ

إِنْ شئتَ أنْ لا تذلّا

إِنْ شئتَ أنْ لا تذلّا

Leave wealth to its sons,

Let wealth be for its sons,

if you wish not to be abased.

If you want never to be humbled.

كم ذا تعلّقُ ظِلّاً

كم ذا تعلّقُ ظِلّاً

مزايلاً مُضْمَحلّا

مزايلاً مُضْمَحلّا

How long will you cling to a shadow,

How much does one cling to a shadow

departing and fading away?

Fading and withering?

إنْ أنتَ أعرضتَ عنه

إنْ أنتَ أعرضتَ عنه

جثا إليك وحلّا

جثا إليك وحلّا

If you turn away from it,

If you turn away from it,

it kneels before you and settles.

It humbles itself to you.

وإنْ رآك حريصاً

وإنْ رآك حريصاً

عليه يوماً تولّى

عليه يوماً تولّى

And if it sees you eager

And if one day you seem eager for it,

for it one day, it turns away.

It turns away.

مَنْ فكّ رِبقةَ حِرْصٍ

مَنْ فكّ رِبقةَ حِرْصٍ

فإنّما فكّ غُلّا

فإنّما فكّ غُلّا

Whoever unfastens the halter of greed

Whoever frees himself of greed's shackles

has only unfastened a shackle.

Has only freed himself of shackles.

ومَنْ يجلّ صنيعاً

ومَنْ يجلّ صنيعاً

كان الأعزّ الأجلّا

كان الأعزّ الأجلّا

And whoever is great in good deeds

Whoever makes little of gifts

is the mightiest, the most exalted.

Was the proudest and most glorious.

مَن ملَّ حَمْلَ ثقيلٍ

مَن ملَّ حَمْلَ ثقيلٍ

من الرّجالِ أُمِلّا

من الرّجالِ أُمِلّا

Whoever tires of bearing a heavy burden

Whoever carries a heavy burden

among men is himself found tiresome.

Of men's affairs becomes weary.

ومن تكثّر يوماً

ومن تكثّر يوماً

بالنّاسِ ذلَّ وقلّا

بالنّاسِ ذلَّ وقلّا

And whoever one day seeks strength in numbers

And whoever mixes much with people

through people is abased and diminished.

Is humbled and becomes little.

لا تطلبنَّ دواءً

لا تطلبنَّ دواءً

للدّاءِ كان المُعِلّا

للدّاءِ كان المُعِلّا

Never seek a remedy

Seek no cure

for an illness in what caused it.

For an illness that proved fatal.

وَلا تبعْ بحرامٍ

وَلا تبعْ بحرامٍ

من المعيشةِ حِلّا

من المعيشةِ حِلّا

And do not sell for unlawful gain

And earn no illicit livelihood

what is lawful in your livelihood.

To live by.

للَّهِ نَدْبٌ جريءُ

للَّهِ نَدْبٌ جريءُ

رأى الغبينةَ ذُلّا

رأى الغبينةَ ذُلّا

God bless the gallant, daring man

Allah has a daring call

who saw being cheated as humiliation,

For one who sees humbleness as disgrace

وعَدَّ ما في يديهِ

وعَدَّ ما في يديهِ

ثِقْلاً عليه وكَلّا

ثِقْلاً عليه وكَلّا

and counted what was in his hands

And counts what is in his hands

a weight upon him and a burden,

A burden and shackle upon him.

وَاِستلّ بين رجالٍ

وَاِستلّ بين رجالٍ

من العَضِيهةِ سَلّا

من العَضِيهةِ سَلّا

and, among men, drew himself free

And one who extracts himself

from slander, drawing clear.

From the coarseness of men is extracted safely.

ما العيشُ إلّا كبرقٍ

ما العيشُ إلّا كبرقٍ

أو عارضٍ يتجلّى

أو عارضٍ يتجلّى

Life is but like a flash of lightning,

Life is but a lightning flash

or a raincloud coming into view.

Or a guest who briefly alights.