مَن لي بمن إنْ سُمته حاجةً

مَن لي بمن إنْ سُمته حاجةً

شمّر فيها فَضْلَ أذيالِهِ

شمّر فيها فَضْلَ أذيالِهِ

Who will find me one who, if I ask him a favor,

Who is there for me when if I have a need

tucks up his trailing hems to fulfill it,

He girds up the skirts of his excellence

فيبذل النّفسَ ولا يرتضي

فيبذل النّفسَ ولا يرتضي

في لَزَباتي بَذْلَ أموالِهِ

في لَزَباتي بَذْلَ أموالِهِ

and gives his very life, not content

And gives his soul without holding back

in my dire straits merely to give his wealth;

Giving his wealth unstintingly for my needs

وحاملٍ ثِقْلي على ظهرِهِ

وحاملٍ ثِقْلي على ظهرِهِ

كأنّه من بعض أثقالِهِ

كأنّه من بعض أثقالِهِ

and bears my burden upon his back,

Bearing my burden upon his back

as though it were one of his own burdens?

As if it were part of his own burdens

لو غدر النّاسُ به كلُّهمْ

لو غدر النّاسُ به كلُّهمْ

ما خطر الغدرُ على بالِهِ

ما خطر الغدرُ على بالِهِ

Were all people to betray him,

If all men betrayed him

betrayal would never cross his mind.

Betrayal would not cross his mind

وربّما أعرضتُ عنه فلا

وربّما أعرضتُ عنه فلا

أعدَمُ منه فضلَ إقبالِهِ

أعدَمُ منه فضلَ إقبالِهِ

And sometimes I turn away from him, yet never

And if I turned away from him

do I lack his generous attention.

I would not lack his constant kindness

ما عثرتْ رِجلُ اِمرئٍ مُنفِضٍ

ما عثرتْ رِجلُ اِمرئٍ مُنفِضٍ

أغنته كفّاهُ بإذلالِهِ

أغنته كفّاهُ بإذلالِهِ

Never has he made a penniless man's foot stumble

If a scornful man stumbled

by humiliating someone his own hands had enriched;

His hands would suffice to humiliate him

ولا رأته عينُ ذي زلّةٍ

ولا رأته عينُ ذي زلّةٍ

أَبدَلَ إفحاشاً بإجمالِهِ

أَبدَلَ إفحاشاً بإجمالِهِ

nor has the eye of one who erred ever seen him

Nor if the eye of a blunderer saw him

replace his graciousness with abuse.

Would he replace propriety with impropriety