أتَدْرِي السَّواقِي ما تقولُ وقد غدتْ

أتَدْرِي السَّواقِي ما تقولُ وقد غدتْ

تدُورُ وتَسْقي حين تعلُو وتنْزِلُ

تدُورُ وتَسْقي حين تعلُو وتنْزِلُ

Do you know what the waterwheels say, now that they have begun

Do you know what the water-wheels say as they turn around,

To turn and irrigate as they rise and fall?

Going up and down as they irrigate?

تقول لك المَمْلُوءُ يعْلُو وكلُّ ما

تقول لك المَمْلُوءُ يعْلُو وكلُّ ما

تضَرَّع تَلْقاهُ مَدَى الدهرِ يسْفُلُ

تضَرَّع تَلْقاهُ مَدَى الدهرِ يسْفُلُ

They tell you: the full one rises, and whatever

They say: "He who is full rises up, while everything

Humbles itself, you find forever sinking low.

That humbled itself, remains low forever."

تُريدُ الورى تهْوَى الغَنِيَّ ولم تزَلْ

تُريدُ الورى تهْوَى الغَنِيَّ ولم تزَلْ

تُعادِي فقيراً ما عليه مُعَوَّلُ

تُعادِي فقيراً ما عليه مُعَوَّلُ

They mean: people love the rich, and have always

The people want you to love the rich and you have always

Been hostile to a poor man on whom no reliance is placed.

Been hostile to the poor who have no resources.

فلا تُظْهِرَنَّ الفقْرَ ما دُمْتَ بينهم

فلا تُظْهِرَنَّ الفقْرَ ما دُمْتَ بينهم

وأظْهِرْ غنىً عنهم فذلك أجْمَلُ

وأظْهِرْ غنىً عنهم فذلك أجْمَلُ

So never show your poverty while you are among them,

So do not show poverty as long as you are among them,

And show that you have no need of them—that is more becoming.

But feign wealth, for that is more graceful.