1. قَطَّعتُ مِنكَ حَبائِلَ الآمالِ

    وَحَطَطتُ عَن ظَهرِ المَطِيِّ رِحالي

    I have severed the cords of hope that bound me to you,

    And unloaded my baggage from the backs of the riding camels.

  2. وَيَئِستُ أَن أَبقى لِشَيءٍ نِلتُ مِم

    ما فيكِ يا دُنيا وَأَن يَبقى لي

    And I have lost hope that I shall endure for anything I gained from

    What you hold, O world, or that it shall endure for me.

  3. وَوَجَدتُ بَردَ اليَأسِ بَينَ جَوانِحي

    وَأَرَحتُ مِن حَلّي وَمِن تَرحالي

    And found the coolness of despair within my ribs,

    And given myself rest from my halts and my travels.

  4. وَلَئِن طَمِعتُ لِرُبَّ بَرقَةِ خُلَّبٍ

    بَرَقَت لِذي طَمَعٍ وَلَمعَةِ آلِ

    And if I have hoped—many a flash of rainless lightning

    Has flashed for a hopeful man, and many a mirage has gleamed.

  5. ما كانَ أَشأَمَ إِذ رَجاؤكِ قاتِلي

    وَبَناتُ وَعدِكَ يَعتَلِجنَ بِبالي

    How baleful it was when hope in you was my killer,

    And the daughters of your promise churned in my mind.

  6. الآنَ يا دُنيا عَرَفتُكِ فَاِذهَبي

    يا دارَ كُلِّ تَشَتُّتٍ وَزَوالِ

    Now, O world, I know you: go away,

    O abode of all dispersal and passing away!

  7. وَالآنَ صارَ لي الزَمانُ مُؤَدَّباً

    فَغَدا عَلَيَّ وَراحَ بِالأَمثالِ

    And now time has become my teacher,

    So it visits me morning and evening bearing examples.

  8. وَالآنَ أَبصَرتُ السَبيلَ إِلى الهُدى

    وَتَفَرَّغَت هِمَمي عَنِ الأَشغالِ

    And now I see the path to guidance,

    And my aspirations are freed from preoccupations.

  9. وَلَقَد أَقامَ لِيَ المَشيبُ نُعاتَهُ

    يُفضي إِلَيَّ بِمَفرَقٍ وَقَذالِ

    And gray hair has set its death-heralds before me,

    Speaking to me through my hair's parting and the back of my head.

  10. وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ المَوتَ يَبرُقُ سَيفُهُ

    بِيَدِ المَنِيَّةِ حَيثُ كُنتُ حِيالي

    And I have seen death, its sword flashing

    In doom's hand, before me wherever I was.

  11. وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ عُرى الحَياةِ تَخَرَّمَت

    وَلَقَد تَصَدّى الوارِثونَ لِمالي

    And I have seen the bonds of life torn apart,

    And the heirs have turned their attention to my wealth.

  12. وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ عَلى الفَناءِ أَدِلَّةً

    فيما تَنَكَّرَ مِن تَصَرُّفِ حالي

    And I have seen evidence of passing away

    In the strange changes of my condition.

  13. وَإِذا اِعتَبَرتُ رَأَيتُ حَطَّ حَوادِثٍ

    يَجرينَ بِالأَرزاقِ وَالآجالِ

    And when I reflect, I see events descending,

    Running their course with livelihoods and appointed lifespans.

  14. وَإِذا تَناسَبَتِ الرِجالُ فَما أَرى

    نَسَباً يُقاسُ بِصالِحِ الأَعمالِ

    And when men compare their lineages, I see no

    Ancestry that can compare with righteous deeds.

  15. وَإِذا بَحَثتُ عَنِ التَقِيِّ وَجَدتُهُ

    رَجُلاً يُصَدِّقُ قَولَهُ بِفِعالِ

    And when I seek the pious man, I find him

    A man who confirms his words with deeds.

  16. وَإِذا اِتَّقى اللَهَ اِمرُؤٌ وَأَطاعَهُ

    فَتَراهُ بَينَ مَكارِمٍ وَمَعالِ

    And when a man fears God and obeys Him,

    You see him amid noble virtues and lofty qualities.

  17. عَلى التَقِيِّ إِذا تَرَسَّخَ في التُقى

    تاجانِ تاجُ سَكينَةٍ وَجَلالِ

    Upon the pious man, when he is firmly rooted in piety,

    Are two crowns: a crown of serenity and one of majesty.

  18. وَاللَيلُ يَذهَبُ وَالنَهارُ تَعاوُراً

    بِالخَلقِ في الإِدبارِ وَالإِقبالِ

    And night and day, by turns, carry away

    Humankind, in their departing and returning.

  19. وَبِحَسبِ مَن تُنعى إِلَيهِ نَفسُهُ

    مِنهُم بِأَيّامٍ خَلَت وَلَيالِ

    And it is warning enough for one whose own death is foretold to him,

    Among them, by days and nights gone by.

  20. اِضرِب بِطَرفِكَ حَيثُ شِئتَ فَأَنتَ في

    عِبَرٍ لَهُنَّ تَدارُكٌ وَتَوالِ

    Cast your gaze wherever you wish, for you are amid

    Lessons that press upon one another and follow in succession.

  21. يَبلى الجَديدُ وَأَنتَ في تَجديدِهِ

    وَجَميعُ ما جَدَّدتَ مِنهُ فَبالِ

    The new wears out while you are still renewing it,

    And all you renew of it is bound to wear out.

  22. يا أَيُّها البَطَرُ الَّذي هُوَ مِن غَدٍ

    في قَبرِهِ مُتَفَرِّقُ الأَوصالِ

    O arrogant reveler, who as soon as tomorrow

    Will lie in his grave, his limbs coming apart,

  23. حَذَفَ المُنى عَنهُ المُشَمِّرُ في الهُدى

    وَأَرى مُناكَ طَويلَةَ الأَذيالِ

    He who girds himself for guidance has cast wishes aside,

    And I see your wishes with long trailing hems.

  24. وَلقَلَّ ما تَلقى أَغَرَّ لِنَفسِهِ

    مِن لاعِبٍ مَرِحٍ بِها مُختالِ

    And rarely do you meet a man more self-deceiving

    Than a trifler, exultant in himself and swaggering.

  25. يا تاجِرَ الغَيِّ المُضِرَّ بِرُشدِهِ

    حَتّى مَتى بِالغِيِّ أَنتَ تُغالي

    O trader in error, who damages his own judgment,

    How long will you bid so high for error?

  26. الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الحَميدِ بِمَنِّهِ

    خَسِرَت وَلَم تَربَح يَدُ البَطّالِ

    Praise be to God, the Praiseworthy, for His bounty;

    The idler's hand has lost and made no profit.

  27. لِلَّهِ يَومٌ تَقشَعِرُّ جُلودُهُم

    وَتَشيبُ مِنهُ ذَوائِبُ الأَطفالِ

    God has a day on which their skins shudder,

    And children's tresses turn gray because of it.

  28. يَومُ النَوازِلِ وَالزَلازِلِ وَالحَوا

    مِلِ فيهِ إِذ يَقذِفنَ بِالأَحمالِ

    The day of calamities and earthquakes, and of pregnant

    Women, when they cast forth their burdens on that day.

  29. يَومُ التَغابُنِ وَالتَبايُنِ وَالتَوا

    زُنِ وَالأُمورِ عَظيمَةِ الأَهوالِ

    The day of mutual loss and gain, of separation, and of

    Weighing, and of matters fraught with tremendous terrors.

  30. يَومٌ يُنادى فيهِ كُلُّ مُضَلِّلٍ

    بُمُقَطَّعاتِ النارِ وَالأَغلالِ

    A day when everyone who leads others astray is summoned

    In garments cut from fire, and in shackles.

  31. لِلمُتَّقينَ هُناكَ نُزلُ كَرامَةٍ

    عَلَتِ الوُجوهَ بِنَضرَةٍ وَجَمالِ

    There the God-fearing receive a welcome of honor,

    That covers their faces in radiance and beauty.

  32. زُمَرٌ أَضاءَت لِلحِسابِ وُجوهُها

    فَلَها بَريقٌ عِندَهُ وَتَلالي

    Groups whose faces shine at the reckoning,

    So there they have brilliance and glitter.

  33. وَسَوابِقٌ غُرٌّ مُحَجَّلَةٌ جَرَت

    خُمصَ البُطونِ خَفيفَةَ الأَثقالِ

    And forerunners, white-blazed and white-stockinged, have raced,

    With hollow bellies and light burdens.

  34. مِن كُلِّ أَشعَثَ كانَ أَغبَرَ ناحِلاً

    خَلَقَ الرِداءَ مُرَقَّعِ السِربالِ

    From every disheveled man who was dusty and gaunt,

    With a threadbare cloak and a patched tunic.

  35. نَزَلوا بِأَكرَمِ سَيِّدٍ فَأَظَلَّهُم

    في دارِ مُلكِ جَلالَةٍ وَظِلالِ

    They lodged with the most generous Master, and He sheltered them

    In an abode of dominion, majesty, and shade.

  36. حِيَلُ اِبنِ آدَمَ في الأُمورِ كَثيرَةٌ

    وَالمَوتُ يَقطَعُ حِليَةَ المُحتالِ

    The son of Adam's devices in affairs are many,

    And death cuts off the schemer's adornment.

  37. وَمِنَ النُعاةِ إِلى اِبنِ آدَمَ نَفسَهُ

    حَرَكَ الخُطى وَطُلوعُ كُلِّ هِلالِ

    And among the heralds proclaiming his own death to Adam's son

    Are the movement of footsteps and the rising of every crescent moon.

  38. ما لي أَراكَ لِحُرِّ وَجهِكَ مُخلِقاً

    أَخَلَقتِ يا دُنيا وُجوهَ رِجالِ

    Why do I see you wearing away your face's dignity?

    You have worn out men's faces, O world.

  39. قِستُ السُؤالَ فَكانَ أَعظَمَ قيمَةً

    مِن كُلِّ عارِفَةٍ أَتَت بِسُؤالِ

    I weighed begging and found its cost greater

    Than any favor that came through begging.

  40. كُن بِالسُؤالِ أَشَدَّ عَقدَ ضَنانَةٍ

    مِمَّن يَضِنُّ عَلَيكَ بِالأَموالِ

    Be more tightly bound in restraint from begging

    Than one who is stingy toward you with his wealth.

  41. وَصُنِ المَحامِدَ ما اِستَطَعتَ فَإِنَّها

    في الوَزنِ تَرجُحُ بَذلَ كُلِّ نَوالِ

    And guard your praiseworthy qualities as best you can, for they

    Outweigh the bestowal of every gift in the balance.

  42. وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ مِنَ المُثَمِّرِ مالَهُ

    نَسِيَ المُثَمِّرُ زينَةَ الإِقلالِ

    And I have marveled at the man who makes his wealth grow;

    The wealth-grower has forgotten the beauty of having little.

  43. وَإِذا اِمرُؤٌ لَبِسَ الشُكوكَ بِعَزمِهِ

    سَلَكَ الطَريقَ عَلى قَعودِ ضَلالِ

    And when a man cloaks his resolve in doubts,

    He follows the road astride error's young camel.

  44. وَإِذا دَعَت خُدَعُ الحَوادِثِ دَعوَةً

    شَهِدَت لَهُنَّ مَصارِعُ الأَبطالِ

    And when the deceptions of events issue a summons,

    The places where heroes fell bear witness to them.

  45. وَإِذا اِبتُليتَ بِبَذلِ وَجهِكَ سائِلاً

    فَاِبذُلهُ لِلمُتَكَرِّمِ المِفاضِلِ

    And if you are tried by offering up your face in begging,

    Then offer it to the generous man of outstanding merit.

  46. وَإِذا خَشيتَ تَعَذُّراً في بَلدَةٍ

    فَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِعاجِلِ التَرحالِ

    And if you fear hardship in a town,

    Then hold fast, with both hands, to prompt departure.

  47. وَاِصبِر عَلى غَيرِ الزَمانِ فَإِنَّما

    فَرَجُ الشَدائِدِ مِثلُ حَلِّ عِقالِ

    And be patient with time's reversals, for

    Relief from hardships is like undoing a camel's hobble.