لا يَأمَنُ الدَهرُ إِلّا الخائِنُ البَطِرُ

لا يَأمَنُ الدَهرُ إِلّا الخائِنُ البَطِرُ

مَن لَيسَ يَعقِلُ ما يَأتي وَما يَذَرُ

مَن لَيسَ يَعقِلُ ما يَأتي وَما يَذَرُ

None feels safe from Time save the treacherous, wanton man—

No one feels safe from time except the treacherous, arrogant man,

one who cannot grasp what he does and what he leaves undone.

who does not understand what he does and what he leaves undone.

ما يَجهَلُ الرُشدُ مَن خافَ الإِلَهَ وَمَن

ما يَجهَلُ الرُشدُ مَن خافَ الإِلَهَ وَمَن

أَمسى وَهِمَّتُهُ في دينِهِ الفِكَرُ

أَمسى وَهِمَّتُهُ في دينِهِ الفِكَرُ

One who fears God is not ignorant of right guidance, nor one

No one who fears God is ignorant of right guidance, nor one who

whose chief concern in his faith has become reflection.

ends his day intent on reflection upon his faith.

فيما مَضى فِكرَةٌ فيها لِصاحِبِها

فيما مَضى فِكرَةٌ فيها لِصاحِبِها

إِن كانَ ذا بَصَرٍ بِالرَأيِ مُعتَبَرُ

إِن كانَ ذا بَصَرٍ بِالرَأيِ مُعتَبَرُ

In what has passed is matter for reflection; its observer,

In the past is food for thought, and in it, for one who reflects,

if endowed with insight, is one who takes heed through sound judgment.

if he has discerning judgment, there is a lesson.

أَينَ القُرونُ وَأَينَ المُبتَنونَ لَنا

أَينَ القُرونُ وَأَينَ المُبتَنونَ لَنا

هَذي المَدائِنَ فيها الماءَ وَالشَجَرُ

هَذي المَدائِنَ فيها الماءَ وَالشَجَرُ

Where are the generations, and where are those who built for us

Where are the generations, and where are those who built for us

these cities, with their water and trees?

these cities, with water and trees within them?

وَأَينَ كِسرى أَنوشِروانُ مالَ بِهِ

وَأَينَ كِسرى أَنوشِروانُ مالَ بِهِ

صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَأَفنى مُلكَهُ الغِيَرُ

صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَأَفنى مُلكَهُ الغِيَرُ

And where is Khosrow Anushirvan, swept away—

And where is Kisra Anushirwan? He was brought low by

by time’s turning, while its vicissitudes destroyed his realm?

time's vicissitudes, and changes destroyed his kingdom.

بَل أَينَ أَهلُ التُقى بَعدَ النَبِيِّ وَمَن

بَل أَينَ أَهلُ التُقى بَعدَ النَبِيِّ وَمَن

جاءَت بِفَضلِهِمُ الآياتُ وَالسُوَرُ

جاءَت بِفَضلِهِمُ الآياتُ وَالسُوَرُ

Nay, where are the pious after the Prophet—and those

Rather, where are the pious after the Prophet, and those

whose merits the verses and surahs came proclaiming?

whose merit the verses and surahs proclaimed?

أُعدُد أَبا بَكرٍ الصِدّيقَ أَوَّلَهُم

أُعدُد أَبا بَكرٍ الصِدّيقَ أَوَّلَهُم

وَنادِ مِن بَعدِهِ في الفَضلِ يا عُمَرُ

وَنادِ مِن بَعدِهِ في الفَضلِ يا عُمَرُ

Count Abu Bakr al-Siddiq as the first of them,

Count Abu Bakr the Truthful first among them,

and after him in merit call out: O Umar!

and after him in merit, call: 'O Umar!'

وَعُدَّ مِن بَعدِ عُثمانٍ أَبا حَسَنٍ

وَعُدَّ مِن بَعدِ عُثمانٍ أَبا حَسَنٍ

فَإِنَّ فَضلَهُما يُروى وَيُدَّكَرُ

فَإِنَّ فَضلَهُما يُروى وَيُدَّكَرُ

Then, after Uthman, count Abu Hasan;

And count Abu Hasan after Uthman,

for the merits of those two are recounted and remembered.

for the merit of them both is recounted and remembered.

لَم يَبقَ أَهلُ التُقى فيها لِبِرِّهِمُ

لَم يَبقَ أَهلُ التُقى فيها لِبِرِّهِمُ

وَلا الجَبابِرَةُ الأَملاكُ ما عَمَروا

وَلا الجَبابِرَةُ الأَملاكُ ما عَمَروا

The pious did not remain here, for all their righteousness,

The pious did not remain in it by virtue of their righteousness,

nor did the tyrant kings, however long they lived.

nor did the tyrant kings, however long they lived.

فَاِعمِل لِنَفسِكَ وَاِحذَر أَن تُوَرِّطَها

فَاِعمِل لِنَفسِكَ وَاِحذَر أَن تُوَرِّطَها

في هُوَّةٍ ما لَها وِردٌ وَلا صَدَرُ

في هُوَّةٍ ما لَها وِردٌ وَلا صَدَرُ

So labor for your soul, and beware lest you plunge it

So work for your soul, and beware of plunging it

into an abyss where there is no reaching water and no returning.

into an abyss with neither entry nor exit.

ما يَحذَرُ اللَهَ إِلّا الراشِدونَ وَقَد

ما يَحذَرُ اللَهَ إِلّا الراشِدونَ وَقَد

يُنجي الرَشيدَ مِنَ المَحذورَةِ الحَذَرُ

يُنجي الرَشيدَ مِنَ المَحذورَةِ الحَذَرُ

None fears God except the rightly guided; and indeed,

None but the rightly guided fear God, and it may be that

caution saves the rightly guided from dreaded danger.

caution saves the prudent from dreaded danger.

وَالصَبرُ يُعقِبُ رِضواناً وَمَغفِرَةً

وَالصَبرُ يُعقِبُ رِضواناً وَمَغفِرَةً

مَعَ النَجاحِ وَخَيرُ الصُحبَةِ الصُبرُ

مَعَ النَجاحِ وَخَيرُ الصُحبَةِ الصُبرُ

Patience brings divine favor and forgiveness in its wake,

And patience brings favor and forgiveness,

together with success; and the best companion is patience.

together with success; the patient are the best company.

الناسُ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا عَلى سَفَرٍ

الناسُ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا عَلى سَفَرٍ

وَعَن قَريبٍ بِهِم ما يَنقَضي السَفَرُ

وَعَن قَريبٍ بِهِم ما يَنقَضي السَفَرُ

All people in this world are on a journey,

People in this world are on a journey,

and before long what ends the journey will overtake them.

and soon enough, their journey comes to an end.

فَمِنهُمُ قانِعٌ راضٍ بِعيشَتِهِ

فَمِنهُمُ قانِعٌ راضٍ بِعيشَتِهِ

وَمِنهُمُ موسِرٌ وَالقَلبُ مُفتَقَرُ

وَمِنهُمُ موسِرٌ وَالقَلبُ مُفتَقَرُ

Among them is one content and satisfied with his livelihood;

Among them is one content, satisfied with his livelihood,

among them, a spendthrift whose heart remains in need.

and among them one wealthy, yet needy at heart.

ما يُشبِعُ النَفسَ إِن لَم تُمسِ قانِعَةً

ما يُشبِعُ النَفسَ إِن لَم تُمسِ قانِعَةً

شَيءٌ وَلَو كَثُرَت في مُلكِها البِدَرُ

شَيءٌ وَلَو كَثُرَت في مُلكِها البِدَرُ

The soul, unless it grows content, is never sated by

The soul, if it does not become content, cannot be satisfied by

anything, though moneybags abound in its possession.

anything, even if bags of money abound in its possession.

وَالنَفسُ تَشبَعُ أَحياناً فَيُرجِعُها

وَالنَفسُ تَشبَعُ أَحياناً فَيُرجِعُها

نَحوَ المَجاعَةِ حُبُّ العَيشِ وَالبَطَرُ

نَحوَ المَجاعَةِ حُبُّ العَيشِ وَالبَطَرُ

At times the soul is sated, but it is driven back—

And the soul is sometimes sated, then it is driven back

toward hunger by love of life and wanton excess.

toward hunger by love of life and arrogance.

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ في الدُنيا لَهُ أَثَرٌ

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ في الدُنيا لَهُ أَثَرٌ

فَما يَموتُ وَفي الدُنيا لَهُ أَثَرُ

فَما يَموتُ وَفي الدُنيا لَهُ أَثَرُ

As long as a man lives in this world, he leaves a trace;

And a man, as long as he lives in this world, has a trace;

thus he does not die while some trace of him remains in the world.

so he does not die while a trace of him remains in the world.