أَرى المَقاديرَ تَعمَلُ العَمَلا

أَرى المَقاديرَ تَعمَلُ العَمَلا

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ آمِلٌ أَمَلا

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ آمِلٌ أَمَلا

I see the decrees of fate doing their work.

I see fate working its work

And man, as long as he lives, cherishes hope.

And man lives always hopeful

كُلٌّ لَهُ عِلَّةٌ يَفوهُ بِها

كُلٌّ لَهُ عِلَّةٌ يَفوهُ بِها

سُبحانَ رَبّي ما أَكثَرَ العِلَلا

سُبحانَ رَبّي ما أَكثَرَ العِلَلا

Everyone has an excuse that he voices.

Each has an excuse he voices

Glory be to my Lord—how many excuses there are!

Glory to my Lord - how numerous the excuses

مَن عَرَفَ الناسَ في تَصَرُّفِهِم

مَن عَرَفَ الناسَ في تَصَرُّفِهِم

لَم يَتَتَبَّع مِن صاحِبٍ زَلَلا

لَم يَتَتَبَّع مِن صاحِبٍ زَلَلا

Whoever knows people in their dealings

Whoever knows people in their doings

does not seek out a companion's missteps.

Does not follow a companion's mistakes

إِن أَنتَ كافَيتَ مَن أَساءَ فَقَد

إِن أَنتَ كافَيتَ مَن أَساءَ فَقَد

صِرتَ إِلى مِثلِ سوءِ ما فَعَلا

صِرتَ إِلى مِثلِ سوءِ ما فَعَلا

If you repay the wrongdoer in kind, then

If you suffice someone who did evil

you have sunk to the same evil as his deed.

You have done the like of the evil he did

لَيسَ مَعالي الأَخلاقِ إِلّا لِمَن

لَيسَ مَعالي الأَخلاقِ إِلّا لِمَن

يَصبِرُ عِندَ المَكروهِ إِن نَزَلا

يَصبِرُ عِندَ المَكروهِ إِن نَزَلا

The heights of character belong only to one

Lofty morals are only for one

who bears adversity patiently, should it befall.

Who is patient when faced with hate, if it descends

ذو الحِلمِ في جَنَّةٍ تَرُدُّ سِها

ذو الحِلمِ في جَنَّةٍ تَرُدُّ سِها

مَ الجَهلِ عَنهُ إِن جاهِلٌ جَهِلا

مَ الجَهلِ عَنهُ إِن جاهِلٌ جَهِلا

The forbearing man has a shield that repels the arrows

The forbearing one is in a garden that turns

of folly from him, should a fool act foolishly.

Ignorance from him if an ignorant one is ignorant

يَلتَمِسُ العُذرَ لِلصَديقِ وَإِن

يَلتَمِسُ العُذرَ لِلصَديقِ وَإِن

أَتاهُ يَوماً بِعُذرِهِ قَبِلا

أَتاهُ يَوماً بِعُذرِهِ قَبِلا

He seeks an excuse for his friend, and if

He seeks excuses for a friend even

his friend brings him his excuse one day, he accepts it.

If one day he came to him with his excuse, he accepts

خَفِّف عَلى كُلِّ مَن صَحِبتَ وَإِن

خَفِّف عَلى كُلِّ مَن صَحِبتَ وَإِن

كانَ لِحَملِ الثَقيلِ مُحتَمِلا

كانَ لِحَملِ الثَقيلِ مُحتَمِلا

Be easy on everyone you keep company with, even if

Lighten up on all whom you accompanied even

he is able to bear a heavy load.

If he was carrying a heavy load and enduring

كَم قَد رَأَينا اِمرِئً مِنَ الخَيرِ عُر

كَم قَد رَأَينا اِمرِئً مِنَ الخَيرِ عُر

ياناً وَإِن كانَ يَلبَسُ الحُلَلا

ياناً وَإِن كانَ يَلبَسُ الحُلَلا

How many a man we have seen naked of goodness,

How often we have seen a naked man

though he wore fine robes.

Even if he wears garments

لا يَأمَنَنَّ اِمرُؤٌ مُساعَدَةَ ال

لا يَأمَنَنَّ اِمرُؤٌ مُساعَدَةَ ال

دُنيا فَإِنّي رَأَيتُها دُوَلا

دُنيا فَإِنّي رَأَيتُها دُوَلا

Let no man trust the favor of the

Let no man feel safe from

world, for I have seen it pass from one to another.

The help of life, for I have seen it changing

كُلٌّ فَقُدّامَهُ لَهُ أَمَلٌ

كُلٌّ فَقُدّامَهُ لَهُ أَمَلٌ

يُلهي وَلَكِنَّ خَلفَهُ الأَجَلا

يُلهي وَلَكِنَّ خَلفَهُ الأَجَلا

Everyone has a hope before him

Everyone has ahead of him a hope

that distracts him, yet behind him lies his appointed end.

That distracts, but behind him is death

يا بُؤسَ لِلغافِلِ المُضَيِّعِ عَن

يا بُؤسَ لِلغافِلِ المُضَيِّعِ عَن

أَيِّ عَظيمٍ مِن أَمرِهِ غَفَلا

أَيِّ عَظيمٍ مِن أَمرِهِ غَفَلا

Woe to the heedless, negligent man—

Oh misery for the heedless waster

what a grave matter of his own he has ignored!

About any mighty thing from his affairs heedlessly distracted

كُلُّ جَديدٍ فَالدَهرُ يُخلِقُهُ

كُلُّ جَديدٍ فَالدَهرُ يُخلِقُهُ

وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ فَمَيِّتٌ عَجَلا

وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ فَمَيِّتٌ عَجَلا

Every new thing is worn out by time,

Everything new - time creates it

and every living being is soon dead.

And everything living - dead soon

كُلٌّ يُوافي بِهِ القَضاءُ إِلى ال

كُلٌّ يُوافي بِهِ القَضاءُ إِلى ال

مَوتِ وَيوفيهِ رِزقَهُ كَمَلا

مَوتِ وَيوفيهِ رِزقَهُ كَمَلا

Fate brings everyone to

Everything meets him with fate unto

death, and pays him his sustenance in full.

Death, and meets his sustenance complete