أَلا إِنَّ أَبقى الذُخرِ خَيرٌ تُنيلُهُ

أَلا إِنَّ أَبقى الذُخرِ خَيرٌ تُنيلُهُ

وَشَرَّ كَلامِ القائِلينَ فُضولُهُ

وَشَرَّ كَلامِ القائِلينَ فُضولُهُ

Know that the most lasting treasure is the good you bestow,

Behold! The best provision is lasting piety

and the worst of speakers’ words is their needless excess.

While excess idle talk is surely evil folly

عَلَيكَ بِما يَعنيكَ مِن كُلِّ ما تَرى

عَلَيكَ بِما يَعنيكَ مِن كُلِّ ما تَرى

وَبِالصَمتِ إِلّا عَن جَميلٍ تَقولُهُ

وَبِالصَمتِ إِلّا عَن جَميلٍ تَقولُهُ

Attend to what concerns you among all that you see,

Regard what concerns you of all that you see

and keep silent, except for something good you say.

And stay silent except to say what is beautiful

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ المَرءَ في دارِ قُلعَةٍ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ المَرءَ في دارِ قُلعَةٍ

إِلى غَيرِها وَالمَوتُ فيها سَبيلُهُ

إِلى غَيرِها وَالمَوتُ فيها سَبيلُهُ

Have you not seen that man lives in an abode he must leave

Have you not seen that man dwells in a frail abode

for another, and death within it is his path?

While death towards another home is his path

وَأَيُّ بَلاغٍ يُكتَفى بِكَثيرِهِ

وَأَيُّ بَلاغٍ يُكتَفى بِكَثيرِهِ

إِذا كانَ لا يَكفيكَ مِنهُ قَليلُهُ

إِذا كانَ لا يَكفيكَ مِنهُ قَليلُهُ

And what provision can suffice in abundance,

What eloquence suffices however plenteous

if a little of it does not suffice you?

If its little cannot avail you enough

مَضاجِعُ سُكّانِ القُبورِ مَضاجِعٌ

مَضاجِعُ سُكّانِ القُبورِ مَضاجِعٌ

يُجانِبُ فيهِنَّ الخَليلَ خَليلُهُ

يُجانِبُ فيهِنَّ الخَليلَ خَليلُهُ

The beds of those who dwell in graves are beds

The beds of those in graves are lonesome beds

where a friend keeps away from his friend.

Where the friend is parted from his friend

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا بِزادٍ مِنَ التُقى

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا بِزادٍ مِنَ التُقى

فَكُلٌّ بِها ضَيفٌ وَشيكٌ رَحيلُهُ

فَكُلٌّ بِها ضَيفٌ وَشيكٌ رَحيلُهُ

Take provisions of piety from this world,

Take provision of piety from this life

for everyone in it is a guest whose departure is near.

For with it each is a guest, soon to depart

وَخُذ لِلمَنايا لا أَبا لَكَ عُدَّةً

وَخُذ لِلمَنايا لا أَبا لَكَ عُدَّةً

فَإِنَّ المَنايا مَن أَتَت لا تُقيلُهُ

فَإِنَّ المَنايا مَن أَتَت لا تُقيلُهُ

And make ready for death—may you have no father—

Make ready for death, do not hesitate

for death spares no one it visits.

For when death comes, it grants no reprieve

وَما حادِثاتُ الدَهرِ إِلّا لِعُروَةٍ

وَما حادِثاتُ الدَهرِ إِلّا لِعُروَةٍ

تَفُتُّ قُواها أَو لِمُلكٍ تُزيلُهُ

تَفُتُّ قُواها أَو لِمُلكٍ تُزيلُهُ

And time’s calamities target only a bond

The turns of fate are but a firm rope

whose strands they break, or a kingdom they overthrow.

Or a kingdom, which it will tear down and remove