إِيّاكَ أَعني يا اِبنَ آدَمَ فَاِستَمِع

إِيّاكَ أَعني يا اِبنَ آدَمَ فَاِستَمِع

وَدَعِ الرُكونَ إِلى الحَياةِ فَتَنتَفِع

وَدَعِ الرُكونَ إِلى الحَياةِ فَتَنتَفِع

You are the one I mean, O son of Adam, so listen.

I warn you, O son of Adam, so listen

And abandon reliance on life, and you will benefit.

And abandon luxury to benefit

لَو كانَ عُمرُكَ أَلفَ حَولٍ كامِلٍ

لَو كانَ عُمرُكَ أَلفَ حَولٍ كامِلٍ

لَم تَذهَبِ الأَيّامُ حَتّى تَنقَطِع

لَم تَذهَبِ الأَيّامُ حَتّى تَنقَطِع

Even if your lifespan were a thousand full years,

If you lived a thousand full years

the days would not end before you did.

The days would not go until they cease

إِنَ المَنِيَّةَ لا تَزالُ مُلِحَّةً

إِنَ المَنِيَّةَ لا تَزالُ مُلِحَّةً

حَتى تُشَتِّت كُلَّ أَمرٍ مُجتَمِع

حَتى تُشَتِّت كُلَّ أَمرٍ مُجتَمِع

Indeed, death is ever relentless,

Death always persists

until it scatters everything gathered together.

Until it disperses all that is united

فَاِجعَل لِنَفسِكَ عُدَّةً لِلِقاءِ مَن

فَاِجعَل لِنَفسِكَ عُدَّةً لِلِقاءِ مَن

لَو قَد أَتاكَ رَسولُهُ لَم تَمتَنِع

لَو قَد أَتاكَ رَسولُهُ لَم تَمتَنِع

So make provision for yourself to meet the One

So prepare provisions for meeting the One

whose messenger, if he came to you, you could not resist.

Whose messenger, if he came to you, you could not refuse

شُغِلَ الخَلائِقُ بِالحَياةِ وَأَغفَلوا

شُغِلَ الخَلائِقُ بِالحَياةِ وَأَغفَلوا

زَمَناً حَوادِثُهُ عَلَيهِم تَقتَرِع

زَمَناً حَوادِثُهُ عَلَيهِم تَقتَرِع

Created beings are engrossed in life and have neglected

The creation was busy with life and forgot

an age whose calamities draw lots over them.

A time whose events batter them

ذَهَبَت بِنا الدُنيا فَكَيفَ تَغُرُّنا

ذَهَبَت بِنا الدُنيا فَكَيفَ تَغُرُّنا

أَم كَيفَ تَخدَعُ مَن تَشاءُ فَيَنخَدِع

أَم كَيفَ تَخدَعُ مَن تَشاءُ فَيَنخَدِع

The world has carried us away; how, then, does it beguile us?

The world has deceived us, so how can it delude us

Or how does it deceive whomever it wishes, who then is deceived?

Or how can it trick whoever it wants, so they are tricked

وَالمَرءُ يوطِنُها وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

وَالمَرءُ يوطِنُها وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

عَنها إِلى وَطَنٍ سِواها مُنقَلِع

عَنها إِلى وَطَنٍ سِواها مُنقَلِع

And a man makes it his home and knows that he

Yet man makes it his home, knowing

will be uprooted from it to another homeland.

He will depart it for a home other than it

لَم تَقبَلِ الدُنيا عَلى أَحَدٍ بِزي

لَم تَقبَلِ الدُنيا عَلى أَحَدٍ بِزي

نَتِها فَمَلَّ مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلا شَبَع

نَتِها فَمَلَّ مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلا شَبَع

Never has the world turned toward anyone in

The world did not accept anyone with its beauty

its finery and left him weary of life or sated.

So he was done with life and did not have his fill

يا أَيُّها المَرءُ المُضَيِّعُ دينَهُ

يا أَيُّها المَرءُ المُضَيِّعُ دينَهُ

إِحرازُ دينِكَ خَيرُ شَيءٍ تَصطَنِع

إِحرازُ دينِكَ خَيرُ شَيءٍ تَصطَنِع

O you man who squanders his faith,

O you who waste your religion

safeguarding your faith is the best thing you can undertake.

Preserving your religion is the best thing you can do

وَاللَهُ أَرحَمُ بِالفَتى مِن نَفسِهِ

وَاللَهُ أَرحَمُ بِالفَتى مِن نَفسِهِ

فَاِعمَل فَما كُلِّفتَ ما لَم تَستَطِع

فَاِعمَل فَما كُلِّفتَ ما لَم تَستَطِع

And God is more merciful to a young man than he is to himself.

And God is more merciful to the youth than himself

So act, for you are not charged with what you cannot do.

So work, you are not tasked beyond your ability

وَالحَقُّ أَفضَلُ ما قَصَدتَ سَبيلَهُ

وَالحَقُّ أَفضَلُ ما قَصَدتَ سَبيلَهُ

وَاللَهُ أَكرَمُ مِن تَزورُ وَتَنتَجِع

وَاللَهُ أَكرَمُ مِن تَزورُ وَتَنتَجِع

And truth is the best thing whose path you seek,

The truth is the best path you can take

and God is the most generous one to visit and seek bounty from.

And God is more generous than whoever you solicit and beseech

فَاِمهَد لِنَفسِكَ صالِحاً تُجزى بِهِ

فَاِمهَد لِنَفسِكَ صالِحاً تُجزى بِهِ

وَاِنظُر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ أَمرٍ تَتَّبِع

وَاِنظُر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ أَمرٍ تَتَّبِع

So lay up a righteous deed for yourself, to be rewarded for it,

So pave good deeds for yourself you will be rewarded for

and consider for yourself which course you follow.

And see for yourself which matter you should follow

وَاِجعَل صَديقَكَ مَن وَفى لِصَديقِهِ

وَاِجعَل صَديقَكَ مَن وَفى لِصَديقِهِ

وَاِجعَل رَفيقَكَ حينَ تَنزِلُ مَن يَرِع

وَاِجعَل رَفيقَكَ حينَ تَنزِلُ مَن يَرِع

And make your friend one who has kept faith with his friend,

And make your companion one who was loyal to his companion

and make your companion, when you lodge, one who is pious.

And make your friend when you descend one who will guard you

وَاِمنَع فُؤادَكَ أَن يَميلَ بِكَ الهَوى

وَاِمنَع فُؤادَكَ أَن يَميلَ بِكَ الهَوى

وَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِحَبلِ دينِكَ وَاِتَّزِع

وَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِحَبلِ دينِكَ وَاِتَّزِع

And guard your heart, lest desire lead you astray,

And prevent your heart from inclining you with passion

and hold fast with both hands to the rope of your faith, and restrain yourself.

And grip tight the rope of your religion and cling to it

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ جَميعَ ما قَدَّمتَهُ

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ جَميعَ ما قَدَّمتَهُ

عِندَ الإِلَهِ مُوَفَّرٌ لَكَ لَم يَضِع

عِندَ الإِلَهِ مُوَفَّرٌ لَكَ لَم يَضِع

And know that all you have sent ahead

And know that all you put forth

is kept intact for you with God; it has not been lost.

Is plentifully stored for you by God, He did not lose any

طوبى لِمَن رُزِقَ القَنوعَ وَلَم يُرِد

طوبى لِمَن رُزِقَ القَنوعَ وَلَم يُرِد

ما كانَ في يَدِ غَيرِهِ فَيُرى ضَرِع

ما كانَ في يَدِ غَيرِهِ فَيُرى ضَرِع

Blessed is he who is granted contentment and does not covet

Good fortune to those content with their lot

what is in another's hand, lest he be seen as abject.

Who do not want what is in another's hand, so appear begging

وَلَئِن طَمِعتَ لَتَضرَعَنَّ فَلا تَكُن

وَلَئِن طَمِعتَ لَتَضرَعَنَّ فَلا تَكُن

طَمَعاً فَإِنَّ الحُرَّ عَبدٌ ما طَمِع

طَمَعاً فَإِنَّ الحُرَّ عَبدٌ ما طَمِع

And if you covet, you will surely be abased; so do not be

If you are ambitious, you will definitely beg, so do not be

greedy, for a free man is a slave as long as he covets.

Ambitions, for the free man is a slave when he covets

إِنّا لَنَلقى المَرءَ تَشرَهُ نَفسُهُ

إِنّا لَنَلقى المَرءَ تَشرَهُ نَفسُهُ

فَيَضيقُ عَنهُ كُلُّ أَمرٍ مُتَّسِع

فَيَضيقُ عَنهُ كُلُّ أَمرٍ مُتَّسِع

Indeed, we encounter a man whose soul is greedy,

We will surely meet a man whom his soul corrupts

and every spacious thing becomes too narrow for him.

So everything spacious shrinks from him

وَالمَرءُ يَمنَعُ ما لَدَيهِ وَيَبتَغي

وَالمَرءُ يَمنَعُ ما لَدَيهِ وَيَبتَغي

ما عِندَ صاحِبِهِ وَيَغضَبُ إِن مُنِع

ما عِندَ صاحِبِهِ وَيَغضَبُ إِن مُنِع

And a man withholds what he has and seeks

A man prevents what he has and seeks

what his companion has, and grows angry if denied.

What his friend has and is angry if prevented

ما ضَرَّ مَن جَعلَ التُرابَ فِراشَهُ

ما ضَرَّ مَن جَعلَ التُرابَ فِراشَهُ

أَلّا يَنامَ عَلى الحَريرِ إِذا قَنِع

أَلّا يَنامَ عَلى الحَريرِ إِذا قَنِع

It does not harm one who makes dust his bed

It did not harm those who make the dust their bed

not to sleep upon silk, if he is content.

If they do not sleep on silk when content