أنت بما قد سقَيتَ شارب

أنت بما قد سقَيتَ شارب

من رحيق كان أو كدر

من رحيق كان أو كدر

You will drink what you have given others to drink,

You are with what you have made your drinker drink

Whether pure wine or a murky draught.

Be it the nectar or the murky

سهمُكَ في الغير فيك صائب

سهمُكَ في الغير فيك صائب

مالك عن نصلهِ مفر

مالك عن نصلهِ مفر

Your arrow aimed at others strikes you;

Your arrow in others is right in you

You have no escape from its point.

You have no escape from its blade

ثمار ما قد غرست تجني

ثمار ما قد غرست تجني

وهذهِ عادةُ الزمان

وهذهِ عادةُ الزمان

You reap the fruits of what you planted,

The fruits you have planted you shall harvest

And this is the custom of time.

Such is the way of time

خذا الحديث الصحيحَ عني

خذا الحديث الصحيحَ عني

كما يدينُ الفتى يدان

كما يدينُ الفتى يدان

Take, you two, the true saying from me:

Take from me the true discourse

As a man treats others, so is he treated.

As the youth is judged by how he judges

من بات منه الورى في أمنٍ

من بات منه الورى في أمنٍ

بات من الدهر في أمان

بات من الدهر في أمان

He from whom people pass the night secure

Who lives his life making people feel safe

Passes the night secure from time.

Lives his life feeling safe

الدهر بحرٌ له عجائب

الدهر بحرٌ له عجائب

وهو خطيبٌ لمن نظر

وهو خطيبٌ لمن نظر

Time is a sea with wonders,

Time is an ocean with wonders

And it is a preacher to whoever observes.

And it preaches to those who observe

فاطرح الغير عنك وجانب

فاطرح الغير عنك وجانب

وخُذ على نفسك الحذَر

وخُذ على نفسك الحذَر

So put others aside and keep your distance,

So set others aside and avoid

And exercise caution concerning yourself.

And be on guard against your own self

ياذا الذي ظنّ أن يُصيبَ

ياذا الذي ظنّ أن يُصيبَ

بسهمهِ وهو لا يُصاب

بسهمهِ وهو لا يُصاب

O you who thought you could strike

O you who think you can hit

With your arrow, yet not be struck:

With your arrow and not be hit

أبعدتَ عن نفسكَ القريب

أبعدتَ عن نفسكَ القريب

واخطأت في موضعِ الصواب

واخطأت في موضعِ الصواب

You have put what is near far from yourself,

You have distanced those near

And erred where the right course lay.

And missed where you should have been right

إن قلتَ قولاً فكن لبيبَ

إن قلتَ قولاً فكن لبيبَ

وكلُّ قولٍ له جواب

وكلُّ قولٍ له جواب

If you utter a word, be wise,

When you speak then be wise

And every word has an answer.

For each word has an answer

ما ضاعَ حقٌّ ولهُ طالب

ما ضاعَ حقٌّ ولهُ طالب

لو حاوزَ الشمسَ والقمر

لو حاوزَ الشمسَ والقمر

No right is lost while it has a claimant,

No right is lost if it has a seeker

Even if it passes beyond the sun and moon.

Even if it passes the sun and the moon

من ذكرَ الناسَ بالمعائب

من ذكرَ الناسَ بالمعائب

يذكرُ فيه بما ذكَر

يذكرُ فيه بما ذكَر

Whoever speaks of people's faults

Who mentions people's faults

Will have the same things said of him.

Will have his own faults mentioned

يا بالياً وهو لا يُبالي

يا بالياً وهو لا يُبالي

وهوَ في ميدانهِ يجول

وهوَ في ميدانهِ يجول

O you who are wearing away, yet pay no heed,

Oh what a heedless one

While you roam within your arena.

While he wanders in his field

يا ساكناً وهو في ارتحال

يا ساكناً وهو في ارتحال

وكلَّ ما قد حوى يزول

وكلَّ ما قد حوى يزول

O you at rest, yet on a journey,

Oh settling down while moving on

And all you have gathered passes away.

And all that it holds will disappear

تسرِقُ من عمرِكَ الليالي

تسرِقُ من عمرِكَ الليالي

كسرقةِ الراح للعقول

كسرقةِ الراح للعقول

The nights steal from your life,

The nights steal from your life

As wine steals away reason.

Like the thief stealing minds

بالقومِ قد سارَتِ الركائب

بالقومِ قد سارَتِ الركائب

ولا تجهَّزتَ يوماً للسفر

ولا تجهَّزتَ يوماً للسفر

The riding camels have already departed with the people,

The mounts have moved on with the people

Yet you have not once prepared for the journey.

Yet you never prepared for the journey

ولستَ تخشى ولا تُراقِب

ولستَ تخشى ولا تُراقِب

من يومٍ تُبلى فيهِ العبَر

من يومٍ تُبلى فيهِ العبَر

And you neither fear nor watch for

You neither fear nor watch out

A day when lessons are put to the test.

For a day in which tears are shed