حظّ الفتى ممّا أتا

حظّ الفتى ممّا أتا

هُ الله في الدنيا معاده

هُ الله في الدنيا معاده

A youth's portion of what is given

The youth's fortune is from what has come to him

him by God in this world is his hereafter.

God has ordained it for him in this world

وعمادهُ في دينه الت

وعمادهُ في دينه الت

تقوى وجُنّتُه سداده

تقوى وجُنّتُه سداده

And his mainstay in his faith is

And his pillar in his religion is

piety, and his shield is his uprightness.

Piety, and his paradise is his righteousness

ومهاده فيما إلي

ومهاده فيما إلي

ه يعود بعد الموت زاده

ه يعود بعد الموت زاده

And his bedding in that to which

And his rest is in what he will return to after death as his provision

he returns after death is his provision.

And his joy is in his intention

وغناؤه في قصده

وغناؤه في قصده

فالمرء يستره اقتصاده

فالمرء يستره اقتصاده

And his wealth lies in his moderation;

For man covers himself with moderation

for a man's thrift keeps him covered.

And the free man is easy in nature

والحرّ سهلٌ طبعه

والحرّ سهلٌ طبعه

مستسلم سلس قياده

مستسلم سلس قياده

And the noble man's nature is gentle,

Yielding, smooth in leadership

yielding, with supple reins.

And you see the wicked complicated

وترى اللئيم معقدا

وترى اللئيم معقدا

نكدا يعاقُبه كياده

نكدا يعاقُبه كياده

And you see the base man tangled,

Gloomy, punished by his scheming

ill-tempered, punished by his own scheming.

And the sign of the noble man is

وعلامة الحر الكري

وعلامة الحر الكري

م إذا فطنت له اعتقاده

م إذا فطنت له اعتقاده

And the mark of the noble, generous man,

When you understand his belief

if you take notice of him, is his conviction.

And so too the ignoble man is shown

وكذا يدُلّ على الضرا

وكذا يدُلّ على الضرا

م إذا خبا يوما رماده

م إذا خبا يوما رماده

And likewise, the blaze is revealed,

When his day has turned to ash

when one day it dies down, by its ashes.

And man pursues sins

والمرء يرتاد الذنو

والمرء يرتاد الذنو

ب وإن أضرّ به ارتياده

ب وإن أضرّ به ارتياده

And a man seeks out sins,

Even if his pursuit harms him

even though his seeking harms him.

Desire leads him to obedience

يقتاد طاعته الهوى

يقتاد طاعته الهوى

فيعود بالندم اعتياده

فيعود بالندم اعتياده

Desire steers his obedience,

Then he returns with regret for his habit

so his habit brings regret.

How many a guide has ordered with effort

كم رائد أمرا بمج

كم رائد أمرا بمج

تهد ويرديه اجتهاده

تهد ويرديه اجتهاده

How many a seeker of a goal is

And his striving has destroyed him

diligent, yet his diligence brings him ruin!

And a thinker of death

ومفكر في الموت ما

ومفكر في الموت ما

هو قد جفاه له وساده

هو قد جفاه له وساده

And many a man pondering death—what

It has not forsaken him, his pillow

it is—has been forsaken by his pillow on its account.

He spent his life worrying

أفنيته في همّه

أفنيته في همّه

زرعٌ نشا ودنا حصاده

زرعٌ نشا ودنا حصاده

You have worn him out in his worry—

A crop grew and gave little harvest

a crop that has grown, its harvest drawing near.

No speaker but tomorrow

ما محدّث إلا غدا

ما محدّث إلا غدا

في وقت محدثه فساده

في وقت محدثه فساده

No created thing but comes

Corruption will be in the time of his speaking

to decay in its maker's time.

Do not let the loss of one

لا يزعجنّك فقد من

لا يزعجنّك فقد من

أمسيت يزعجك افتقاده

أمسيت يزعجك افتقاده

Let not the loss of one disturb you

Who troubled you yesterday trouble you today

whose absence now disturbs you.

As long as your person is well

ما دام شخصُك سالما

ما دام شخصُك سالما

يكفيك من عطش ثماده

يكفيك من عطش ثماده

As long as your person remains unharmed,

His thirst's healing is enough for you

its scant water is enough to quench your thirst.

The sword cuts what remains

فالسيف يقطع ما بقى

فالسيف يقطع ما بقى

حدّاهُ إن أودى نجاده

حدّاهُ إن أودى نجاده

For the sword cuts as long as

If its sharpness destroys its sheath

its two edges remain, even if its baldric perishes.