اعتدل الباطن والظاهر

وكل شيء فله آخر

The inward and the outward have come into balance.

And everything has an end.

فالحمد لله وسبحانه

هل يستوي النائم والساهر

So praise be to God, and glory be to Him.

Are the sleeper and the wakeful equal?

بصّرني شيء عيوب الصبا

ما يستوي المقهور والقاهر

Something has shown me the faults of youth.

The vanquished and the vanquisher are not equal.

يضطهد العقل الصبا والهوى

فيغلباه والهوى باهر

Youth and desire oppress reason.

So they both overpower it, and desire is overwhelming.

يمتنع التمييز في جوره

ويصدا المسمع والناظر

Discernment becomes impossible under its tyranny,

And the ear and the eye grow rusty.

لله درّ الشيب من واعظ

إذا تلاه أدب حاضر

What a fine admonisher gray hair is,

When good conduct is there to follow it.