خذي صفوَ ما أوتيتِ واغتنميهِ

خذي صفوَ ما أوتيتِ واغتنميهِ

وإن سوَّفَ المقدارُ فانتظريهِ

وإن سوَّفَ المقدارُ فانتظريهِ

Take the choicest of what you have been given, and seize it;

Take the best of what you have been given, and make the most of it.

and if destiny defers it, wait for it.

And if fate delays, then wait for it.

وإن بدَّلَ الأيَّامَ بؤسى بنعمةٍ

وإن بدَّلَ الأيَّامَ بؤسى بنعمةٍ

فلا تُنكري ما استبدلتْ وخُذيهِ

فلا تُنكري ما استبدلتْ وخُذيهِ

If the days exchange misery for blessing,

And if the days put misery in place of a blessing,

do not reject what they have substituted—take it.

then do not reject what they have substituted, and take it.

ولا تيأسي من رَوْحِ ربِّكِ إنَّهُ

ولا تيأسي من رَوْحِ ربِّكِ إنَّهُ

متى تستحقّي رَوْحَهُ تجديهِ

متى تستحقّي رَوْحَهُ تجديهِ

Do not despair of your Lord's relief, for

Nor despair of your Lord's relief, for surely

whenever you become worthy of His relief, you will find it.

whenever you deserve His relief, you will find it.

ولا تجزعي من ذمِّ غاوٍ وحاسدٍ

ولا تجزعي من ذمِّ غاوٍ وحاسدٍ

فأهونُ مأثورٍ كلامُ سفيهِ

فأهونُ مأثورٍ كلامُ سفيهِ

Do not grieve at the censure of a misguided fool or an envier;

Nor be distressed by the censure of a wayward man and an envier,

the least weighty report passed on is a fool's speech.

for the most trivial words passed on are a fool's.

يُعارُ الفتى المجدودُ إحسانَ غيرهِ

يُعارُ الفتى المجدودُ إحسانَ غيرهِ

ويُنشرُ عنه خيرُ ما هوَ فيهِ

ويُنشرُ عنه خيرُ ما هوَ فيهِ

A fortunate youth is credited with another's kindness,

The fortunate youth is lent another's good deeds,

and the best that lies within him is broadcast abroad.

and the best of his qualities is spread abroad.

ويُروى عن المحدودِ شرُّ خِصالهِ

ويُروى عن المحدودِ شرُّ خِصالهِ

ويُذكَرُ بالعيب الذي لأخيهِ

ويُذكَرُ بالعيب الذي لأخيهِ

Of the ill-starred, the worst of his traits is recounted,

And the worst of the luckless man's traits is recounted,

and he is branded with the fault that belongs to his brother.

and he is reproached for a fault that belongs to his brother.

ألم ترَ أنَّ الناسَ أبناءُ دهرِهمْ

ألم ترَ أنَّ الناسَ أبناءُ دهرِهمْ

وكلُّهُمُ في غَدْرِهِ كأبيهِ

وكلُّهُمُ في غَدْرِهِ كأبيهِ

Have you not seen that people are the children of their age,

Have you not seen that people are the sons of their age,

and in its treachery they all take after their father?

and each, in his treachery, is like his father?

فإِن غدرتْ بالحسنِ يوماً بناتُه

فإِن غدرتْ بالحسنِ يوماً بناتُه

فذاك قليلٌ من كثيرِ بنيهِ

فذاك قليلٌ من كثيرِ بنيهِ

If one day its daughters betray the good man,

So if its daughters once betrayed al-Hasan,

that is but little among its many sons.

that is little beside its sons' many betrayals.

هي الدارُ ينبو بالقطين جنابُها

هي الدارُ ينبو بالقطين جنابُها

فمن خاملٍ ينتابُها ونبيهِ

فمن خاملٍ ينتابُها ونبيهِ

This is the world: its grounds turn harsh upon their dwellers,

It is the abode whose precincts repel its dwellers,

yet both the obscure and the eminent keep coming to it.

and the obscure and the renowned alike come to it.

تخبِّرُنَا عمَّنْ تقدَّم قبلنَا

تخبِّرُنَا عمَّنْ تقدَّم قبلنَا

وإنْ لم نسائلْهَا بكيفَ وإِيهِ

وإنْ لم نسائلْهَا بكيفَ وإِيهِ

It tells us of those who passed before us,

It tells us of those who went before us,

though we never ask it “How?” or bid it, “Tell on!”

though we have not questioned it with 'How?' and 'Go on!'

تفانَوا فمكبوبٌ على أمِّ رأسهِ

تفانَوا فمكبوبٌ على أمِّ رأسهِ

وآخرُ مكبوبٌ يخِرُّ لفيهِ

وآخرُ مكبوبٌ يخِرُّ لفيهِ

They vanished: one lies flung upon the crown of his head,

They all perished: one cast down upon the crown of his head,

another falls headlong upon his mouth.

and another cast down, falling on his mouth.

عجِبْتُ لصرفِ الدهرِ أعقبَ حُلوَه

عجِبْتُ لصرفِ الدهرِ أعقبَ حُلوَه

بمُرٍّ من المكروهِ جَرَّعَنيهِ

بمُرٍّ من المكروهِ جَرَّعَنيهِ

I marvel that Time's turning followed its sweetness

I marveled at time's turns: it followed its sweetness

with adversity's bitterness, which it forced me to swallow.

with the bitterness of suffering, which it forced me to swallow.

أرانيَ أقصى ما لديه بمرِّهِ

أرانيَ أقصى ما لديه بمرِّهِ

سأزهدُ فيما عندَهُ وأريهِ

سأزهدُ فيما عندَهُ وأريهِ

Through its bitterness, it has shown me the utmost it can do;

It showed me the worst it had through its bitterness;

I shall renounce all that it has—and show it so.

I shall spurn what it has, and show it that I do.