يُمَثِّلُ ذو العَقلِ في نَفسِهِ

يُمَثِّلُ ذو العَقلِ في نَفسِهِ

مَصائِبهُ قَبلَ أَن تَنزِلا

مَصائِبهُ قَبلَ أَن تَنزِلا

The man of reason pictures in his mind

He who is wise prepares in his mind

The wise man visualizes within his soul

his misfortunes before they descend.

For misfortunes before their descent

His misfortunes before they ever descend,

فَإِن نَزَلَت بَغتَةً لَم يُرَع

فَإِن نَزَلَت بَغتَةً لَم يُرَع

لِما كانَ في نَفسِهِ مَثَلا

لِما كانَ في نَفسِهِ مَثَلا

So if they descend suddenly, he is not alarmed,

So if they suddenly befall him unawares

So if they fall suddenly, he is not dismayed,

for they had already taken shape in his mind.

It is not as hard for what was in his mind exemplified

For he had already pictured them in his mind.

رَأى الأَمرَ يُفضي الي آخِرٍ

رَأى الأَمرَ يُفضي الي آخِرٍ

فَصيَّر آخِرَهُ اَوَّلا

فَصيَّر آخِرَهُ اَوَّلا

He saw the matter leading to an end,

He saw matters leading to an end

He saw that the matter leads to a conclusion,

so he made its end the beginning.

So he made the end first in his mind

So he treated the end as if it were the beginning.

وَذو الجَهلِ يَأمَنُ أَيامَهُ

وَذو الجَهلِ يَأمَنُ أَيامَهُ

وَينسى مَصارِعَ مَن قَد خَلا

وَينسى مَصارِعَ مَن قَد خَلا

And the ignorant man feels secure in his days,

While the ignorant feel safe in their days

While the ignorant man feels safe in his days,

and forgets the deaths of those who have gone before.

And forget the death of those who passed away before

Forgetting the fates of those who have passed;

فَإِن بَدَهتَهُ صُروفُ الزَمانِ

فَإِن بَدَهتَهُ صُروفُ الزَمانِ

بِبَعضِ مَصائِبِهِ أَعوَلا

بِبَعضِ مَصائِبِهِ أَعوَلا

So if the vicissitudes of time surprise him

If the turns of time surprise him

Then, when the vicissitudes of time surprise him

with some of its misfortunes, he wails.

With some of its misfortunes he yells

With some of their calamities, he wails in despair.

وَلَو قَدَّمَ الحَزمَ في نَفسِهِ

وَلَو قَدَّمَ الحَزمَ في نَفسِهِ

لَعَلَّمَهُ الصَّبرَ عِندَ البَلا

لَعَلَّمَهُ الصَّبرَ عِندَ البَلا

And had he put prudence first in his mind,

Had he prepared prudence within himself

Yet had he practiced foresight within himself,

it would have taught him patience in affliction.

It would have taught him patience during tribulation

It would have taught him patience in the hour of trial.