نِعمَ الوِسادُ يَميني ما بَقيتُ لَها

نِعمَ الوِسادُ يَميني ما بَقيتُ لَها

وَإِن أُغَيَّب أُوَسِّدها فَأَتَّسِدِ

وَإِن أُغَيَّب أُوَسِّدها فَأَتَّسِدِ

My right hand is an excellent pillow as long as I live;

How pleasant is my right hand pillow when I rest upon her

and if I am buried, I shall pillow it, then rest upon it.

And if I am absent from her, I long for her as my pillow

التُربُ جَدّي وَساعاتي رَكائِبُ لي

التُربُ جَدّي وَساعاتي رَكائِبُ لي

وَالعَيشُ سَيري وَمَوتي راحَةُ الجَسَدِ

وَالعَيشُ سَيري وَمَوتي راحَةُ الجَسَدِ

Dust is my grandfather, and my hours are mounts for me;

The soil is my ancestor and my hours are burdens upon me

life is my journey, and my death the body's rest.

And living is my journey and death is rest for my body

العَينُ مِن أَرَقٍ وَالشَخصُ مِن قَلَقٍ

العَينُ مِن أَرَقٍ وَالشَخصُ مِن قَلَقٍ

وَالقَلبُ مِن أَمَلٍ وَالنَفسُ مِن حَسَدِ

وَالقَلبُ مِن أَمَلٍ وَالنَفسُ مِن حَسَدِ

The eye suffers from sleeplessness, and the body from unrest;

The eye suffers from lack of sleep and the person from anxiety

and the heart from hope, and the soul from envy.

The heart from hope and the self from envy

إِنبَه وَسُد فَهُما هَمٌّ تُكابِدُهُ

إِنبَه وَسُد فَهُما هَمٌّ تُكابِدُهُ

وَاِخمُل إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَحظى وَلا تَسدِ

وَاِخمُل إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَحظى وَلا تَسدِ

Be renowned and rule, for both are a burden you must endure.

Be awake and block them - they are concerns that you endure

And remain obscure if you wish to fare well, and do not rule.

And be heedless if you want to be fortunate and not envious

وَاِجبُن أَو اِشجَع فَطُرُقُ المَوتِ واحِدَةٌ

وَاِجبُن أَو اِشجَع فَطُرُقُ المَوتِ واحِدَةٌ

وَالظَبيُّ فيهِنَّ مِثلُ السَيِّدِ وَالأَسَدِ

وَالظَبيُّ فيهِنَّ مِثلُ السَيِّدِ وَالأَسَدِ

And be cowardly or brave, for the paths to death are the same;

Be steadfast or brave for the paths of death are one

and on them the gazelle is like the wolf and the lion.

The prey in them is like the master and the lion

وَذاتُ عِقدٍ تُلاقي مِن أَذاً وَقَذاً

وَذاتُ عِقدٍ تُلاقي مِن أَذاً وَقَذاً

كَما تُلاقيهِ ذاتُ الحَطبِ وَالمَسَدِ

كَما تُلاقيهِ ذاتُ الحَطبِ وَالمَسَدِ

And a woman wearing a necklace encounters harm and grit in the eye,

A being meets harm and offence

just as the woman with firewood and palm-fiber rope does.

Just as one made of wood and flint meets them