أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ آخِذٌ مِن لَذَّةٍ

أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ آخِذٌ مِن لَذَّةٍ

حَظّاً وَأَنَّكَ لا تُؤَمِّلُ مَرجِعا

حَظّاً وَأَنَّكَ لا تُؤَمِّلُ مَرجِعا

Do you claim that you will take, from pleasure,

Do you claim that you take from pleasure

a share, and that you expect no return—

a share, and that you expect no return,

حَتّى ما تُصبِحُ لِلضَعيفِ مُقَوِّياً

حَتّى ما تُصبِحُ لِلضَعيفِ مُقَوِّياً

فِعلَ السَفيهِ وَلِلجَبانِ مُشَجِّعا

فِعلَ السَفيهِ وَلِلجَبانِ مُشَجِّعا

until you become, for the weak, one who reinforces

so that you come to strengthen the weak,

the fool’s conduct, and for the coward, an encourager?

like a fool, and embolden the coward?

لَو لَم نُراعِ أَمامَنا إِلّا الرَدى

لَو لَم نُراعِ أَمامَنا إِلّا الرَدى

وَبِلى الجُسومِ لَكانَ أَمراً موجِعا

وَبِلى الجُسومِ لَكانَ أَمراً موجِعا

Even if nothing before us frightened us but death

If we considered nothing ahead of us but death

and the decay of bodies, that would be painful enough.

and the decay of bodies, it would be a painful matter.

وَإِذا هَمَمتَ بِمَطلَبٍ لِتَنالَهُ

وَإِذا هَمَمتَ بِمَطلَبٍ لِتَنالَهُ

لاقيتَ مِن نوبِ الزَمانِ مُفَجَعا

لاقيتَ مِن نوبِ الزَمانِ مُفَجَعا

Whenever you resolve upon some aim, seeking to attain it,

And when you set your mind on a goal, seeking to attain it,

you meet, among time’s reversals, a heartbreaking blow.

you meet something grievous among time’s vicissitudes.

وَالشَخصُ لا يَنفَكُّ مِن تَعَبٍ أَتى

وَالشَخصُ لا يَنفَكُّ مِن تَعَبٍ أَتى

مِن نَفسِهِ حَتّى يُصادِفَ مَضجَعا

مِن نَفسِهِ حَتّى يُصادِفَ مَضجَعا

A person is never free of a weariness that comes

And a person is never free of weariness that comes

from within himself, until he finds a place to lie down.

from himself, until he finds a resting place.