1. عِش يا اِبنَ آدَمَ عِدَّةَ الوَزنِ الَّذي

    يُدعى الطَويلَ وَلا تَجاوَز ذِلكا

    Live, son of Adam, for as many years as the count of the meter that

    Is called “the Long,” and do not exceed that.

  2. فَإِذا بَلَغتَ وَأَربَعينَ ثَمانِياً

    فَحَياةُ مِثلِكَ أَن يوَسَّدَ هالِكا

    Then, when you have reached forty-eight,

    Life for one like you is to be laid to rest, dead.

  3. ما سَرَّني وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ غايَتي

    أَنّي كَخانٍ في المُلوكِ وَآلِكا

    It would not please me—God knows my aim—

    To be like Khān and Ālik among kings.