1. الناسُ مُختَلِفونَ قيلَ المَرءُ لا

    يُجزى عَلى عَمَلٍ وَقيلَ يُجازى

    People differ: it is said that a person is not

    Recompensed for a deed; and it is said that he is.

  2. وَاللَهُ حَقٌّ مَن تَدَبَّرَ أَمرَهُ

    عَرَفَ اليَقينَ وَآنَسَ الإِعجازا

    And God is real; whoever reflects on His nature

    Knows certainty and perceives the miraculous.

  3. رَجَزَت بِتَسبيحِ المَليكِ حَمامَةٌ

    بِالشامِ توطِنُ أَو تَحُلُّ حِجازا

    A dove chanted rajaz in glorification of the Sovereign,

    Dwelling in al-Sham or settling in the Hijaz.

  4. وَالطَيرُ مِثلُ الإِنسِ تَعرِفُ رَبِّها

    وَتَرى بِها الشَعراءَ وَالرُجّازا

    And birds, like humankind, know their Lord,

    And among them you see poets and rajaz-chanters.

  5. فيهُنَّ مِسهابٌ يُعَدُّ وَناطِقٌ

    تَرَكَ المَقالَ وَآثَرَ الإيجازا

    Among them is one reckoned long-winded, and another speaker

    Who abandoned discourse and preferred brevity.

  6. فَاِسأَل حِجاكَ إِذا أَرَدتَ هِدايَةً

    وَاِحبِس لِسانَكَ أَن يَقولَ مُجازا

    So consult your reason when you seek guidance,

    And restrain your tongue from uttering figurative speech.

  7. لا تَرضَ وَعداً إِن قَدِرتَ عَلى نَداً

    وَإِذا وَعَدتَ فَيَسِّرِ الإِنجازا

    Do not settle for a promise if you can obtain a gift,

    And when you promise, make its fulfillment easy.

  8. جاءَتكَ أَعناقُ الأُمورِ بَوادِياً

    وَلَقَد لَمَحتَ بِلُبَّكَ الأَعجازا

    The necks of affairs have come to you in plain sight,

    And with your intellect you have indeed glimpsed their hindquarters.