1. ما لي بِما بَعدَ الرَدى مَخبَرَه

    قَد أَدمَتِ الآنُفَ هَذي البُرَه

    I have no knowledge of what lies beyond death.

    These nose-rings have indeed bloodied the noses:

  2. اللَيلُ وَالإِصباحُ وَالقَيظُ وَال

    إِبرادُ وَالَمَنزِلُ وَالمَقبَرَه

    Night and daybreak, summer heat and

    coolness, and the dwelling and the grave.

  3. كَم رامَ سَبرَ الأَمرِ مَن قَبلَنا

    فَنادَتِ القُدرَةُ لَن تَسبُرَه

    How many before us sought to fathom the matter!

    Then Power cried: “You will not fathom it.”

  4. فَاِجبُر فَقيراً بِعَطاءٍ لَهُ

    إِن كانَ في طَولِكَ أَن تَجبُرَه

    So relieve a poor man with a gift to him,

    if it is within your means to relieve him.

  5. سُبحانَ مَولانا الَّذي صاغَنا

    ما ظَهَرَت في عِضَّةٍ عُكبُرَه

    Glory be to our Lord who fashioned us,

    as long as a bead of resin appears in a thorn tree.

  6. عِشنا وَجِسرُ المَوتِ قُدّامَنا

    فَشَمِّرِ الآنَ لِكَي تَعبُرَه

    We have lived with death's bridge before us;

    so gird yourself now to cross it.

  7. وَالعِزُّ في الثَروَةِ وَالعَيشُ في ال

    حَبرَةِ وَالحِرفَةُ في المِحبَرَه

    And honor lies in wealth, and life in

    ease, and poverty in the inkwell.