إِذا لَم تَكُن دُنياكَ دارَ إِقامَةٍ

إِذا لَم تَكُن دُنياكَ دارَ إِقامَةٍ

فَما لَكَ تَبنيها بِناءَ مُقيمِ

فَما لَكَ تَبنيها بِناءَ مُقيمِ

If your world is not a permanent home,

If this world is not your eternal abode

Why, then, do you build it as a permanent resident would?

Why do you build in it as one who stays?

أَرى النَسلَ ذَنباً لِلفَتى لا يُقالُهُ

أَرى النَسلَ ذَنباً لِلفَتى لا يُقالُهُ

فَلا تَنكِحَنَّ الدَهرَ غَيرَ عَقيمِ

فَلا تَنكِحَنَّ الدَهرَ غَيرَ عَقيمِ

I deem procreation a sin for which a young man is not forgiven;

I see children as a burden for the youth

So never in your life marry anyone but one who is barren.

So do not marry Time, barren as it is.

فَحالُ وَحيدٍ لَم يُخَلِّف مُناسِباً

فَحالُ وَحيدٍ لَم يُخَلِّف مُناسِباً

تُشابِهُ حالَي عامِرٍ وَتَميمِ

تُشابِهُ حالَي عامِرٍ وَتَميمِ

For the state of a solitary man who leaves no blood relative

The state of the childless, who left no kin,

Resembles the states of ʿAmir and Tamim.

Is like my state, and Amir's, and Tamim's.

وَأَعجَبُ مِن جَهلِ الَّذينَ تَكاثَروا

وَأَعجَبُ مِن جَهلِ الَّذينَ تَكاثَروا

بِمَجدٍ لَهُم مِن حادِثٍ وَقَديمِ

بِمَجدٍ لَهُم مِن حادِثٍ وَقَديمِ

And I marvel at the ignorance of those who vied in boasting

More wondrous than the ignorance of those

Of their glory, both recent and ancient.

Who multiplied, boasting of new and old glory.

وَأَحلِفُ ما الدُنيا بِدارِ كَرامَةٍ

وَأَحلِفُ ما الدُنيا بِدارِ كَرامَةٍ

وَلا عَمَرَت مِن أَهلِها بِكَريمِ

وَلا عَمَرَت مِن أَهلِها بِكَريمِ

And I swear: this world is no abode of honor,

I swear this world is no abode of dignity,

Nor has it been peopled by anyone noble among its folk.

None of its people have lived honorably.

سَأَرحَلُ عَنها لا أُؤَمِّلُ أَوبَةً

سَأَرحَلُ عَنها لا أُؤَمِّلُ أَوبَةً

ذَميماً تَوَلّى عَن جِوارِ ذَميمِ

ذَميماً تَوَلّى عَن جِوارِ ذَميمِ

I shall depart from it, hoping for no return,

I will leave it without hoping to return

A blameworthy man, turning from a blameworthy one's company.

A wretch who turned away from a wretched neighbor.

وَما صَحَّ وُدُّ الخِلِّ فيها وَإِنَّما

وَما صَحَّ وُدُّ الخِلِّ فيها وَإِنَّما

تَغُرُّ بِوِدٍّ في الحَياةِ سَقيمِ

تَغُرُّ بِوِدٍّ في الحَياةِ سَقيمِ

And no friend's love in it has ever been true; it only

True love does not thrive in it, rather

Beguiles with a love that is sickly in this life.

It is tempted by the love of ailing life.

فَلا تَتَعَلَّل بِالمُدامِ وَإِن تَجُز

فَلا تَتَعَلَّل بِالمُدامِ وَإِن تَجُز

إِلَيها الدَنايا اِّخشَ كُلَّ نَديمِ

إِلَيها الدَنايا اِّخشَ كُلَّ نَديمِ

So do not seek solace in wine; and if you pass

So do not be tempted by wine, though

Through base deeds to reach it, fear every drinking companion.

The world bends down to it - fear every companion!

وَجَدتَ بَني الدُنيا لَدى كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

وَجَدتَ بَني الدُنيا لَدى كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

يَعُدّونَ فيها شِقوَةً كَنَعيمِ

يَعُدّونَ فيها شِقوَةً كَنَعيمِ

You have found the children of this world in every place

In every abode the people of this world

Counting misery in it as though it were bliss.

Count misery in it as bliss.

يَزيدُكَ فَقراً كُلَّما اِزدَدتَ ثَروَةً

يَزيدُكَ فَقراً كُلَّما اِزدَدتَ ثَروَةً

فَتَلقى غَنِيّاً في ثِيابِ عَديمِ

فَتَلقى غَنِيّاً في ثِيابِ عَديمِ

It makes you poorer whenever you grow wealthier,

The more wealth you gain, the poorer you become,

So you meet a rich man in a pauper's clothes.

Finding yourself richly clad, a pauper.

فَسادٌ وَكَونٌ حادِثانِ كِلاهُما

فَسادٌ وَكَونٌ حادِثانِ كِلاهُما

شَهيدٌ بِأَنَّ الخَلقَ صُنعُ حَكيمِ

شَهيدٌ بِأَنَّ الخَلقَ صُنعُ حَكيمِ

Decay and coming into being both arise in time; each

Corruption and creation - both of them

Bears witness that creation is the work of a wise one.

Testify that all creation is the work of the Wise!