أَلا فَاِنعَموا وَاِحذَروا في الحَياةِ

أَلا فَاِنعَموا وَاِحذَروا في الحَياةِ

مُلِمّاً يُسَمّى مُزيلَ النَعَم

مُلِمّاً يُسَمّى مُزيلَ النَعَم

Take heed: enjoy yourselves, and beware in life

Beware and enjoy life's bounty

Of a calamity called the destroyer of blessings.

While fate's events unfold inevitably

أَرى قَدَراً بَثَّ أَحداثَهُ

أَرى قَدَراً بَثَّ أَحداثَهُ

فَخَصَّ بِهِنَّ أُناساً وَعَم

فَخَصَّ بِهِنَّ أُناساً وَعَم

I see fate that has scattered its calamities,

Affecting all mankind commonly

Singling out some people with them, and afflicting all.

Though blame is on the helpless and weak primarily

وَإِنَّ القَنا حَمَلَتها الأَكُفُّ

وَإِنَّ القَنا حَمَلَتها الأَكُفُّ

لِطَعنِ الكُماةِ وَشَلَ النَعَم

لِطَعنِ الكُماةِ وَشَلَ النَعَم

And indeed, hands have carried spears

So trust no man completely

To pierce armored warriors and drive off livestock.

Though a close relative or cousin he may be

فَلا تَأمَنوا الشَرَّ مِن صاحِبٍ

فَلا تَأمَنوا الشَرَّ مِن صاحِبٍ

وَإِن كانَ خالاً لَكُم وَاِبنَ عَم

وَإِن كانَ خالاً لَكُم وَاِبنَ عَم

So do not feel safe from a companion's evil,

With welcoming faces and unsheathed swords they came

Even if he is your maternal uncle or your paternal cousin.

A pretender made claims that were untamed

أَتَوكُم بِإِقبالِهِم وَالحُسامِ

أَتَوكُم بِإِقبالِهِم وَالحُسامِ

فَشَدَّ بِهِ زاعِمٌ ما زَعَم

فَشَدَّ بِهِ زاعِمٌ ما زَعَم

They came to you with their good fortune and the keen sword,

Lies they recited and threats they proclaimed

So with it a claimant bolstered what he claimed.

And you agreed "Yes, you spoke true" - so misnamed

تَلَوا باطِلاً وَجَلَوا صارِماً

تَلَوا باطِلاً وَجَلَوا صارِماً

وَقالوا صَدَقنا فَقُلتُم نَعَم

وَقالوا صَدَقنا فَقُلتُم نَعَم

They recited falsehood and made a keen blade gleam,

Awaken, for their words are unstable foundations

And said, "We spoke the truth"; so you said, "Yes."

Mere embellished justifications

أَفيقوا فَإِنَّ أَحاديثَهُم

أَفيقوا فَإِنَّ أَحاديثَهُم

ضِعافُ القَواعِدِ وَالمُدَّعَم

ضِعافُ القَواعِدِ وَالمُدَّعَم

Come to your senses, for their tales

For the blindness cast on you by their illusions

Are weak in foundation and support:

Time shifts its favors ceaselessly

زَخارِفُ ما ثَبَتَت في العُقو

زَخارِفُ ما ثَبَتَت في العُقو

لِ عَمّى عَلَيكُم بِهِنَّ المُعَم

لِ عَمّى عَلَيكُم بِهِنَّ المُعَم

Embellished falsehoods, not firmly grounded in reason;

Lands change hands repeatedly

With them, the turbaned man has obscured matters for you.

Camels know not if blindness was cast

يَدولُ الزَمانُ لِغَيرِ الكِرامِ

يَدولُ الزَمانُ لِغَيرِ الكِرامِ

وَتُضحي مَمالِكُ قَومٍ طُعَم

وَتُضحي مَمالِكُ قَومٍ طُعَم

Time turns in favor of those who are not noble,

On their riders, or clear sight they yet have

And a people's kingdoms become morsels.

وَما تَشعُرُ الإِبلُ أَنَّ الرِكابَ

وَما تَشعُرُ الإِبلُ أَنَّ الرِكابَ

أُعِمَّت إِلى الرَملِ أَم لَم تُعَم

أُعِمَّت إِلى الرَملِ أَم لَم تُعَم

And the camels do not know whether the riding-camels

Were directed toward the sand or were not.