إِذا ما عَراكُم حادِثٌ فَتَحَدَّثوا

إِذا ما عَراكُم حادِثٌ فَتَحَدَّثوا

فَإِنَّ حَديثَ القَومِ يُنسي المَصائِبا

فَإِنَّ حَديثَ القَومِ يُنسي المَصائِبا

When a misfortune befalls you, talk together,

When misfortune befalls you, then talk,

For conversation among people makes one forget calamities.

For talking makes people forget calamities,

وَحيدوا عَنِ الأَشياءِ خيفَةَ غَيِّها

وَحيدوا عَنِ الأَشياءِ خيفَةَ غَيِّها

فَلَم تُجعَلِ اللَذاتُ إِلّا نَصائِبا

فَلَم تُجعَلِ اللَذاتُ إِلّا نَصائِبا

And shun things, for fear they lead you astray,

And avoid frivolous things out of fear of their evil,

For pleasures were made to be nothing but snares.

For pleasures were not created but as consolations,

وَما زالَتِ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

وَما زالَتِ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

تُسَدِّدُ سَهماً لِلمَنِيَّةِ صائِبا

تُسَدِّدُ سَهماً لِلمَنِيَّةِ صائِبا

And the days, heedless as they are, have never ceased

And time keeps passing heedlessly,

To aim for Death an arrow that strikes true.

Directing an arrow at death unerringly.