1. The soul craves forbidden things,
And events have branching roots.
١. النَفسُ بِالشَيءِ المُمَنَّعِ مولَعَه
وَالحادِثاتُ أُصولُها مُتَفَرِّعَه
2. The soul yearns for distant things,
And takes for granted what is near.
٢. وَالنَفسُ لِلشَيءِ البَعيدِ مُريدَةٌ
وَلِكُلِّ ما قَرُبَت إِلَيهِ مُضَيَّعَه
3. Whoever lives, lives with a fickle mind,
Shifting between hardship and ease.
٣. مَن عاشَ عاشَ بِخاطِرٍ مُتَصَرِّفٍ
مُتَنَقِّلٍ في الضيقِ طَوراً وَالسَعَه
4. And one grows weak in perseverance,
So hardship constricts, though in it lies relief.
٤. وَالمَرءُ يَضعُفُ عَن عَزيمَةِ صَبرِهِ
فَيَضيقُ عَن شَيءٍ وَعَنهُ بِهِ سَعَه
5. One errs in how he steers his state,
And sometimes chooses trouble over peace.
٥. وَالمَرءُ يَغلَطُ في تَصَرُّفِ حالِهِ
وَلَرُبَّما اِختارَ العَناءَ عَلى الدِعَه
6. Each tries a trick, hoping
To ward off harm and gain benefit.
٦. كُلٌّ يُحاوِلُ حيلَةً يَرجو بِها
دَفعَ المَضَرَّةِ وَاِجتِلابَ المَنفَعَه
7. And one receives only his provision.
So be content with what comes easily.
٧. وَالمَرءُ لا يَأتيهِ إِلّا رِزقُهُ
فَاِقنَع بِما يَأتيكَ مِنهُ في دِعَه