لا تَكِلْ لذةً إلى التسويفِ

لا تَكِلْ لذةً إلى التسويفِ

وانتهزْها بالفعل قبلَ الصُّروفِ

وانتهزْها بالفعل قبلَ الصُّروفِ

Do not consign a pleasure to postponement;

Do not entrust a pleasure to procrastination,

seize it in deed before fortune’s reversals.

and seize it through action before fortune's reversals.

فزمانُ الشبابِ أشرفُ من أنْ

فزمانُ الشبابِ أشرفُ من أنْ

ينقضِي في الغُموم والتكليفِ

ينقضِي في الغُموم والتكليفِ

For the season of youth is too noble

For the time of youth is too noble

to pass away in sorrows and burdens.

to pass in sorrows and burdensome duties.

لا تُهِنْ نفسَك النفيسة بالبخ

لا تُهِنْ نفسَك النفيسة بالبخ

ل بهَوْنٍ من تالدٍ وطريف

ل بهَوْنٍ من تالدٍ وطريف

Do not abase your precious self through stingi—

Do not abase your precious self through miserliness

ness over a trifle of inherited or newly gained wealth.

over paltry wealth, inherited or newly acquired.

حَبَّذا مصرُ والجزيرةُ للمر

حَبَّذا مصرُ والجزيرةُ للمر

ء قَرارا في مَرْبعٍ ومَصيف

ء قَرارا في مَرْبعٍ ومَصيف

How delightful are Egypt and al-Jazira for a per—

How delightful are Egypt and the Island for a person,

son—as a settled home in spring grounds and a summer retreat,

as a home for spring and summer sojourns!

سيَّما في زمانِ دولة شاهٍ

سيَّما في زمانِ دولة شاهٍ

شاهَ في ظل عدله المألوف

شاهَ في ظل عدله المألوف

especially in the age of a Shah’s rule,

Especially in the days of the reign of Shah

who rose to eminence beneath the familiar shade of his justice.

Shah, beneath the shade of his accustomed justice.

والعطايا من فيض كفَّيْه قد عَمْ

والعطايا من فيض كفَّيْه قد عَمْ

مَتْ جميع الأنامِ بالمعروف

مَتْ جميع الأنامِ بالمعروف

And gifts from the overflow of his two hands have en—

And gifts from his two palms' overflowing bounty have encompassed

compassed all humankind with beneficence.

all humankind with kindness.

ألِفَ الحمدُ ذكرَه مثل ما قد

ألِفَ الحمدُ ذكرَه مثل ما قد

أَلِفتْ كفّه عطايا الألوف

أَلِفتْ كفّه عطايا الألوف

Praise has grown accustomed to mentioning him, just as

Praise has grown accustomed to mentioning him, just as

his hand has grown accustomed to gifts by the thousands.

his palm has grown accustomed to gifts in the thousands.