خُذ ما اِستَطَعتَ مِنَ الدُنيا وَأَحليها

خُذ ما اِستَطَعتَ مِنَ الدُنيا وَأَحليها

لَكِن تَعَلَّم قَليلاً كَيفَ تُعطيها

لَكِن تَعَلَّم قَليلاً كَيفَ تُعطيها

Take what you can from the world, and sweeten it.

Take what you can from this life and its pleasures,

Take what you can from the world and its delights,

But learn a little about how to give to it.

But learn just a little how to give back.

But learn a little how to give back to it.

كُن وَردَةً طيبُها حَتّى لِسارِقِها

كُن وَردَةً طيبُها حَتّى لِسارِقِها

لا دِمنَةً خُبثها حَتّى لِساقيها

لا دِمنَةً خُبثها حَتّى لِساقيها

Be a rose whose fragrance reaches even its thief,

Be a rose whose scent is sweet even to those who would pluck it,

Be like a rose that offers fragrance even to the one who steals it,

not a dung heap whose stench reaches even the one who waters it.

Not a thorn whose sting wounds even those who would water it.

Not like filth that is foul even to the one who waters it.

أَكانَ في الكَونِ نورٌ تَستَضيءُ بِهِ

أَكانَ في الكَونِ نورٌ تَستَضيءُ بِهِ

لَوِ السَماءُ طَوَت عَنّا دَراريها

لَوِ السَماءُ طَوَت عَنّا دَراريها

Would there be light in the universe for you to see by,

Was there any light in the universe that could illuminate us

Would there be any light in the universe to guide us,

if the sky folded its radiant stars away from us?

If the sky denied us the light of its stars?

If the heavens folded away their shining stars from us?

أَو كانَ في الأَرضِ أَزهارٌ لَها أَرَجٌ

أَو كانَ في الأَرضِ أَزهارٌ لَها أَرَجٌ

لَو كانَتِ الأَرضُ لا تُبدي أَقاحيها

لَو كانَتِ الأَرضُ لا تُبدي أَقاحيها

Or would there be fragrant flowers on earth,

Or any flowers on earth that could fill the air with fragrance

Or would there be flowers with fragrance upon the earth,

if the earth did not reveal its daisies?

If the soil did not allow them to reveal their petals?

If the earth refused to display its chamomile blooms?

إِنَّ الطُيورَ الدُمى سِيّانَ في نَظَري

إِنَّ الطُيورَ الدُمى سِيّانَ في نَظَري

وَالوِرقُ إِن حَبَسَت هَذي أَغانيها

وَالوِرقُ إِن حَبَسَت هَذي أَغانيها

To my eyes, toy birds are no different

To me, birds of any feather are equal

To my eyes, living birds and lifeless dolls are the same,

from grey doves, if the latter withhold their songs.

And leaves that hold back their songs are the same.

As are the doves, if they withhold their songs.

إِن كانَتِ النَفسُ لا تَبدو مَحاسِنُهصا

إِن كانَتِ النَفسُ لا تَبدو مَحاسِنُهصا

في اليُسرِ صارَ غِناها مِن مَخازيها

في اليُسرِ صارَ غِناها مِن مَخازيها

If the soul's virtues do not appear

If the soul does not reveal its beauties in times of ease,

If the soul does not reveal its virtues,

in prosperity, its wealth becomes one of its disgraces.

Its riches in times of hardship are worthless.

Then in times of plenty, its very wealth becomes its disgrace.

يا عابِدَ المالِ قُل لي هَل وَجَدتَ بِهِ

يا عابِدَ المالِ قُل لي هَل وَجَدتَ بِهِ

روحاً تُؤاسيكَ أَو روحاً تُؤاسيها

روحاً تُؤاسيكَ أَو روحاً تُؤاسيها

O worshipper of money, tell me: have you found in it

O worshipper of wealth, tell me, have you found in it

O worshipper of wealth, tell me: have you found in it

a soul that consoles you, or a soul you console?

A soul to console you or a soul to console?

A soul to comfort you, or a soul for you to comfort?

حَتّى ما يا صاحِ تَخفيهِ وَتَطمُرُهُ

حَتّى ما يا صاحِ تَخفيهِ وَتَطمُرُهُ

كَأَنَّما هُوَ سَوآتٍ تُواريها

كَأَنَّما هُوَ سَوآتٍ تُواريها

How long, my friend, will you hide it and bury it,

That which you hide and bury deep,

How long, my friend, will you hide and bury it,

as though it were shameful things you cover up?

As if it were a disgrace meant to be concealed—

As though it were a shameful secret you seek to conceal?

وَتَحرُمُ النَفسَ لِذاتٍ لَها خُلِقَت

وَتَحرُمُ النَفسَ لِذاتٍ لَها خُلِقَت

وَلَم تُصاحِبكَ يا هَذا لِتُؤذيها

وَلَم تُصاحِبكَ يا هَذا لِتُؤذيها

And you deny the soul pleasures for which it was created,

And deny yourself things created for you,

You deprive the soul of the pleasures for which it was created,

though it did not accompany you, O man, for you to hurt it.

Things that would not harm you, O you—

And it did not accompany you, O man, only for you to harm it.

أُنظُر إِلى الماءِ إِنَّ البَذلَ شيمَتُهُ

أُنظُر إِلى الماءِ إِنَّ البَذلَ شيمَتُهُ

يَأتي الحُقولَ فَيَرويها وَيُحيِّها

يَأتي الحُقولَ فَيَرويها وَيُحيِّها

Look at water: giving is its nature.

Look to water—generosity is its nature.

Look at the water; indeed, generosity is its nature;

It comes to the fields, watering them and bringing them to life.

It comes to the fields and revives them.

It flows to the fields to quench and revive them.

فَما تَعَكَّرَ إِلّا وَهوَ مُنحَبِسٌ

فَما تَعَكَّرَ إِلّا وَهوَ مُنحَبِسٌ

وَالنَفسُ كَالماءِ تَحكيهِ وَيَحكيها

وَالنَفسُ كَالماءِ تَحكيهِ وَيَحكيها

It never grows murky except when confined,

Only when trapped does it turn brackish and stagnant,

It does not become stagnant and foul unless it is confined,

and the soul is like water: each mirrors the other.

And the soul is like water—you can take this from it.

And the soul is like water, mirroring its state.

السِجنُ لِلماءِ يُؤذيهِ وَيُفسِدُهُ

السِجنُ لِلماءِ يُؤذيهِ وَيُفسِدُهُ

وَالسِجنُ لِلنَفسِ يُؤذيها وَيُضنيها

وَالسِجنُ لِلنَفسِ يُؤذيها وَيُضنيها

Confinement harms water and spoils it,

Imprisonment hurts and corrupts water;

Imprisonment harms and corrupts the water,

and confinement harms the soul and wears it down.

Imprisonment hurts and deprives the soul.

Just as imprisonment harms and withers the soul.

وَاِنظُر إِلى النارِ إِنَّ الفَتكَ عادَتُها

وَاِنظُر إِلى النارِ إِنَّ الفَتكَ عادَتُها

لَكِنَّ عادَتُها الشَنعاءَ تُرديها

لَكِنَّ عادَتُها الشَنعاءَ تُرديها

And look at fire: destruction is its habit,

And look at fire—destruction is its habit,

And look at the fire; indeed, destruction is its habit,

but its hideous habit brings it to ruin.

Yet in its dreadful habit lies its own ruin.

Yet its own heinous nature leads to its demise.

تَفني القِرى وَالمَغاني وَهيَ ضاحِكَةٌ

تَفني القِرى وَالمَغاني وَهيَ ضاحِكَةٌ

لِجَهلِها أَنَّ ما تَفنيهِ يُفنيها

لِجَهلِها أَنَّ ما تَفنيهِ يُفنيها

It destroys villages and dwellings while laughing,

It annihilates villages and pleasures while laughing,

It consumes villages and dwellings while laughing,

not knowing that what it destroys destroys it.

Not knowing that what it destroys destroys it.

Ignorant that what it consumes will eventually consume it.

أَرسَلتُ قَولِيَ تَمثيلاً وَتَشبيهاً

أَرسَلتُ قَولِيَ تَمثيلاً وَتَشبيهاً

لَعَلَّ في القَولِ تَذكيراً وَتَنبيها

لَعَلَّ في القَولِ تَذكيراً وَتَنبيها

I have sent forth my words as illustration and simile,

I have sent forth my words as parables and analogies,

I have sent forth my words as parables and metaphors,

perhaps these words hold a reminder and a warning.

Hoping they awaken and caution.

That perhaps in them lies a reminder and a warning.

لا شَيءَ يُدرَكُ في الدُنيا بِلا تَعَبٍ

لا شَيءَ يُدرَكُ في الدُنيا بِلا تَعَبٍ

مَنِ اِشتَهى الخَمرَ فَليَزرَع دَواليها

مَنِ اِشتَهى الخَمرَ فَليَزرَع دَواليها

Nothing is attained in this world without toil.

Nothing in this world can be grasped without effort.

Nothing in this world is attained without toil;

Whoever longs for wine must plant its vines.

Whoever desires wine must plant its vines.

Whoever desires the wine must first plant the vines.