لَقَدْ أَيْقَنَتْ نَفْسُ الْفَتَى غَيْرَ بَاطِلٍ

لَقَدْ أَيْقَنَتْ نَفْسُ الْفَتَى غَيْرَ بَاطِلٍ

وَإِنْ عَاشَ حِينًا أَنَّهُ سَوْفَ يَهْلِكُ

وَإِنْ عَاشَ حِينًا أَنَّهُ سَوْفَ يَهْلِكُ

Truly, the young man’s soul has come to know—without illusion—

Indeed, the young man's soul is certain, not mistaken,

that even if he lives a while, he shall perish;

That, even if he lives a while, he will perish.

وَيَشْرَبُ بِالْكَأْسِ الذُّعَافِ شَرَابُهَا

وَيَشْرَبُ بِالْكَأْسِ الذُّعَافِ شَرَابُهَا

وَيَرْكَبُ حَدَّ الْمَوْتِ كَرْهًا وَيُسْلَكُ

وَيَرْكَبُ حَدَّ الْمَوْتِ كَرْهًا وَيُسْلَكُ

and drink its draught from the cup of deadly poison,

And he drinks from the cup whose draught is deadly poison,

and, against his will, mount death’s sharp edge and be driven on.

And he rides death's edge unwillingly and is led along.

وَكَمْ مِنْ أَخِي دُنْيَا يُثَمِّرُ مَالَهُ

وَكَمْ مِنْ أَخِي دُنْيَا يُثَمِّرُ مَالَهُ

سَيُرَثُ ذَاكَ الْمَالُ رَغْمًا وَيُتْرَكُ

سَيُرَثُ ذَاكَ الْمَالُ رَغْمًا وَيُتْرَكُ

How many a devotee of this world makes his wealth grow,

And how many a worldly man makes his wealth grow—

yet that wealth will be inherited against his will and left behind.

That wealth will be inherited against his will and left behind.

عَلَيْكَ بِأَفْعَالِ الْكِرَامِ وَلِينِهِمْ

عَلَيْكَ بِأَفْعَالِ الْكِرَامِ وَلِينِهِمْ

وَلا تَكُ مِشْكَاسًا تَلِجُّ وَتَمْحَكُ

وَلا تَكُ مِشْكَاسًا تَلِجُّ وَتَمْحَكُ

Hold fast to the deeds of the noble and to their gentleness.

Hold fast to the deeds of the noble and their gentleness.

Do not be contentious, stubbornly persisting and wrangling.

And do not be cantankerous, stubbornly persisting and wrangling.

وَلا تَكُ مَزَّاحًا لَدَى الْقَوْمِ لُعْبَةً

وَلا تَكُ مَزَّاحًا لَدَى الْقَوْمِ لُعْبَةً

تَظَلُّ أَخَا هُزْءٍ بِنَفْسِكَ يَضْحَكُ

تَظَلُّ أَخَا هُزْءٍ بِنَفْسِكَ يَضْحَكُ

Do not be the company’s jester, a plaything in their midst,

And do not be an inveterate joker, a plaything among the people,

forever a butt of mockery, laughed at for who you are.

You remain a butt of mockery, with people laughing at you.

تَخُوضُ بِجَهْلٍ سَادِرًا فِي فُكَاهَةٍ

تَخُوضُ بِجَهْلٍ سَادِرًا فِي فُكَاهَةٍ

وَتَدْخُلُ فِي غَيِّ الْغُوَاةِ وَتُشْرِكُ

وَتَدْخُلُ فِي غَيِّ الْغُوَاةِ وَتُشْرِكُ

You plunge on through your ignorance, heedlessly lost in merriment,

You plunge ignorantly and heedlessly into jesting,

entering the wayward’s error and becoming complicit in it.

And you enter the waywardness of the misguided and join in.

أَلا رُبَّ ذِي حَظٍّ يُبَصَّرُ فِعْلُهُ

أَلا رُبَّ ذِي حَظٍّ يُبَصَّرُ فِعْلُهُ

وَآخَرَ مَصْرُوفٌ وَفِي الْحَظِّ يُؤْفَكُ

وَآخَرَ مَصْرُوفٌ وَفِي الْحَظِّ يُؤْفَكُ

Behold, many a fortunate man’s deed is brought plainly to light,

Take heed: many a fortunate man's deed is made plain,

while another is denied and cheated of fortune.

And another is turned aside and diverted from good fortune.