عَلَيكَ بِظِلفِ نَفسِكَ عَن هَواها

عَلَيكَ بِظِلفِ نَفسِكَ عَن هَواها

فَما شَيءٌ أَلَذّ مِنَ الصَلاحِ

فَما شَيءٌ أَلَذّ مِنَ الصَلاحِ

Restrain your soul from its desires;

Deny your soul its passions and desires

For nothing is sweeter than righteousness.

For nothing is sweeter than righteousness

تَأَهَّب لِلمَنِيَّةِ حينَ تَغدو

تَأَهَّب لِلمَنِيَّةِ حينَ تَغدو

كَأَنَّكَ لا تَعيشُ إِلى الرَواحِ

كَأَنَّكَ لا تَعيشُ إِلى الرَواحِ

Prepare for death when you go forth in the morning,

Prepare for death each morning

As though you will not live until evening.

As though you won’t live to see the evening

فَكَم مِن رائِحٍ فينا صَحيحٍ

فَكَم مِن رائِحٍ فينا صَحيحٍ

نَعَتهُ نُعاتُهُ قَبلَ الصَباحِ

نَعَتهُ نُعاتُهُ قَبلَ الصَباحِ

For many a healthy man among us went out at evening,

How many in health at dawn

Yet his mourners announced his death before morning.

Were mourned by dusk

وَبادِر بِالإِنابَةِ قَبلَ مَوتٍ

وَبادِر بِالإِنابَةِ قَبلَ مَوتٍ

عَلى ما فيكَ مِن عِظَمِ الجُناحِ

عَلى ما فيكَ مِن عِظَمِ الجُناحِ

And hasten to repentance before death,

Repent before death

Despite the enormity of the sin within you.

For how grave are your sins

وَلَيسَ أَخو الرَزانَةِ مَن تَجافى

وَلَيسَ أَخو الرَزانَةِ مَن تَجافى

وَلَكِن مَن تَشَمَّرَ لِلفَلاحِ

وَلَكِن مَن تَشَمَّرَ لِلفَلاحِ

And the man of sound judgment is not one who holds aloof,

Not he who flees hardship is wise

But one who girds himself for salvation.

But he who toils for success