بادِر شَبابَكَ أَن تَهرَما

بادِر شَبابَكَ أَن تَهرَما

وَصِحَّةَ جِسمِكَ أَن تَسقَما

وَصِحَّةَ جِسمِكَ أَن تَسقَما

Seize your youth before you grow old,

Hasten thy youth before thou growest old,

And your body's health before you fall ill,

And thy health before thou fallest sick;

وَأَيّامَ عَيشِكَ قَبلَ المَمات

وَأَيّامَ عَيشِكَ قَبلَ المَمات

فَما قَصر مَن عاشَ أَن يَسلَما

فَما قَصر مَن عاشَ أَن يَسلَما

And the days of your life before death;

And the days of thy life ere comes thy death;

For safety is not the final lot of anyone who lives.

He hath not lived long who hath safely lived.

وَوَقت فَراغِكَ بادِر بِه

وَوَقت فَراغِكَ بادِر بِه

لَيالي شُغلِكَ في بَعضِ ما

لَيالي شُغلِكَ في بَعضِ ما

And use your leisure time to prepare for

And the leisure of thy time, occupy it,

Your busy nights, in some measure.

During the nights of thy travail therein

فَقَدِّر فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ قادِمٌ

فَقَدِّر فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ قادِمٌ

عَلى عِلمِ ما كانَ قَد قَدَّما

عَلى عِلمِ ما كانَ قَد قَدَّما

So take stock, for every person will come

For every man is pledged for what he earneth,

To know what he has already sent ahead.

According to what he hath sent before him.