إمَّا فَررْتَ من العِدَى

إمَّا فَررْتَ من العِدَى

أين الفرارُ من الردَى

أين الفرارُ من الردَى

Even if you flee from your foes,

Even if you flee from foes,

where can you flee from death?

where is there escape from death?

وإذا سلمتَ اليوم منه

وإذا سلمتَ اليوم منه

يأتي القضاءُ به غدَا

يأتي القضاءُ به غدَا

And if you escape it safely today,

And if you escape it today,

fate will bring it tomorrow.

fate will bring it tomorrow.

فإذا أتَى ماذا تقو

فإذا أتَى ماذا تقو

لُ إذا دَعاك إلى الندَا

لُ إذا دَعاك إلى الندَا

When it comes, what will you say

Then, when it comes, what will you say

to it when it calls you to the final summons?

when it calls you to the gathering?

الر أىُ مِنّي إنْ أتى

الر أىُ مِنّي إنْ أتى

قُلْ مرحباً بك إن بدَا

قُلْ مرحباً بك إن بدَا

My counsel, should it come, is:

My advice, should it come:

Say, “Welcome,” when it appears.

say, "Welcome to you," if it appears.

لو تُفْتَدى منه بملء

لو تُفْتَدى منه بملء

الأرض لم يُقبلْ فِدَا

الأرض لم يُقبلْ فِدَا

Even if you could ransom yourself from it with all that fills

Were you ransomed from it with enough to fill

the earth, no ransom would be accepted.

the earth, no ransom would be accepted.

لو كنتَ في ظلماتِ بحرِ

لو كنتَ في ظلماتِ بحرِ

زاخر لك لاهتدَى

زاخر لك لاهتدَى

Even if you were in the depths of a sea

Were you in the darkness of a sea

surging full, it would find its way to you;

surging, it would surely find its way to you.

أو كنتَ فوقَ الراسيا

أو كنتَ فوقَ الراسيا

تِ الشامخاتِ لأنجدَا

تِ الشامخاتِ لأنجدَا

or if you were atop the firmly rooted—

Or were you above the firmly rooted

—lofty peaks, it would climb to you.

towering mountains, it would surely ascend.

فتأهَّبنَّ ولا تكن

فتأهَّبنَّ ولا تكن

في غَفْلةٍ متردِّدَا

في غَفْلةٍ متردِّدَا

So be prepared, and do not be

So make ready, and do not be

lying heedlessly at ease.

heedless and hesitant.

فلعلّه يأتي مفا

فلعلّه يأتي مفا

جأةً فكن متزوِّدَا

جأةً فكن متزوِّدَا

For perhaps it will come unex—

For perhaps it will come without

—pectedly; so be well provisioned.

warning, so be well provisioned.

لا تلْقَه برذائل

لا تلْقَه برذائل

متلوثاً متعمدَا

متلوثاً متعمدَا

Do not meet it bearing vices,

Do not meet it with vices,

defiled through deliberate sin.

deliberately defiled.

إن كنتَ تبغي الفوزَ في

إن كنتَ تبغي الفوزَ في

روضِ الجنانِ مخلَّدَا

روضِ الجنانِ مخلَّدَا

If you seek to triumph in

If you seek triumph in

the gardens of Paradise, abiding forever,

the meadows of Paradise, abiding forever,

فاغسلْ يديك من الزما

فاغسلْ يديك من الزما

نِ وأهلِه متفردَا

نِ وأهلِه متفردَا

then wash your hands of this age—

then wash your hands of the age

—and its people, and stand apart.

and its people, keeping yourself apart.

واعبدْ إلهَك بكرةً

واعبدْ إلهَك بكرةً

وعشيةً طولَ المدَى

وعشيةً طولَ المدَى

Worship your God morning—

And worship your God in the morning

—and evening, throughout all your days.

and evening, for all your days.

واقنعْ بما تُؤْتَى ولا

واقنعْ بما تُؤْتَى ولا

تُطْلِق لسانَك للجَدَى

تُطْلِق لسانَك للجَدَى

Be content with what you are given, and do not

And be content with what you are given, and do not

loose your tongue to beg for largesse.

loose your tongue in begging.

لَكن إذا أُعْطِيتَ شيئاً

لَكن إذا أُعْطِيتَ شيئاً

لا تَرُدَّ المُسْعِدَا

لا تَرُدَّ المُسْعِدَا

But when you are given something,

But if you are given something,

do not turn the benefactor away.

do not turn away the benefactor.

أبَى الله أن يعطى الفتى ما يودُّه

أبَى الله أن يعطى الفتى ما يودُّه

وإن شاءَ أمراً بامرىء من يردُّه

وإن شاءَ أمراً بامرىء من يردُّه

God has refused to grant a man all that he desires;

God has refused to grant a young man what he desires;

and if He wills something for anyone, who can repel it?

and if He wills something for a person, who can avert it?

وما المرءُ إلا صورةٌ وبهيمةٌ

وما المرءُ إلا صورةٌ وبهيمةٌ

يزينُه حسنُ الطباعِ ورشدُه

يزينُه حسنُ الطباعِ ورشدُه

A person is merely a form and a beast,

And a person is but a form and a beast;

adorned by fine character and sound judgment.

goodness of character and his sound judgment adorn him.

فهذا محالٌ ما لَه قطُّ غايةٌ

فهذا محالٌ ما لَه قطُّ غايةٌ

انشرح شَيئاً لَيْس يُبلغُ حدُّه

انشرح شَيئاً لَيْس يُبلغُ حدُّه

To explain this is impossible; it has no end—

This, then, is an impossibility, with no end at all.

to explain a thing whose limit cannot be reached.

Shall we explain something whose limit cannot be reached?

إذا ما رضيتمْ بالقضاء استرحتم

إذا ما رضيتمْ بالقضاء استرحتم

وما ضرَّكُم سوءُ القضاءِ وجَهدهُ

وما ضرَّكُم سوءُ القضاءِ وجَهدهُ

Once you accept fate, you will find peace,

If you are content with fate, you will find rest,

and fate’s harshness and hardship will not harm you.

and fate's harshness and hardship will not harm you.