خذ من الثروة ما شئت

خذ من الثروة ما شئت

وخذ مقداره غم

وخذ مقداره غم

Take from riches whatever you please,

Take as much wealth as you wish,

and take sorrow in equal measure.

and take an equal measure of grief.

كل ما يزعمه الإنسان

كل ما يزعمه الإنسان

غنما فهو مغرم

غنما فهو مغرم

Whatever a human being imagines

All that a person deems

to be gain is really a liability.

a gain is in fact a loss.

فهبات الدهر للسلب

فهبات الدهر للسلب

إذا حققت فاعلم

إذا حققت فاعلم

For the gifts of Time are destined to be taken away—

For time’s gifts are destined to be taken away;

if you look closely, know this.

if you examine closely, know this.

تطلب الراحة والرا

تطلب الراحة والرا

حة أمر متوهم

حة أمر متوهم

You seek repose, and repose

You seek comfort, yet com-

is a thing imagined.

fort is an imagined thing.

إن عيش العبد من

إن عيش العبد من

عيش مواليه أنعم

عيش مواليه أنعم

Indeed, a slave’s life, compared with

Indeed, a slave’s life, compared with

his masters’ life, is happier.

his masters’ lives, is more comfortable.

لا تكن في مرية من

لا تكن في مرية من

نازل الحالين أعلم

نازل الحالين أعلم

Have no doubt about it:

Have no doubt: one who

one who has known both states knows best.

has faced both conditions knows better.