إذا المرء وفق في حدسه

أفاق وحل عرى لبسه

When a man is guided aright in his intuition,

He awakens and unties the knots of his confusion,

وثاب لتطهير أوضاره

ورجض الذي كان من رجسه

And returns to cleanse his stains,

And washes away what had been his defilement,

وأيقن أن متاع الحيا

ة نقش فلا بد من طمسه

And knows for certain that life's goods

Are an inscription that must be effaced,

وان ليس للمرء من ماله

سوي ما يُرجى إلى رمسه

And that a man has nothing of his wealth

Except what is hoped for at his grave,

ومن ضن بالمال خوف الخطوب

أعان الخطوب على نفسه

And whoever withholds wealth for fear of calamities

Helps those calamities against himself,

وان السعيد الذي يومه

إلى الخير أقرب من أمسه

And that the fortunate man is one whose day

Is nearer to goodness than his yesterday.

وذو اللب من نال حسن الثنا

إذا الدهر أخفى صدا جرسه

And the discerning man is he who earns fair praise

When time has hushed the echo of his bell,

ومن رفعت فيه أيدي الدعا

إذا الدهر طأطأ من رأسه

And for whom hands are raised in supplication

When time has bowed his head.

فانعم ما كان في بؤسه

واسعد ما كان في نحسه

Thus he is most blessed when in misery,

And happiest when in misfortune.

ومعيار عقل الفتى صنعه

به يظهر الحمق من كيسه

And the measure of a young man's intellect is his work;

Through it, folly is distinguished from his good sense.

ليهن المحصل شعبان ما

أصاب المحزة في هجسه

May Sha'ban the tax collector rejoice that

He has hit the mark in his thought.

همام هو الغيث في بذله

على أنه الليث في بأسه

A noble man, he is rain in his generosity,

Though he is a lion in his valor.

رأي أن ذي الدار دار الفنا

وكلا سيكرع من كأسه

He saw that this abode is the abode of passing away,

And everyone will drink deep from its cup.

وأيقن بالأجر أيقان من

يراه ويطمع في لمسه

And was certain of the reward with the certainty of one

Who sees it and hopes to touch it.

فجد وحصل من دهره

مآثر تبقي على أسه

So he strove and gained from his lifetime

Noble works that endure upon his foundation.

بني مكتبا نور فرقانه

يعير النهار ضيا شمسه

He built a school; the light of its Qur'an

Lends the day the radiance of its sun.

ومدرسة لاقتباس العلوم

يصان بها العقل من تعسه

And a school for acquiring knowledge,

Where the intellect is guarded from its misery.

وجامع أنس باشراقه

يكاد يجلى دجا دمسه

And a mosque of solace that, through its radiance,

Almost dispels the gloom of his burial.

فهذا يرتل فرقاته

وهذا مكب على درسه

Here one recites his Qur'an in measured tones,

And another is intent upon his study,

وآخر منتصب للصلا

ة يلتمس الفوز في خمسه

And another stands upright for prayer,

Seeking salvation in his five prayers.

فيا لك من جامع جامع

وجوه المبرات في أسه

What a mosque it is, gathering together

The forms of charity within its foundation!

ومنتجع للتقي نوعت

فصول العبادة من جنسه

And a refuge for the devout, in which are diversified

The branches of worship belonging to its kind.

وسوق تجارته لن تبور

يجل به البيع عن بخسه

And a market whose trade will never fail,

Where trade is too noble to be undervalued.

فلله بانيه من غارس

جنى ثمر الفوز من غرسه

So God bless its builder, a planter

Who reaped the fruit of triumph from his planting.

سينظر آثار ما قدمت

يداه وسطر في طرسه

He will behold the traces of what was sent forth

By his hands and inscribed upon his page.

فوفقه اللَه للصالحات

ورد النوائب عن نفسه

So may God guide him to righteous deeds,

And ward calamities away from him,

وعوضه بعدُ عمر النسور

بقرب الحظائر من قدسه

And, after the lifespan of vultures, recompense him

With nearness to the precincts of His holiness.