لا تَعجَبَنَّ بمَن راضوا الجسومَ فقد

لا تَعجَبَنَّ بمَن راضوا الجسومَ فقد

تروَّضَ الوحشُ كيفَ الإِنسُ لم يُرَضِ

تروَّضَ الوحشُ كيفَ الإِنسُ لم يُرَضِ

Do not marvel at those who disciplined their bodies, for

Do not be amazed by those who gratify the bodies, for beasts

Wild beasts have been tamed—how could humankind not be?

Have been tamed, yet man was not gratified.

قد اغرضوا غَرَضَ الرُوحِ المُنيف فما

قد اغرضوا غَرَضَ الرُوحِ المُنيف فما

أَخطَت سِهامُهُمُ عن ذلكَ الغَرَضِ

أَخطَت سِهامُهُمُ عن ذلكَ الغَرَضِ

They aimed at the spirit's lofty goal, and never

They set out to gratify the delicate soul, but their

Did their arrows miss that target.

Arrows did not miss that target.

واعرضوا فيهِ عن أعراض جِسمهمِ

واعرضوا فيهِ عن أعراض جِسمهمِ

هل جوهرُ الجِسمِ إلا أَدنَسُ العَرَضِ

هل جوهرُ الجِسمِ إلا أَدنَسُ العَرَضِ

And in pursuing it, they turned away from their body's accidental properties.

And they turned away from it, from the attributes of their bodies.

Is the body's substance anything but the foulest accident?

Is not the essence of the body the most despised of accidents?

وغيرُهم نَبَذوا الإِعراضَ عنهُ لذا

وغيرُهم نَبَذوا الإِعراضَ عنهُ لذا

تعرَّضوا منهُ للأَعراضِ والعَرَض

تعرَّضوا منهُ للأَعراضِ والعَرَض

But others rejected turning away from it; thus

And others discarded turning away from it. Therefore

They exposed themselves through it to ailments and affliction.

They exposed themselves to accidents and mishaps.

شَتّانَ بينَ صحيحٍ ما بهِ سَقَمٌ

شَتّانَ بينَ صحيحٍ ما بهِ سَقَمٌ

وبينَ مُضنىً بحدِّ السُقمِ منقرِض

وبينَ مُضنىً بحدِّ السُقمِ منقرِض

What a gulf between a healthy man with no sickness,

Great is the difference between one healthy but ill

And one wasted away, perishing by sickness's sharp edge;

And one distressed by the utmost illness and extinction.

وبينَ من راضَ جسماً ذابَ من قَشَفٍ

وبينَ من راضَ جسماً ذابَ من قَشَفٍ

وبينَ ذي رَفَهٍ راضٍ بهِ ورضي

وبينَ ذي رَفَهٍ راضٍ بهِ ورضي

And between one who disciplined a body melted away by austerity,

And between one who gratified a vanishing body

And a man of ease, content with it and satisfied.

And one content with it and gratified.

ان الضعيفَ لَيَقتاتُ البُقولَ بَلِ ال

ان الضعيفَ لَيَقتاتُ البُقولَ بَلِ ال

قويُّ ياكل كلاً غيرَ معترضِ

قويُّ ياكل كلاً غيرَ معترضِ

Indeed, the weak man subsists on greens; but the

Verily the weak live on beans, while the

Strong man eats everything without objection.

Strong eat everything without objection.

فحِميةُ المرءِ في إِبَّانَ صِحَّتِهِ

فحِميةُ المرءِ في إِبَّانَ صِحَّتِهِ

بَمعرِضِ الطِبِّ كالتغليظ في المَرَضِ

بَمعرِضِ الطِبِّ كالتغليظ في المَرَضِ

So a man's dietary restraint in the prime of his health,

So a man's regimen in the heyday of his health

In the guise of medicine, is like harsh treatment during illness.

Is to ignore medicine, like indulgence in sickness.