كُلُّ امرئٍ ساعٍ إليه مَنونُه

لاقٍ جَزَا ما قَدَّمَتْهُ يمينُه

Each man strives for what is dear to him,

And meets the reward for what his own hand has offered.

فارْجِعْ إلى مَرْضَاةِ ربّك قَبْلَ أَنْ

يبكي الْمُفَرِّطُ أن تخيَب ظنونُه

So return to pleasing your Lord before

The negligent weeps that his hopes have failed.

فالحزم في التّقوى فقط فَمَنِ اتَّقَى

قَرَّتْ بغاية ما يرومُ عُيونُه

Wisdom in piety alone, so one who is pious

Finds rest in attaining what his eyes envision.

واعْمَلْ كأَحْمَدَ سِيضَةَ العملَ الذي

يلقاكَ ساعةَ وحشةٍ ميمونُه

And act as Ahmad in earnestness of work which

Will meet you in a time of desolation as a comfort.

قد كان بَرّاً مَلْجَأً لِمُؤَمِّلٍ

عفّاً تُقَضُّ من العَفَافِ جفونُه

He was excellent refuge for one hopeful;

Gentle, so that sleep would be removed from his eyelids.

حِلْف التّلاوة للكتاب ونِعْمَ مَنْ

كان التّلاوةَ للكتاب قرينُه

Swearing allegiance to reciting the Book - and excellent is he

Whose comrade is reciting the Book.

حَسَناً خلائقُهُ جَمِيلاً خَلْقُهُ

يُرْضيكَ منه حَرَاكُهُ وسُكُونُه

Beautiful are his morals, his form is beautiful -

You are pleased by his movements and his stillness.

ثم استجاب لربّه لمَّا دعا

لِيَنَالَهُ مِنْ خيره مخزونُه

Then he responded to his Lord when He called

To attain His bounty and what He has stored.

ولِلَمْحِ بَرْقِ الجود أبرق قُلْتُ في

تاريخه جادت ثراه مُزُونُه

And by the flash of generosity I said in his

History - his wealth poured forth, adorned.