قائِدُ الغَفلَةِ الأَمَل

وَالهَوى قائِدُ الزَلَل

The leader of heedlessness is hope

And desire is the leader of slipups

قَتَلَ الجَهلُ أَهلَهُ

وَنَجا كُلُّ مَن عَقَل

Ignorance killed its people

And every reasonable one survived

فَاِغتَنِم دَولَةَ السَلا

مَةِ وَاِستَأنِفِ العَمَل

So make use of the time of peace

And resume your work

أَيُّها المُبتَني القُصو

رَ وَقَد شابَ وَاِكتَهَل

O you who built with shortcomings

And gray hair has crept up on you

أَخبَرَ الشَيبُ عَنك أَن

نَك في آخِرِ الأَجَل

Gray hair informed about you

That your end is near

فَعَلامَ الوُقوفُ في

عَرصَةِ العَجزِ وَالكَسَل

Why then stand still

In the yard of incapacity and laziness

أَنتَ في مَنزِل إِذا

حَلَّهُ نازِلٌ رَحَل

You are in an abode, that once inhabited

The dweller leaves

مَنزِلٍ لَم يَزَل يَضي

قُ وَيَنبو بِمَن نَزَل

An abode that ceaselessly torments

And distresses the dweller

فَتَأَهَّب لِرِحلَةٍ

لَيسَ يَسعى بِها جَمَل

So prepare for a journey

No camel undertakes

رِحلَةٍ لَم تَزَل عَلى

الدَهرِ مَكروهَةَ القَفَل

A journey that has always been

Throughout time, abhorred to start