بادِر شَبابَكَ أَن تَهرَما

وَصِحَّةَ جِسمِكَ أَن تَسقَما

Hasten thy youth before thou growest old,

And thy health before thou fallest sick;

وَأَيّامَ عَيشِكَ قَبلَ المَمات

فَما قَصر مَن عاشَ أَن يَسلَما

And the days of thy life ere comes thy death;

He hath not lived long who hath safely lived.

وَوَقت فَراغِكَ بادِر بِه

لَيالي شُغلِكَ في بَعضِ ما

And the leisure of thy time, occupy it,

During the nights of thy travail therein

فَقَدِّر فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ قادِمٌ

عَلى عِلمِ ما كانَ قَد قَدَّما

For every man is pledged for what he earneth,

According to what he hath sent before him.