إذا المرء وفق في حدسه

أفاق وحل عرى لبسه

When a man succeeds in his guesses,

He rises, unties the knot of his troubles,

وثاب لتطهير أوضاره

ورجض الذي كان من رجسه

And returns to purify his sins,

And trots away from his vileness.

وأيقن أن متاع الحيا

ة نقش فلا بد من طمسه

And realizes that the goods of life

Are but engravings that must be erased,

وان ليس للمرء من ماله

سوي ما يُرجى إلى رمسه

And that man owns nothing of his wealth

Except what he hopes to take to his grave.

ومن ضن بالمال خوف الخطوب

أعان الخطوب على نفسه

He who is stingy with money for fear of misfortunes

Only brings misfortunes upon himself.

وان السعيد الذي يومه

إلى الخير أقرب من أمسه

And happiest is he whose day

Is closer to goodness than yesterday's.

وذو اللب من نال حسن الثنا

إذا الدهر أخفى صدا جرسه

And he of insight, if he gained praise,

Would not care if time muted his bells.

ومن رفعت فيه أيدي الدعا

إذا الدهر طأطأ من رأسه

And he whom hands of prayer raised up,

Time would bow his head down for him.

فانعم ما كان في بؤسه

واسعد ما كان في نحسه

So he prospers if he was in misery,

And is fortunate if he was unlucky.

ومعيار عقل الفتى صنعه

به يظهر الحمق من كيسه

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

By it, foolishness appears from his bag.

ليهن المحصل شعبان ما

أصاب المحزة في هجسه

May it go well for the harvester if

The sickle struck true in his threshing.

همام هو الغيث في بذله

على أنه الليث في بأسه

Hammam is rain in his generosity,

Yet a lion in his valor.

رأي أن ذي الدار دار الفنا

وكلا سيكرع من كأسه

I saw the home of transience transient,

And all sip from their cups.

وأيقن بالأجر أيقان من

يراه ويطمع في لمسه

And was certain of reward with certainty of one

Who sees it and hopes to touch it.

فجد وحصل من دهره

مآثر تبقي على أسه

So he strived and gained from his time

Deeds that make his name last.

بني مكتبا نور فرقانه

يعير النهار ضيا شمسه

He built a school whose light distinguishes

The day, lending the sun its rays.

ومدرسة لاقتباس العلوم

يصان بها العقل من تعسه

And a college to kindle the taking of knowledge,

Where reason is protected from misery.

وجامع أنس باشراقه

يكاد يجلى دجا دمسه

And a mosque whose illumination

Nearly shows the dark dawn its sun.

فهذا يرتل فرقاته

وهذا مكب على درسه

And another bows into his lessons.

And yet another stands for prayers,

وآخر منتصب للصلا

ة يلتمس الفوز في خمسه

Seeking success in his fifth.

O what a mosque, bringing together

فيا لك من جامع جامع

وجوه المبرات في أسه

Faces shining with blessing!

A refuge for the pious, its seasons

ومنتجع للتقي نوعت

فصول العبادة من جنسه

Are the ritual worship of its kind.

Its trade never fails, it makes

وسوق تجارته لن تبور

يجل به البيع عن بخسه

Selling excel over its meanness.

So may its builder prosper, who planted

فلله بانيه من غارس

جنى ثمر الفوز من غرسه

The crop of success from his sowing.

He will look upon the effects of what

سينظر آثار ما قدمت

يداه وسطر في طرسه

His hands advanced in his composition.

May God grant him righteousness

فوفقه اللَه للصالحات

ورد النوائب عن نفسه

And ward misfortunes from him.

And reward him after the age of eagles

وعوضه بعدُ عمر النسور

بقرب الحظائر من قدسه

With nearness of the sanctuaries.