إمّا بقيتَ فهلكُ غيرك هّينٌ

وإذا نجوتَ فجرمُ دهرك يغفرُ

Whether you live or others die, their death is easy

And if you are saved, the sins of your time are forgiven

وإذا المَحاذر تِهنَ عنك فما لنا

ولنا الأمان عليك شيءٌ يُحذرُ

And if precautions grow weak for you, what is it to us?

For we have safety in you, something to beware

ما نَحن إلّا لِلرّدى وإلى الرّدى

فمقدَّمٌ لحِمامه ومؤخَّرُ

We are only for demise and towards demise

So a dove flies ahead and another lags behind

وعلى المنيّةِ طُرقنا ومسيرُنا

والرّجلُ تهفو والأخامص تعثرُ

And our paths and travels are toward death

A man slips and stumbles while his feet trip

ذاق الرّدى متكِرّمٌ ومبخّلٌ

وأتى الحِمامَ معجّلٌ ومعمّرُ

One who lived honorably tasted demise, and one who was stingy

And one who was quick came to his grave, and one who lived long

كم شذّبتْ منّا السّنون وكم طوى

منّا الخضارمَ ذا التّراب الأغبرُ

How many years have adorned us, and how many

Have covered our cheeks, that dust colored soil

لا تربةٌ إلّا وَفيها للبِلى

خدٌّ أسِيلٌ أو جبينٌ أزهرُ

There is no earth except in it, for wearing away

A cheek has flowed down or a forehead flowered

مَن عاشَ إِمّا مات أو كانت له

في كلّ يومٍ عَبرةٌ تتحدّرُ

Whoever lives, will die or will have for him

In every day a lesson that flows down

وَهوَ الزّمان فضاحكٌ مستغرِبٌ

ممّا اِستَفادَ وناشجٌ مستعبِرُ

And it is time, laughing strangely

At what it gained, and crying at what it missed

وَقُصورنا قَصران هذا مُخرَبٌ

متعطّلُ حزناً وهذا يُعمرُ

And our palaces are two, one ruined

Abandoned in sorrow, the other rebuilt

وَعُيوننا عَينان هذي دمعُها

متحلّقٌ ودموع أخرى تقطرُ

And our eyes are two, this one's tears

Are stuck together, and the other's tears drip

إِنّ المصيبة في الأحبّةِ للفتى

لو كان يعلم نعمةٌ لا تُشكرُ

Surely the tragedy for the youth is in loved ones

If he only knew the blessing not thanked

فَدعِ التذكّر للذين تطارحوا

بيدِ المنون فهالكٌ لا يُذكرُ

So leave remembering those who lied down

By the hand of death, for destruction not mentioned

وإِذا جرى قَدَرٌ بشيءٍ فاِرضَه

فالمُعتبون لَساخِطو ما يُقدَرُ

And if a decree came about something, accept it

For the blamers are angry at what is divined

باهِ الرّجالَ بفضل حلمك فيهمُ

وَاِفخَرْ بِه فَبِمثل ذلك يفخَرُ

Give glory to men by your forbearance among them

And pride yourself in that, for by the like one prides himself

وَإِذا ألمَّ بك الزّمان فلا تَلُمْ

خُلْساتِه فَلما خطاهُ أكثرُ

And if time afflicts you, do not blame

Its misfortunes, for more than it erred

ولطالما عزّيت غيرَك في ردىً

بالصّبر والمُعزى بصبرٍ يصبرُ

And I have long consoled others in anguish

With patience, and the consoled is more patient

ما إِنْ رمتنا بالجنادل شدّةٌ

إلّا وَأَنتَ لها الأشدُّ الأصبرُ

We were not struck by hardships

Except you were the most hardy, the most patient

تفدِي الإناثُ ذكورَهنَّ من الورى

ويقِي الكبيرَ من الحمامِ الأصغَرُ

Females ransom their males from life

And the elder protects the younger dove

ولْيُسْلَ عنها إنّها درجتْ ولل

تقوى الإزارُ وللعفافِ المِئزَرُ

About it, ask, it has certainly declined and to

Godliness is the loincloth, and to chastity the gown

كسرٌ له جَبرٌ بأمثالٍ له

ووقاك ربُّكَ كسرةً لا تُجبرُ

A breakage has a mending with its like

And your Lord protected you from an un-mendable breakage