أَرى عِزّةً مِن بَين أثناء ذلّةٍ

وعجزاً أراناهُ الزّمان لقدرةِ

I see dignity amidst abasement

And powerlessness which time has shown to be powerful

وَكَم ذا رَأينا والعَجائب جمّةٌ

زجاجةَ سعدٍ صَدّعتْ نحسَ صخرةِ

How much have we seen and wonders are plentiful

The cup of joy shattered by ill-fortune's rock

خُذوها وَإنْ لَم تَعلموا كيفَ أَخذها

ولا كَيفَ جاءت نَحوكمْ إذ ألمّتِ

Take it even if you don't know how it was taken

Nor how it came to you when it gave pain

وَلا تَحسبوها في قَنيص اِحتِيالِكمْ

فَقد خَرجتْ عن أن تُنال بحيلةِ

Don't think it's in the shirt of your treachery

For it has gone beyond being attained by guile

وَعنّتْ لَكمْ والمطلُ عنها بنَجْوَةٍ

ولم تأتكمْ كُرهاً ولا هي عنّتٍ

It turned to you while fleeing from it brings salvation

Nor did it come to you reluctantly or cunningly

وَلَم تكُ إلّا مِثلَ نُغْبَةِ طائرٍ

وقبْسةِ عجلانٍ ولمحةِ نظرِةِ

It was but like the swoop of a bird

The gallop of fawns and the glance of a look

فَلا تغمصوها نعمةً إنْ تؤُمِّلَتْ

بِعينِ الحِجى أوفتْ على كلّ نعمةِ

So do not diminish it as a blessing if

With the eye of wisdom it fulfilled every blessing

وَأَعطوا الّذي أعطاكُمُ فوقَ سَومكمْ

رِضاهُ وَلا تُدانوا له دارَ سَخْطَةِ

And give to the Giver over your allotted share

His pleasure, and do not incur for Him a home of wrath

فَإِنّ الّذي يكسو على العُرْيِ قادرٌ

وَلا منيةٌ في الدّهر إلّا كخيبةِ

For He who clothes the naked is able

And there is no death in fate but like disappointment

وَقولوا لِمَن حاباكُمُ وأراكُمُ

بأنّكُمُ نِلْتُمْ مُناها بمُنيَةِ

And say to those who tried and showed you

That you attained it with effort

أَلا هنّ صُنعٌ من عزيزٍ مُقدِّرٍ

أَخوذٍ على أيدِي الرّجالِ موقِّتِ

Verily, it is the work of a Mighty Ordainer

Taken by the hands of men, timing

وَلا تَأمَنوا أَمراً بغير رَوِيَّةٍ

لديهِ ولا رأيٍ عليهِ مُبَيَّتِ

Do not feel safe about something without carefulness

For Him, nor an opinion about it made clear

وَما هيَ إلّا زلّةٌ مِن زَمانِكمْ

فحتّى متى يأتي الزّمانُ بزلّةِ

It is but a stumble from your time

So for how long will time bring a stumble?

وَما كانَ قَد كانَ عَن سببٍ له

علمناهُ لكنَّ المقادير جُنّتِ

What has happened had a cause for it

We knew it but fate beguiled us

فَإنْ وَفَتِ الأقدارُ عابثةً لكمْ

فَكمْ مِن وفاءٍ بَعده شرُّ غدرةِ

So if fortunes come to you meaningless

How much loyalty comes after the worst betrayal?