خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ الهَمَّ قَد يَتَفَرَّجُ
وَمَن كانَ يَبغي الحَقَّ فَالحَقُّ أَبلَجُ
My friend, worries will surely pass
And he who seeks the truth, the truth is more eloquent
وَذو الغِشِّ مَرهوبٌ وَذو النُصحِ آمِنٌ
وَذو الطَيشِ مَدحوضٌ وَذو الحَقِّ يَفلُجُ
The deceitful one is frightened, the advisor is safe
The rash one is rejected, the just prevails
وَذو الصِدقِ لا يَرتابُ وَالعَدلُ قائِمٌ
عَلى طُرُقاتِ الحَقِّ وَالجَورُ أَعوَجُ
The truthful has no doubts, justice remains
On the paths of truth, while injustice is distorted
وَأَخلاقُ ذي التَقوى وَذي البِرِّ في الدُجى
لَهُنَّ سِراجٌ بَينَ عَينَيهِ يُسرَجُ
The morals of the devout and the righteous in the darkness
Have for them a lamp between their eyes lighting
وَلَذّاتُ أَهلِ الفَضلِ بيضٌ نَقِيَّةٌ
وَأَلسُنُ أَهلِ الصِدقِ لا تَتَلَجلَجُ
The pleasures of the virtuous are pure white
And the tongues of the truthful do not waver
وَلَيسَ بِمَخلوقٍ عَلى اللَهِ حُجَّةٌ
وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن حُجَّةِ اللَهِ مَخرَجُ
No creature over God has an argument
And from God's argument he has no escape
أَلا دَحَرَت مِنّا قُرونٌ كَثيرَةٌ
وَنَحنُ سَنَمضي بَعدَهُنَّ وَنَدرُجُ
Oh, many generations have vanished from us
And we will follow them and march on
أَلا إِنَّ أَملاكاً سَمَت وَتَبَهَّجَت
وَلَكِنَّها بادَت وَبادَ التَبَهُّجُ
Oh, kingdoms rose high and rejoiced
But they perished and the rejoicing perished
أَلا غَرَّتِ الدُنيا رِجالاً عَهِدتَهُم
أَلا رُبَّما راحوا عَلَيها وَأَدلَجوا
Oh, the world has fooled men I have known
Oh, sometimes they wandered in it and became senile
رُوَيدَكَ يا ذا القَصرِ في شُرُفاتِهِ
فَإِنَّكَ عَنهُ تُستَحَثُّ وَتُزعَجُ
Slow down, you of the lofty palace
You will be driven out and disturbed
وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا اختَرتَهُ لَمُزَحلَقٌ
وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا في يَدَيكَ مُخَرَّجُ
You slip from what you have chosen
And you escape what is in your hands
تَذَكَّر وَلا تَنسَ المَعادَ وَلا تَكُن
كَأَنَّكَ مُخلاً لِلمَلاعِبِ مُمرَجُ
Remember and forget not the fate and be not
Like someone heedless playing and frolicking
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُوَلوَلُ حَولَهُ
وَنَفسُكَ مِن بَينِ الجَوانِحِ تَخرُجُ
And forget not when you toss and turn around it
And your soul escapes amongst your organs
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُسَجّى بِثَوبِهِ
وَإِذ أَنتَ في كَربِ السِياقِ تُحَشرِجُ
And forget not when you are wrapped in its clothes
And when you choke in the sauce of death
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُعَزّى قَريبُهُ
وَإِذ أَنتَ في بيضٍ مِنَ الرَيطِ مُدرَجُ
And forget not when you are consoled, a relative
And when you lie in a shroud of muslin
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ يَهديكَ قَومٌ إِلى الثَرى
إِذا ما هَدَوكاهُ انثَنَوا لَم يُعَرِّجوا
And forget not when a people guide you to the soil
If they straighten you, they will not swerve
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ قَبرٌ وَإِذ مِن تُرابِهِ
عَلَيكَ بِهِ رَدمٌ وَلِبنٌ مُشَرَّجُ
And forget not, a grave and made of its soil
Poured upon you a mound and mud plastered
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ بَينٌ بَعيدٌ وَإِذ أَدا
لَهُ سَبَبٌ لِلصَرمِ دونَكَ مُدمِجُ
And forget not, a distant separation and a far
Away house, the cause of which beside you lies joined
وَلا تَنسَ إِذ تُكسى غَداً مِنكَ وَحشَةٌ
مَجالِسُ فيهِنَّ العَناكِبُ تَنسِجُ
And forget not, you will wear tomorrow from you isolation
Councils in which spin spiders
لا بُدَّ مِن بَيتِ انقِطاعٍ وَوَحدَةٍ
وَإِن سَرَّكَ البَيتُ العَتيقُ المُدَبَّجُ
There must be a house of isolation and loneliness
Even if the ancient gilded house appeals to you
وَلِلغِيِّ أَحياناً سَبيلٌ مُشَبَّهٌ
وَلَكِن سَبيلُ الرُشدِ أَهدى وَأَبهَجُ
Sometimes the misguided have a similar path
But the path of righteousness is more guiding and brighter
وَإِنَّ القُلوبَ لَو تَوَخَّت يَقينَها
لَتَصفو عَلى روحِ الحَياةِ وَتَثلُجُ
If only hearts would seek their faith
They would clear to the soul of life and freeze
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجِدَّ يَبرُقُ صَفُّهُ
وَإِن كانَ أَحياناً بِهِ الهَزلُ يُمزَجُ
Have you not seen that seriousness gleams in its lines
And though sometimes in it is jest intermingled
أَلا رُبَّ ذي طِمرٍ غَدا في كَرامَةٍ
وَمَلكٍ بِتيجانِ الهَوانِ مُتَوَّجُ
Oh, how many lowly became noble
And a king crowned with the crowns of disgrace
لَعَمرُكَ ما الدُنيا بِدارِ إِقامَةٍ
وَإِن زَبَّرَ الغاوُونَ فيها وَزَبرَجوا
By your life, the world is no land of settlement
Even if the misguided embellished and adorned it
وَكَم خامِدٍ تُخفيهِ ضَغطَةُ حُفرَةٍ
وَقَد كانَ في الدُنيا يَصيحُ وَيُرهِجُ
And how many faded the pressure of a pit hides
And he once in the world screamed and sparked
إِذا ما قَضى لَهُ امرِئٍ فَكَأَنَّهُ
تَحَسُّفُ زَهرٍ أَو كِتابٌ يُمَجمَجُ
When the order of a person passes, it is as if
The bloom of flowers or pages crumpled
