خَيرُ أَيّامِ الفَتى يَومَ نَفَع

وَاصطِناعُ الخَيرِ أَبقى ما صَنَع

The best of a young man's days is the day he benefits others,

And doing good is the most lasting thing one can make.

وَنَظيرُ المَرءِ في مَعروفِهِ

شافِعٌ مَتَّ إِلَيهِ فَشَفَع

And one's peer in kindness,

Is an intercessor who interceded for him.

ما يُنالُ الخَيرُ بِالشَرِّ وَلا

يَحصِدُ الزارِعُ إِلّا ما زَرَع

Good cannot be attained through evil,

And the farmer reaps only what he sows.

لَيسَ كُلُّ الدَهرِ يَوماً واحِداً

رُبَّما ضاقَ الفَتى ثُمَّ اتَّسَع

Not all of fate is but one day,

Sometimes the youth feels constricted then finds relief.

خُذ مِنَ الدُنيا الَّذي دَرَّت بِهِ

وَاسلُ عَمّا فاتَ مِنها وَانقَطَع

Take from this life what flows easily,

And let go of what has passed and ceased.

إِنَّما الدُنيا مَتاعٌ زائِلٌ

فَاقتَصِد فيهِ وَخُذ مِنهُ وَدَع

Verily this life is fleeting vanity,

So be moderate in it, take what you need and leave the rest.

وَاِرضَ لِلناسِ بِما تَرضى بِهِ

وَاِتبَعِ الحَقَّ فَنِعمَ المُتَّبَع

And be content with people as you would have them be with you,

And follow the truth, for excellent is he who follows it.

وَاِبغِ ما اِستَعتَ عَنِ الناسِ الغِنى

فَمَنِ اِحتاجَ إِلى الناسِ ضَرَع

And seek independence from people through self-sufficiency,

For he who needs people, pleads to them in misery.

أَبلِغِ الجامِعَ أَن لَو قَد أَتى

يَومُهُ لَم يُغنِ عَنهُ ما جَمَع

Inform the hoarder that when his day comes,

What he gathered will not avail him.

إِنَّ لِلخَيرِ لَرَسماً بَيِّناً

طَبَعَ اللَهُ عَلَيهِ مَن طَبَع

Goodness indeed has a clear imprint,

God has stamped it on those who have the capacity.

قَد بَلَونا الناسَ في أَخلاقِهِم

فَرَأَيناهُم لِذي المالِ تَبَع

We have tested people through their manners,

And found them to follow whoever has wealth.

وَحَبيبُ الناسِ مَن أَطمَعَهُم

إِنَّما الناسُ جَميعاً بِالطَمَع

And the people's beloved is he who gives them hope,

Truly people are altogether moved by greed.

اِحمَدِ اللَهَ عَلى تَقديرِهِ

قَدَّرَ الرِزقَ فَأَعطى وَمَنَع

Thank God for His ordainment,

He apportioned rizq, so gave and denied.

سُمتُ نَفسي وَرَعاً تَصدُقُهُ

فَنَهاها النَقصُ عَن ذاكَ الوَرَع

I imagined myself to have devoutness, but perfectionism

Prevented me from that devotion.

فَلِنَفسي عِلَلٌ لاتَنقَضي

وَلَها مَكرٌ لَطيفٌ وَخُدَع

I have endless shortcomings,

And subtle tricks and deceptions.

وَلِنَفسي غَفَلاتٌ لَم تَزَل

وَلَها بِالشَيءِ أَحياناً وَلَع

And I have lapses that never cease,

And sometimes desire for things.

وَلِنَفسي حينَ تُعطى فَرَحٌ

وَاضطِرابٌ عِندَ مَنعٍ وَجَزَع

And when my soul is given, it rejoices,

And when denied, is troubled and despairs.

عَجَباً مِن مُطمَئِنٍ آمِنٍ

إِنَّما يُغذى بِأَلوانِ الفَزَع

How strange is one feeling secure and safe,

Yet is nourished by varieties of fear.

عَجَباً لِلناسِ ما أَغفَلَهُم

مِن وُقوعِ المَوتِ عَمّا سَيَقَع

How strange that people forget,

The inevitability of death and what will come to pass.

عَجَباً إِنّا لَنَلقى مَرتَعاً

كُلُّنا قَد عاثَ فيهِ وَرَتَع

How strange! We will all arrive at a pasture,

Where each of us roamed and grazed.

يا أَخا المَيتِ الَّذي شَيَّعَهُ

فَحَثا التُربَ عَلَيهِ وَرَجَع

O brother of a dead one, who was escorted,

As soil was heaped upon him whence he came.

لَيتَ شِعري ما تَزَوَّدتَ مِنَ ال

زادِ يا هَذا لِهَولِ المُطَلَع

I wonder what provisions you prepared,

For the awfulness of what you now face.

يَومَ يَهديكَ مُحِبّوكَ إِلى

ظُلمَةِ القَبرِ وَضيقِ المُضطَجَع

The day your loved ones walk you,

To the darkness of the grave and your constricted resting place.