الحِرصُ لُؤمٌ وَمِثلُهُ الطَمَعُ

ما اِجتَمَعَ الحِرصُ قَطُّ وَالوَرَعُ

Greed is malice and so is covetousness

Greed and piety were never known to coexist

لَو قَنِعَ الناسُ بِالكَفافِ إِذاً

لَاِتَّسَعوا في الَّذي بِهِ قَنِعوا

If people were satisfied with sufficiency

They would find space in that which suffices them

لِلمَرءِ فيما يُقيمُهُ سَعَةٌ

لَكِنَّهُ ما يُريدُ ما يَسَعُ

To each person, there is latitude in what sustains him

But he does not wish for what can accommodate him

يا حالِبَ الدَهرِ دَرَّ أَشطُرِهِ

هَل لَكَ في ما حاسَبتَ مُنتَفَعُ

O milker of fate, spare its choicest riches

Have you gained anything from your accounting?

يا عَجَباً لِاِمرِئٍ تُخادِعُهُ ال

ساعاتُ عَن نَفسِهِ فَيَنخَدِعُ

How strange is one deceived by the hours

About himself, thus deluded!

يا عَجَبا لِلزَمانِ يَأمَنُهُ

مَن قَد يَرى الصَخرَ عَنهُ وَالوَجَعُ

How strange is time, trusted

By one who sees even rocks can give pain

عَجِبتُ مِن آمِنٍ بِمَنزِلَةٍ

تَكثُرُ فيها الهُمومُ وَالوَجَعُ

I am surprised by one who feels secure in a station

Wherein worries and pain abound

عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ وَقَد عَرَفوا ال

حَقَّ تَوَلَّوا عَنهُ وَما رَجَعوا

I am surprised by a group who recognized the truth

Yet shunned it and did not revert

الناسُ في زَرعِ نَسلِهِم وَيَدُ ال

مَوتِ بِها حَصدُ كُلَّ ما زَرَعوا

People sow descendants but the hand

Of death harvests all they sowed

ما شَرَفُ المَرءِ كَالقَناعَةِ وَال

صَبرِ عَلى كُلِّ حادِثٍ يَقَعُ

Nothing equals contentment and patience

In bearing every incident that befalls

لَم يَزَلِ القانِعونَ أَشرَفَنا

يا حَبَّذا القانِعونَ ما قَنِعوا

The contented among us have always been the noblest

How excellent are the contented with their contentment

لِلمَرءِ في كُلِّ طَرفَةٍ حَدَثٌ

يُذهِبُ مِنهُ ما لَيسَ يُرتَجَعُ

To each person, every instant brings an event

That takes from him what cannot be regained

مَن يَضِقِ الصَبرُ عَن مُصيبَتِهِ

ضاقَ وَلَم يَتَّسِع بِهِ الجَزَعُ

He whose patience falls short of his affliction

Is distraught and not consoled by distress

الشَمسُ تَنعاكَ حينَ تَغرُبُ لَو

تَدري وَتَنعاكَ حينَ تَطَّلِعُ

The sun bids you farewell at sunset if

Only you knew; and bids hello at sunrise

حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ لاعِبٌ إِشِرٌّ

حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ بِالصِبا وَلِعُ

How long will you be a frolicker, a wanton

How long will you indulge in youth?

إِنَّ المُلوكَ الأُلى مَضَوا سَلَفاً

بادوا جَميعاً وَبادَ ما جَمَعوا

Kings mightier than you passed away

All perished along with what they amassed

يا لَيتَ شِعري عَنِ الَّذينَ مَضَوا

قَبلي إِلى التُرابِ ما الَّذي صَنَعوا

I wonder about those who passed

Before me into dust – what did they accomplish?

بُؤساً لَهُم أَيَّ مَنزِلٍ نَزَلوا

بُؤساً لَهُم أَيَّ مَعقِعٍ وَقَعوا

Woe to them! What destination did they attain?

Woe to them! In what desolate place did they fall?

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ كُلُّ مَن سَكَنَ ال

دُنيا فَعَنها بِالمَوتِ يَنقَطِعُ

Praise be to God – everyone who inhabited

The world has been severed from it by death