الدَهرُ يوعِدُ فُرقَةً وَزَوالا

وَخُطوبُهُ لَكَ تَضرِبُ الأَمثالا

Time promises separation and decline

And its tribulations set examples

يا رُبَّ عَيشٍ كانَ يُغبَطُ أَهلُهُ

بِنَعيمِهِ قَد قيلَ كانَ فَزالا

O Lord of a life that brought bliss to its people

With its bounty, but it is said that bliss is fleeting

يا طالِبَ الدُنيا لِيُثقِلَ نَفسَهُ

إِنَّ المُخِفَّ غَداً لَأَحسَنُ حالا

O you who seek the world to burden yourself

Surely traveling light tomorrow will be the better state

إِنّا لَفي دارٍ نَرى الإِكثارَ لا

يَبقى لِصاحِبِهِ وَلا الإِقلالا

We are in an abode where we see amassing wealth

That remains not for its owner, nor meagre wealth either

أَأُخَيَّ إِنَّ المالَ إِن قَدَّمتَهُ

لَكَ لَيسَ إِن خَلَّفتَهُ لَكَ مالا

My brother, wealth, if you send it forth

Is not yours, and if you keep it back, it is not wealth to you

أَأُخَيَّ كُلٌّ لا مَحالَةَ زائِلٌ

فَلِمَن أَراكَ تُثَمِّرُ الأَموالا

My brother, all things will inevitably fade

So for whom do I see you amass riches?

أَأُخَيَّ شَأنَكَ بِالكَفافِ وَخَلَّ مَن

أَثرى وَنافَسَ في الحُطامِ وَغالى

My brother, be content with sufficiency and shun

Those who vie in vain things and overreach

كَم مِن مُلوكٍ زالَ عَنهُم مُلكُهُم

فَكَأَنَّ ذاكَ المُلكَ كانَ خَيالا

How many kings lost their kingdoms

As if those kingdoms were but phantoms

وَالدَهرُ أَلطَفُ خاتِلٍ لَكَ خَتلُهُ

وَالدَهرُ أَحكَمُ مَن رَماكَ نِبالا

Time is the gentlest vanquisher, its gentleness undoes you

And time is the most cunning of archers aiming arrows at you

حَتّى مَتى تُمسي وَتُصبِحُ لاعِباً

تَبغي البَقاءَ وَتَأمُلُ الآمالا

For how long will you rise morn and eve playing

Seeking permanence and aspiring to hopes

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ الحادِثاتِ مُلِحَّةً

تَنعى المُنى وَتُقَرِّبُ الآجالا

Indeed I have seen disasters hastening

Announcing fate and drawing near the appointed time

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ مَساكِناً مَسلوبَةً

سُكّانُها وَمَصانِعاً وَظِلالا

I have seen dwellings stripped of their dwellers

And buildings and shades emptied

وَلَقَد رَأَيتَ مَنِ اِستَطاعَ بجَمعِهِ

وَبَنى فَشَيَّدَ قَصرَهُ وَأَطالا

I have seen one who had the means to build

Erect his palace and heighten it

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ مُسَلَّطاً وَمُمَلَّكاً

وَمُفَوَّهاً قَد قيلَ قالَ وَقالا

I have seen the empowered and the enthroned

And the glib of speech, saying this and that

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ الدَهرَ كَيفَ يُبيدُهُم

شيباً وَكَيفَ يُبيدُهُم أَطفالا

I have seen time annihilate them in old age

And annihilate them in their youth

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ المَوتَ يُسرِعُ فيهِمُ

حَقّاً يَميناً مَرَّةً وَشِمالا

I have seen death hasten among them

Now to the right, now to the left

فَسَلِ الحَوادِثَ لا أَبا لَكَ عَنهُمُ

وَسَلِ القُبورَ وَأَحفِهِنَّ سُؤالا

So ask the events, they will not hide the truth from you

And ask the graves, question them closely

فَلتُخبِرَنَّكَ أَنَّهُم خُلِقوا لِما

خُلِقوا لَهُ فَمَضَوا لَهُ أَرسالا

They will inform you that they were created for that

Which they were created, so they went forth for it as messengers

وَلَقَلَّ ما تَصفو الحَياةُ لِأَهلِها

حَتّى تُبَدَّلَ مِنُهُم أَبدالا

Seldom does life stay pure for its people

Until they are replaced one after another

وَلَقَلَّ ما دامَ السُرورُ لِمَعشِرٍ

وَلَطالَما خانَ الزَمانُ وَغالا

Seldom is cheer sustained for a group

And time has often betrayed and been unjust

وَلَقَلَّ ما تَرضى خِصالاً مِن أَخٍ

آخَيتَهُ إِلّا سَخِطتَ خِصالا

Seldom are you pleased with all the traits of a brother

You have befriended, except you come to hate some traits

وَلَقَلَّ ما تَسخو بِخَيرٍ نَفسُهُ

حَتّى يُقاتِلَها عَلَيهِ قِتالا

Seldom does the soul freely give of goodness

Until it battles against that giving

أَأُخَيَّ إِنَّ المَرءَ حَيثُ فِعالُهِ

فَتَوَلَّ أَحسَنَ ما يَكونُ فِعالا

My brother, man in his deeds

Should take on the best of deeds

فَإِذا تَحامى الناسُ أَن يَتَحَمَّلوا

لِلعارِفاتِ فَكُن لَها حَمّالا

So when people refrain from shouldering

Enlightened principles, be their bearer

أَقصِر خُطاكَ عَنِ المَطامِعِ عِفَّةً

عَنها فَإِنَّ لَها صَفاً زَلّالا

Shorten your pace from greedy desires in chastity

From them, for they have a slippery ground

وَالمالُ أَولى بِاِكتِسابِكَ مُنفِقاً

أَو مُمسِكاً إِن كانَ ذاكَ حَلالا

Wealth is more worthy for you to earn in spending

Or withholding if that is lawful

وَإِذا الحُقوقُ تَواتَرَت فَاِصبِر لَها

أَبَداً وَإِن كانَت عَلَيكَ ثِقالا

And if rights come in succession, be patient with them

Forever, even if they weigh heavily upon you

فَكَفى بِمُلتَمِسِ التَواضُعِ رِفعَةً

وَكَفى بِمُلتَمِسِ العُلُوِّ سِفالا

It suffices the seeker of humility to be exalted

And it suffices the seeker of loftiness to be debased

أَأُخَيَّ مَن عَشِقَ الرِئاسَةَ خِفتُ أَن

يَطغى وَيُحدِثَ بِدعَةً وَضَلالا

My brother, whoever loves supremacy, I fear

Lest he become tyrannous and innovate misguidance and error

أَأُخَيَّ إِنَّ أَمامَنا كُرَباً لَها

شَغبٌ وَإِنَّ أَمامَنا أَهوالا

My brother, ahead of us are grave tribulations

With turmoil, and ahead of us are terrors

أَأُخَيَّ إِنَّ الدارَ مُدبِرَةٌ وَإِن

كُنّا نَرى إِدبارَها إِقبالا

My brother, the times are in decline, though

We see its decline as ascent

أَأُخَيَّ لا تَجعَل عَلَيكَ لِطالِبٍ

يَتَتَبَّعُ العَثَراتِ مِنكَ مَقالا

My brother, do not allow those who watch

For your lapses to have a case against you

فَالمَرءُ مَطلوبٌ بِمُهجَةِ نَفسِهِ

طَلَباً يُصَرِّفُ حالَهُ أَحوالا

Man is sought for the mettle of his soul

In a seeking that alters his states evermore

وَالمَرءُ لا يَرضى بِشُغلٍ واحِدٍ

حَتّى يُوَلِّدَ شُغلُهُ أَشغالا

And man is not content with a single occupation

Until his occupation begets more occupations

وَلَرُبَّ ذي عُلَقٍ لَهُنَّ حَلاوَةٌ

سَيَعُدنَ يَوماً ما عَلَيهِ وَبالا

How often a lover has sweetness for them

That will one day become trouble upon him

وَأَرى التَواصُلَ في الحَياةِ فَلا تَدَع

لِأَخيكَ جُهدَكَ ما حَيِيتَ وِصالا

And I see bonding in life, so leave not

Your utmost for your brother as long as you live and are connected

أَأُخَيَّ إِنَّ الخَلقَ في طَبَقاتِهِ

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ لِلإِلَهِ عِيالا

My brother, creation in its strata

Rises morn and eve as God's dependents

وَاللَهُ أَكرَمُ مَن رَجَوتَ نَوالَهُ

وَاللَهُ أَعظَمُ مَن يُنيلُ نَوالا

God is more generous than any you hope for His gifts

And God is greater than any who attain gifts

مَلِكٌ تَواضَعَتِ المُلوكُ لِعِزِّهِ

وَجَلالِهِ سُبحانَهُ وَتَعالى

A King before Whose might kings bow

In awe and majesty, Glory be to Him and Exalted

لا شَيءَ مِنهُ أَدَقُّ لُطفَ إِحاطَةٍ

بِالعالَمينَ وَلا أَجَلُّ جَلالا

Nothing of His subtle kindness surrounds

The worlds more closely, nor anything more Majestic His Majesty