طولُ التَعاشُرِ بَينَ الناسِ مَملولُ

ما لِاِبنِ آدامَ إِن كَشَّفتَ مَعقولُ

The length of socializing amongst people becomes burdensome

What is there for the son of Adam once mysteries are unveiled

لِلمَرءِ أَلوانُ دُنيا رَغبَةً وَهَوى

وَعَقلُهُ أَبَداً ما عاشَ مَدخولُ

A person has various worldly desires and passions

And his intellect is never free for as long as he lives

يا راعِيَ النَفسِ لا تُغفِل رِعايَتَها

فَأَنتَ عَن كُلِّ ما اِستُرعيتَ مَسؤولُ

O guardian of the soul, do not neglect caring for it

For you will be held accountable for all that you shepherd

خُذ ما عَرَفتَ وَدَع ما أَنتَ جاهِلُهُ

لِلأَمرِ وَجهانِ مَعروفٌ وَمَجهولُ

Take what you know and leave what you are ignorant of

For every matter has two faces, the known and the unknown

وَاِحذَر فَلَستَ مِنَ الأَيّامِ مُنفَلِتاً

حَتّى تَغولَكَ مِن أَيّامِكَ الغولُ

And beware, for you will never escape days

Until they overpower you, those wolves of your days

فَالدائِراتُ بِرَيبِ الدَهرِ دائِرَةٌ

وَالمَرءُ عَن نَفسِهِ ما عاشَ مَختولُ

For the rotations of fate’s doubt are a rotation

And a person, for as long as he lives, is deranged

لَن تَستَسِمَّ جَميلاً أَنتَ فاعِلُهُ

إِلّا وَأَنتَ طَليقُ الوَجهِ بُهلولُ

You will never perform a good deed, you who do it

Unless you have a joyful, radiant face like a clown

ما أَوسَعَ الخَيرَ فَاِبسُط راحَتَيكَ بِهِ

وَكُن كَأَنَّكَ عِندَ الشَرِّ مَغلولُ

How vast is goodness! So extend your arms with it

And be as if you are bound when evil is present

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ في آجالِنا قِصَرٌ

نَبغي البَقاءَ وَفي آمالِنا طولُ

Praise be to God, our lifespans are short

We desire longevity though our hopes are long

نَعوذُ بِاللَهِ مِن خِذلانِهِ أَبَداً

فَإِنَّما الناسُ مَعصومٌ وَمَخذولُ

We seek refuge in God from being abandoned

For people are protected or abandoned

إِنّي لَفي مَنزِلٍ ما زِلتُ أَعمُرُهُ

عَلى يَقيني بِأَنّي عَنهُ مَنقولُ

I am in a house I have inhabited

Certain that I will move from it

وَأَنَّ رَحلي وَإِن أَوثَقتُهُ لَعَلى

مَطِيَّةٍ مِن مَطايا الحَينِ مَحمولُ

Although my bags are packed

On a mount from the steeds of era, carried

فَلَو تَأَهَّبتُ وَالأَنفاسُ في مَهلٍ

وَالخَيرُ بَيني وَبَينَ العَيشِ مَقبولُ

If I prepared though my breaths are unhurried

And goodness between me and life is accepted

وادي الحَياةِ مَحَلٌّ لا مُقامَ بِهِ

لِنازِليهِ وَوادي المَوتِ مَحلولُ

The valley of life has no abode for its settler

And the valley of death takes all

وَالدارُ دارُ أَباطيلٍ مُشَبَّهَةٍ

الجِدُّ مُرٌّ بِها وَالهَزلُ مَعسولُ

The house is one of vanishing illusions

Truth in it is bitter and jest is sweetened

وَلَيسَ مَن مَوضِعٍ يَأتيهِ ذو نَفسٍ

إِلّا وَلِلمَوتِ سَيفٌ فيهِ مَسلولُ

There is no place a soul comes to

Except the sword of death in it is drawn

لَم يُشغَلِ المَوتُ عَنّا مُذأُعِدَّ لَنا

وَكُلُّنا عَنهُ بِاللَذاتِ مَشغولُ

Death did not distract us since it was prepared for us

While we, by pleasures, are distracted

وَمَن يَمُت فَهوَ مَقطوعٌ وَمُجتَنَبٌ

وَالحَيُّ ما عاشَ مَغشِيٌّ وَمَوصولُ

Who dies is cut off and avoided

And the living, for as long as he lives, covers and joins

كُل ما بَدا لَكَ فَالآكالُ فانِيَةٌ

وَكُلُّ ذي أُكُلٍ لا بُدَّ مَأكولُ

All you see will vanish, the eaters

And all that is eaten will inevitably be eaten

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ مِنَ الدُنيا فَمُنتَقِصٌ

وَكُلُّ عَيشٍ مِنَ الدُنيا فَمَملولُ

Everything of this world is decreasing

And every life in it becomes burdensome

سُبحانَ مَن أَرضُهُ لِلخَلقِ مائِدَةٌ

كُلٌّ يُوافيهِ رِزقٌ مِنهُ مَكفولُ

Glory to Him whose land is a table for creation

Each provided guaranteed sustenance from Him

غَدّى الأَنامَ وَعَشاهُم فَأَوسَعَهُم

وَفَضلُهُ لِبُغاةِ الخَيرِ مَبذولُ

He fed people at morning and evening, so He expanded

And His grace for the disobedient of goodness is given

يا طالِبَ الخَيرِ أَبشِر وَاِستَعِدَّ لَهُ

فَالخَيرُ أَجمَعُ عِندَ اللَهِ مَأمولُ

O seeker of goodness, rejoice and prepare for it

For all goodness altogether is hoped for from God