إِيّاكَ أَعني يا اِبنَ آدَمَ فَاِستَمِع

وَدَعِ الرُكونَ إِلى الحَياةِ فَتَنتَفِع

I warn you, O son of Adam, so listen

And abandon luxury to benefit

لَو كانَ عُمرُكَ أَلفَ حَولٍ كامِلٍ

لَم تَذهَبِ الأَيّامُ حَتّى تَنقَطِع

If you lived a thousand full years

The days would not go until they cease

إِنَ المَنِيَّةَ لا تَزالُ مُلِحَّةً

حَتى تُشَتِّت كُلَّ أَمرٍ مُجتَمِع

Death always persists

Until it disperses all that is united

فَاِجعَل لِنَفسِكَ عُدَّةً لِلِقاءِ مَن

لَو قَد أَتاكَ رَسولُهُ لَم تَمتَنِع

So prepare provisions for meeting the One

Whose messenger, if he came to you, you could not refuse

شُغِلَ الخَلائِقُ بِالحَياةِ وَأَغفَلوا

زَمَناً حَوادِثُهُ عَلَيهِم تَقتَرِع

The creation was busy with life and forgot

A time whose events batter them

ذَهَبَت بِنا الدُنيا فَكَيفَ تَغُرُّنا

أَم كَيفَ تَخدَعُ مَن تَشاءُ فَيَنخَدِع

The world has deceived us, so how can it delude us

Or how can it trick whoever it wants, so they are tricked

وَالمَرءُ يوطِنُها وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

عَنها إِلى وَطَنٍ سِواها مُنقَلِع

Yet man makes it his home, knowing

He will depart it for a home other than it

لَم تَقبَلِ الدُنيا عَلى أَحَدٍ بِزي

نَتِها فَمَلَّ مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلا شَبَع

The world did not accept anyone with its beauty

So he was done with life and did not have his fill

يا أَيُّها المَرءُ المُضَيِّعُ دينَهُ

إِحرازُ دينِكَ خَيرُ شَيءٍ تَصطَنِع

O you who waste your religion

Preserving your religion is the best thing you can do

وَاللَهُ أَرحَمُ بِالفَتى مِن نَفسِهِ

فَاِعمَل فَما كُلِّفتَ ما لَم تَستَطِع

And God is more merciful to the youth than himself

So work, you are not tasked beyond your ability

وَالحَقُّ أَفضَلُ ما قَصَدتَ سَبيلَهُ

وَاللَهُ أَكرَمُ مِن تَزورُ وَتَنتَجِع

The truth is the best path you can take

And God is more generous than whoever you solicit and beseech

فَاِمهَد لِنَفسِكَ صالِحاً تُجزى بِهِ

وَاِنظُر لِنَفسِكَ أَيَّ أَمرٍ تَتَّبِع

So pave good deeds for yourself you will be rewarded for

And see for yourself which matter you should follow

وَاِجعَل صَديقَكَ مَن وَفى لِصَديقِهِ

وَاِجعَل رَفيقَكَ حينَ تَنزِلُ مَن يَرِع

And make your companion one who was loyal to his companion

And make your friend when you descend one who will guard you

وَاِمنَع فُؤادَكَ أَن يَميلَ بِكَ الهَوى

وَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِحَبلِ دينِكَ وَاِتَّزِع

And prevent your heart from inclining you with passion

And grip tight the rope of your religion and cling to it

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ جَميعَ ما قَدَّمتَهُ

عِندَ الإِلَهِ مُوَفَّرٌ لَكَ لَم يَضِع

And know that all you put forth

Is plentifully stored for you by God, He did not lose any

طوبى لِمَن رُزِقَ القَنوعَ وَلَم يُرِد

ما كانَ في يَدِ غَيرِهِ فَيُرى ضَرِع

Good fortune to those content with their lot

Who do not want what is in another's hand, so appear begging

وَلَئِن طَمِعتَ لَتَضرَعَنَّ فَلا تَكُن

طَمَعاً فَإِنَّ الحُرَّ عَبدٌ ما طَمِع

If you are ambitious, you will definitely beg, so do not be

Ambitions, for the free man is a slave when he covets

إِنّا لَنَلقى المَرءَ تَشرَهُ نَفسُهُ

فَيَضيقُ عَنهُ كُلُّ أَمرٍ مُتَّسِع

We will surely meet a man whom his soul corrupts

So everything spacious shrinks from him

وَالمَرءُ يَمنَعُ ما لَدَيهِ وَيَبتَغي

ما عِندَ صاحِبِهِ وَيَغضَبُ إِن مُنِع

A man prevents what he has and seeks

What his friend has and is angry if prevented

ما ضَرَّ مَن جَعلَ التُرابَ فِراشَهُ

أَلّا يَنامَ عَلى الحَريرِ إِذا قَنِع

It did not harm those who make the dust their bed

If they do not sleep on silk when content