لِطائِرِ كُلَّ حادِثَةٍ وُقوعُ

وَلِلدُنيا بِصاحِبِها وَلوعُ

For every bird an accident's occurrence is destined

And for the world with its people, anguish.

تُريدُ الأَمنَ في دارِ البَلايا

وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن حَدَثٍ يَروعُ

You wish for safety in the abode of tribulations

Yet cease not from startling events that make you anxious.

وَقَد يَسلو المَصائِبَ مَن تَعَزّى

وَقَد يَزدادُ في الحُزنِ الجَزوعُ

At times, disasters may console the aggrieved one

At other times, in sorrow, his anguish is redoubled.

هِيَ الآجالُ وَالأَقدارُ تَجري

بِقَدرِ الدَرَّ تُحتَلَبُ الضُروعُ

These are the terms and decrees that take their course

According to the measure ofstrife, hardships are ladled.

هِيَ الأَعراقُ بِالأَخلاقِ تَنمي

بِقَدرِ أُصولِها تَزكو الفُروعُ

These are lineages that manners make grow

According to their origins, branches are ennobled.

هِيَ الأَيّامُ تَحصِدُ كُلَّ زَرعٍ

لِيَومِ حِصادِها زُرِعَ الزُروعُ

These are the days that reap every crop grown

For the day of their harvest, crops were sown.

تَشَهّى النَفسُ وَالشَهَواتُ تَنمي

فَلَيسَ لِقَلبِ صاحِبِها خُشوعُ

The soul desires and passions grow

Thus, its owner's heart knows no humility.

وَما تَنفَكُّ دائِرَةً بِخَطبٍ

وَما يَنفَكُّ جَمّاعٌ مَنوعُ

Ceaselessly spins the wheel of disasters

Ceaselessly banned is the assembled company.

مُعَلَّقَةً بِثُغرَتِهِ المَنايا

وَفَوقَ جَبينِهِ الأَجَلُ الخَدوعُ

Suspended by its lip, death hovers

While above its brow, the sly end lurks.

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ مُغتَرِماً يُسامي

وَرائِحَةُ البِلى مِنهُ تَضوعُ

I saw a man pretending loftiness

While the scent of decay from him oozed.

عَجِبتُ لِمَن يَموتُ وَلَيسَ يَبكي

عَجِبتُ لِمَن تَجِفُّ لَهُ دُموعُ

I wondered at one who dies with no tears shed for him

I wondered that for another, tears are fully shed.