أَيا نَفسُ مَهما لَم يَدُم فَذَريهِ

وَلِلمَوتِ رَأيٌ فيكِ فَاِنتَظِريهِ

O soul, no matter how short life is, so leave it,

And death has an opinion about you, so wait for it,

مَضى مَن مَضى مِنّا وَحيداً بِنَفسِهِ

وَنَحنُ وَشيكاً لا نَشُكُّ نَليهِ

Those who passed before us went alone with themselves,

And we will soon follow, undoubtedly to meet it,

بَنو المَرءِ يُسليهِم عَنِ المَرءِ بَعدَهُ

إِذا ماتَ ما أَسلاهُ بَعدَ أَبيهِ

A man's sons console him after him when he dies,

If he dies, nothing will console him after his father,

رَأَيتُ أَقَلَّ الناسِ هَمّاً أَشَدَّهُم

قُنوعاً وَأَرضاهُم بِما هُوَ فيهِ

I saw the least worried people were the most content,

And the most pleased with what state they are in,

فَطوبى لِمَن لَم يَلقَ أَمراً قَضى لَهُ

بِهِ اللَهُ إِلّا سَرَّهُ وَرَضيهِ

Blessed is he who has not encountered an ordained matter,

Except that it pleased him and he was satisfied with it,

وَلا خَيرَ في مَن ظَلَّ يَبغي لِنَفسِهِ

مِنَ الخَيرِ ما لا يَبتَغي لِأَخيهِ

And there is no good in one who remains seeking for himself,

Of good what he does not seek for his brother.