لَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ المَخافَةِ وَالأَمنِ
وَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ السُهولَةِ وَالحَزنِ
How different is fear from safety,
And sorrow from ease!
تَنَزَّه عَنِ الدُنيا وَإِلّا فَإِنَّها
سَتَأتيكَ يَوماً في خَطاطيفِها الحُجنِ
Keep away from this world, or else
It will come to you one day with its calamities.
إِذا حُزتَ ما يَكفيكَ مِن سَدِّ خَلَّةٍ
فَصِرتَ إِلى ما فَوقَهُ صِرتَ في سِجنِ
When you have gained enough to cover your needs,
Seeking more will lead you to prison.
أَيا جامِعَ الدُنيا سَتَكفيكَ جَمعَها
وَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا سَيَخرَبُ ما تَبني
O you who gather wealth, collecting it will suffice you,
And O you who build, what you construct will fall apart.
أَلا إِنَّ مَن لا بُدَّ أَن يَطعَمَ الرَدى
وَشيكاً حَقيقٌ بِالبُكاءِ وَبِالحُزنِ
Alas! Whoever must eventually taste death
Will soon truly weep and grieve.
تَعَجَّبتُ إِذ أَلهو وَلَم أَرَ طَرفَةً
لِعَينِ امرِئٍ مِن سَكرَةِ المَوتِ لا تَدني
I'm amazed when I play heedlessly
That no eye sheds a tear at death's intoxication drawing near.
وَلِلدَهرِ أَيّامٌ عَلَينا مُلِحَّةٌ
تُصَرِّحُ لي بِالمَوتِ عَنهُنَّ لا تَكني
The days have moments that afflict us
Explicitly telling me of death, not hinting.
أَيا عَينُ كَم حَسَّنتِ لي مِن قَبيحَةٍ
وَما كُلُّ ما تَستَحسِنينَ بِذي حُسنِ
O eye, how much ugliness you've made seem beautiful to me!
Not everything you find attractive is truly beautiful.
كَأَنَّ امرَأً لَم يَغنَ في الناسِ ساعَةً
إِذا نُفِضَت عَنهُ الأَكُفُّ مِنَ الدَفنِ
It's as if a man was never of use to people for an hour,
When hands withdraw from him for burial.
أَلا هَل إِلى الفِردَوسِ مِن مُتَشَوِّقٍ
تَحِنُّ إِلَيها نَفسُهُ وَإِلى عَدنِ
Is there anyone longing for Paradise,
Whose soul yearns for it and for Eden?
وَما يَنبَغي لي أَن أُسَرَّ بِلَيلَةٍ
أَبيتُ بِها مِن ظالِمٍ لي عَلى ضِغنِ
It does not befit me to delight in a night
I spend with one who wrongs me, nursing hatred.
وَمَن طابَ لي نَفساً بِقُربٍ قَبِلتُهُ
وَمَن ضاقَ عَن قُربي فَفي أَوسَعِ الإِذنِ
Whoever's soul is pleasant to me, I accept his nearness,
And whoever dislikes my company, he has ample leeway.
لَعَمرُكَ ما ضاقَ امرُؤٌ بَرَّ وَاتَّقى
فَذو البِرِّ وَالتَقوى مِنَ اللَهِ في ضَمنِ
By your life! No God-fearing, righteous man
Has ever felt cramped - the righteous are in God's care.
وَأَبعِد بِذي رَأيٍ مِنَ الحُبِّ لِلتُقى
إِذا كانَ لا يُقصي عَلَيها وَلا يُدني
Keep the advising man of reason far from love
If he does not draw near to piety or befriend it.
