قَطَّعتُ مِنكَ حَبائِلَ الآمالِ
وَحَطَطتُ عَن ظَهرِ المَطِيِّ رِحالي
I have severed the ropes of hope from you
And dismounted the luggage from my camel's back
وَيَئِستُ أَن أَبقى لِشَيءٍ نِلتُ مِم
ما فيكِ يا دُنيا وَأَن يَبقى لي
And despaired that I remain for anything I gained
From you, O world, and that anything remains for me
وَوَجَدتُ بَردَ اليَأسِ بَينَ جَوانِحي
وَأَرَحتُ مِن حَلّي وَمِن تَرحالي
And I found the coldness of despair in my heart
And relaxed from my worries and wanderings
وَلَئِن طَمِعتُ لِرُبَّ بَرقَةِ خُلَّبٍ
بَرَقَت لِذي طَمَعٍ وَلَمعَةِ آلِ
And if I aspired for the gleam of a charming lightning
It gleamed for one who aspires and glitters for nobles
ما كانَ أَشأَمَ إِذ رَجاؤكِ قاتِلي
وَبَناتُ وَعدِكَ يَعتَلِجنَ بِبالي
Your hope was most ill-omened when it was my killer
And the daughters of your promise confused my mind
الآنَ يا دُنيا عَرَفتُكِ فَاِذهَبي
يا دارَ كُلِّ تَشَتُّتٍ وَزَوالِ
Now, O world, I have known you so go away
O abode of all dispersion and decline
وَالآنَ صارَ لي الزَمانُ مُؤَدَّباً
فَغَدا عَلَيَّ وَراحَ بِالأَمثالِ
And now time has become well-mannered toward me
So it came upon me and went away with examples
وَالآنَ أَبصَرتُ السَبيلَ إِلى الهُدى
وَتَفَرَّغَت هِمَمي عَنِ الأَشغالِ
And now I have seen the path to guidance
And my resolve was relieved of preoccupations
وَلَقَد أَقامَ لِيَ المَشيبُ نُعاتَهُ
يُفضي إِلَيَّ بِمَفرَقٍ وَقَذالِ
And old age had eulogized me
Emptying upon me separation and hatred
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ المَوتَ يَبرُقُ سَيفُهُ
بِيَدِ المَنِيَّةِ حَيثُ كُنتُ حِيالي
And I saw death brandishing its sword
In the hand of mortality wherever I turned
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ عُرى الحَياةِ تَخَرَّمَت
وَلَقَد تَصَدّى الوارِثونَ لِمالي
And I saw the bonds of life tattered
And the heirs turned toward my wealth
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ عَلى الفَناءِ أَدِلَّةً
فيما تَنَكَّرَ مِن تَصَرُّفِ حالي
And I saw evidence for annihilation
In how my state changed and altered
وَإِذا اِعتَبَرتُ رَأَيتُ حَطَّ حَوادِثٍ
يَجرينَ بِالأَرزاقِ وَالآجالِ
And when I contemplate, I see the events
Running with sustenance and lifespans
وَإِذا تَناسَبَتِ الرِجالُ فَما أَرى
نَسَباً يُقاسُ بِصالِحِ الأَعمالِ
And when men trace their ancestry I see
No lineage compared to righteous deeds
وَإِذا بَحَثتُ عَنِ التَقِيِّ وَجَدتُهُ
رَجُلاً يُصَدِّقُ قَولَهُ بِفِعالِ
And when I search for the devout I find him
A man whose actions confirm his words
وَإِذا اِتَّقى اللَهَ اِمرُؤٌ وَأَطاعَهُ
فَتَراهُ بَينَ مَكارِمٍ وَمَعالِ
And when a man fears God and obeys Him
You see him between virtues and fine traits
عَلى التَقِيِّ إِذا تَرَسَّخَ في التُقى
تاجانِ تاجُ سَكينَةٍ وَجَلالِ
Upon the devout when established in piety
Are two crowns, tranquility and majesty
وَاللَيلُ يَذهَبُ وَالنَهارُ تَعاوُراً
بِالخَلقِ في الإِدبارِ وَالإِقبالِ
Night and day alternate
With people coming and going
وَبِحَسبِ مَن تُنعى إِلَيهِ نَفسُهُ
مِنهُم بِأَيّامٍ خَلَت وَلَيالِ
And according to who laments their soul
Of days and nights that have passed
اِضرِب بِطَرفِكَ حَيثُ شِئتَ فَأَنتَ في
عِبَرٍ لَهُنَّ تَدارُكٌ وَتَوالِ
Strike with your eyelids wherever you wish for you are in
Lessons that have remedy and succession
يَبلى الجَديدُ وَأَنتَ في تَجديدِهِ
وَجَميعُ ما جَدَّدتَ مِنهُ فَبالِ
The new grows old while you renew it
And all you renewed of it will perish
يا أَيُّها البَطَرُ الَّذي هُوَ مِن غَدٍ
في قَبرِهِ مُتَفَرِّقُ الأَوصالِ
O you who will be in his grave tomorrow
Scattered in limbs and torn apart
حَذَفَ المُنى عَنهُ المُشَمِّرُ في الهُدى
وَأَرى مُناكَ طَويلَةَ الأَذيالِ
Dedication to guidance has relieved him
And I see your residence lengthy of tails
وَلقَلَّ ما تَلقى أَغَرَّ لِنَفسِهِ
مِن لاعِبٍ مَرِحٍ بِها مُختالِ
And seldom does one who fools themselves find
A playful jester walking proudly
يا تاجِرَ الغَيِّ المُضِرَّ بِرُشدِهِ
حَتّى مَتى بِالغِيِّ أَنتَ تُغالي
O trader of sin, harmful in maturity
Till when will you profit from sin?
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الحَميدِ بِمَنِّهِ
خَسِرَت وَلَم تَربَح يَدُ البَطّالِ
Praise be to Allah, the Praiseworthy in His bounty
The hands of the idle have lost and gained nothing
لِلَّهِ يَومٌ تَقشَعِرُّ جُلودُهُم
وَتَشيبُ مِنهُ ذَوائِبُ الأَطفالِ
For Allah is a day skins will shudder from
And the forelocks of children will gray
يَومُ النَوازِلِ وَالزَلازِلِ وَالحَوا
مِلِ فيهِ إِذ يَقذِفنَ بِالأَحمالِ
The day of adversities, quakes, and terrors
In which burdens will be cast
يَومُ التَغابُنِ وَالتَبايُنِ وَالتَوا
زُنِ وَالأُمورِ عَظيمَةِ الأَهوالِ
The day of variance, dissent, and dread
And matters of tremendous horrors
يَومٌ يُنادى فيهِ كُلُّ مُضَلِّلٍ
بُمُقَطَّعاتِ النارِ وَالأَغلالِ
A day in which every misguided one will be called
To the fires and shackles
لِلمُتَّقينَ هُناكَ نُزلُ كَرامَةٍ
عَلَتِ الوُجوهَ بِنَضرَةٍ وَجَمالِ
For the reverent there will be an honored abode
Faces lit with radiance and beauty
زُمَرٌ أَضاءَت لِلحِسابِ وُجوهُها
فَلَها بَريقٌ عِندَهُ وَتَلالي
Groups whose faces shone for reckoning
With a brilliance and hills for them
وَسَوابِقٌ غُرٌّ مُحَجَّلَةٌ جَرَت
خُمصَ البُطونِ خَفيفَةَ الأَثقالِ
And early comers, fair-faced brides
Ran with slender waists and light loads
مِن كُلِّ أَشعَثَ كانَ أَغبَرَ ناحِلاً
خَلَقَ الرِداءَ مُرَقَّعِ السِربالِ
From every disheveled and dusty innovator
The robe of the multi-patched gown befell him
نَزَلوا بِأَكرَمِ سَيِّدٍ فَأَظَلَّهُم
في دارِ مُلكِ جَلالَةٍ وَظِلالِ
They descended to a generous master so He shaded them
In the abode of majestic kingship and shade
حِيَلُ اِبنِ آدَمَ في الأُمورِ كَثيرَةٌ
وَالمَوتُ يَقطَعُ حِليَةَ المُحتالِ
The schemes of man in matters are many
Yet death cuts off the craft of the schemer
وَمِنَ النُعاةِ إِلى اِبنِ آدَمَ نَفسَهُ
حَرَكَ الخُطى وَطُلوعُ كُلِّ هِلالِ
And from the eulogizers to man himself
The steps pace and the crescent of each new moon
ما لي أَراكَ لِحُرِّ وَجهِكَ مُخلِقاً
أَخَلَقتِ يا دُنيا وُجوهَ رِجالِ
Why do I see you frowning out of conceit
You have made the faces of men frowning, O world
قِستُ السُؤالَ فَكانَ أَعظَمَ قيمَةً
مِن كُلِّ عارِفَةٍ أَتَت بِسُؤالِ
I weighed the question and it was of greatest value
Than any female inquirer's question
كُن بِالسُؤالِ أَشَدَّ عَقدَ ضَنانَةٍ
مِمَّن يَضِنُّ عَلَيكَ بِالأَموالِ
Be more tightfisted in questioning
Than one who is miserly with wealth
وَصُنِ المَحامِدَ ما اِستَطَعتَ فَإِنَّها
في الوَزنِ تَرجُحُ بَذلَ كُلِّ نَوالِ
And preserve praise as much as you can for it
Outweighs in measure every other gift
وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ مِنَ المُثَمِّرِ مالَهُ
نَسِيَ المُثَمِّرُ زينَةَ الإِقلالِ
And I am amazed by one who bears fruit from their wealth
Yet forgets the adornment of moderation
وَإِذا اِمرُؤٌ لَبِسَ الشُكوكَ بِعَزمِهِ
سَلَكَ الطَريقَ عَلى قَعودِ ضَلالِ
And if a man wears doubts with his resolve
He takes the path while sitting in misguidance
وَإِذا دَعَت خُدَعُ الحَوادِثِ دَعوَةً
شَهِدَت لَهُنَّ مَصارِعُ الأَبطالِ
And if the deceits of events make a call
The deaths of heroes testify for them
وَإِذا اِبتُليتَ بِبَذلِ وَجهِكَ سائِلاً
فَاِبذُلهُ لِلمُتَكَرِّمِ المِفاضِلِ
And if you are tested with spending your face pleading
Then spend it upon the noble and virtuous
وَإِذا خَشيتَ تَعَذُّراً في بَلدَةٍ
فَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِعاجِلِ التَرحالِ
And if you fear hardship in a land
Strengthen your hands by promptly moving on
وَاِصبِر عَلى غَيرِ الزَمانِ فَإِنَّما
فَرَجُ الشَدائِدِ مِثلُ حَلِّ عِقالِ
And be patient with what is not the time for
The relief of adversities is like freeing a tied camel
