المَرءُ يَطلُبُ وَالمَنِيَّةُ تَطلُبُه

وَيَدُ الزَمانِ تُديرُهُ وَتُقَلِّبُه

Man seeks while death seeks him,

And the hand of time turns him and changes him.

لَيسَ الحَريصُ بِزائِدٍ في رِزقِهِ

اللَهُ يَقسِمُهُ لَهُ وَيُسَبِّبُه

The greedy is not increased in his provision,

God apportions it to him and provides for him.

لا تَغضَبَنَّ عَلى الزَمانِ فَإِنَّ مَن

يُرضي الزَمانُ أَقَلُّ مِمَّن يُغضِبُه

Do not be angry at fate, for whoever

Pleases fate is less than one who angers it.

أَيُّ اِمرِئٍ إِلّا عَلَيهِ مِنَ البِلى

في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ رَقيبٌ يَرقَبُه

What man except that decay lies in wait for him

In every place a guardian to watch him?

المَوتُ حَوضٌ لا مَحالَةَ دونَهُ

مُرٌّ مَذاقَتُهُ كَريهٌ مَشرَبُه

Death is a basin none can avoid,

Bitter its taste, disgusting its drink.

وَتَرى الفَتى سَلِسَ الحَديثِ بِذِكرِهِ

وَسطَ النَدِيِّ كَأَنَّهُ لا يَرهَبُه

You see the spirited youth speak of it

Amidst pleasure as if he does not fear it.

وَأَسَرُّ ما يُلقى الفَتى في نَفسِهِ

يَبتَزُّهُ نابُ الزَمانِ وَمَخلَبُه

And most hidden is what the youth encounters in himself

Age's fangs tear it asunder and its claws.

وَلَرُبُّ مُلهِيَةٍ لِصاحِبِ لَذَّةٍ

أَلفَيتُها تَبكي عَلَيهِ وَتَندُبُه

And how often a diversion for one feeling pleasure

I found it weeping over him and mourning him.

مَن كانَتِ الدُنيا مِنَ كبَرِ هَمِّهِ

نَصَبَت لَهُ مِن حُبِّها ما يُتعِبُه

Whoever made the world his biggest concern

It burdened him with toil for loving it.

فَاِصبِر عَلى الدُنيا وَطولِ غُمومِها

ما كُلُّ مَن فيها يَرى ما يُعجِبُه

So be patient with the world and length of its sorrows

Not all who are in it see what pleases them.

ما زالَتِ الأَيّامُ تَلعَبُ بِالفَتى

طَوراً تُخَوِّلُهُ وَطَوراً تَسلُبُه

The days have not ceased to play with the youth-

One time enabling him and another stealing him away.

مَن لَم يَزَل مُتَعَجِّباً مِن كُلِّ ما

تَأتي بِهِ الأَيّامُ طالَ تَعَجُّبُه

Whoever continues to wonder at all

The days bring- his wonderment lasts long.