يُسلِمُ المَرءَ أَخوهُ

لِلمَنايا وَأَبوهُ

A man surrenders his brother

To death, and his father

وَأَبو الأَبناءِ لا يَب

قى وَلا يَبقى بَنوهُ

And father of sons does not

Remain, nor do his sons remain

رُبَّ مَذكورٍ لِقَومٍ

غابَ عَنهُم فَنَسوهُ

Many a one mentioned to his people

Is gone from them, so they forgot him

وَإِذا أَفنى سِنيهِ ال

مَرءُ أَفنَتهُ سِنونُ

And when a man's years have vanished

Years make him vanish

وَكَأَن بِالمَرءِ قَد يَب

كي عَلَيهِ أَقرَبوهُ

And it is as if his kin

Weep over him, and his nearest mourn him

وَكَأَنَّ القَومَ قَد قا

موا فَقالوا أَدرِكوهُ

And it is as if the people rose

And said, "Catch up with him!"

سائِلوهُ كَلِّموهُ

حَرِّكوهُ لَقِّنوهُ

Question him, speak to him,

Stir him, prompt him!

فَإِذا استَيأَسَ مِنهُ ال

قَومُ قالوا حَرِّفوهُ

But when the people lose hope of him

They say, "Distort him!"

حَرِّفوهُ وَجِّهوهُ

مَدِّدوهُ غَمِّضوهُ

Distort him and turn his face,

Stretch him out, close his eyes!

عَجِّلوهُ لِرَحيلٍ

عَجِّلوا لا تَحبِسوهُ

Hasten him to travel

Hasten, do not delay him!

اِرفَعوهُ غَسِّلوهُ

كَفِّنوهُ حَنِّطوهُ

Lift him up, wash him,

Shroud him, embalm him!

فَإِذا ما لُفَّ في الأَك

فانِ قالوا فَاحمِلوهُ

So when he is wrapped in the

Shrouds, they say, "Bear him!"

أَخرِجوهُ فَوقَ أَعوا

دِ المَنايا شَيِّعوهُ

Take him out above the

Throngs of death and escort him!

فَإِذا صَلّوا عَلَيهِ

قيلَ هاتوا وَاقبِروهُ

So when they have prayed over him,

It is said, "Bring him and bury him!"

فَإِذا ما اِستَودَعوهُ ال

أَرضَ رَهناً تَرَكوهُ

So when they have consigned him as

A pledge to the earth, they leave him

خَلَّفوهُ تَحتَ رَدمٍ

أَوقَروهُ أَثقَلوهُ

Abandon him beneath the soil

They burden him, they weigh him down

أَبعَدوهُ أَسحَقوهُ

أَوحَدوهُ أَفرَدوهُ

They remove him, they crush him

They seclude him, they isolate him

وَدَّعوهُ فارَقوهُ

أَسلَموهُ خَلَّفوهُ

They bid him farewell and part from him

They submit him and abandon him

وَاِنثَنَوا عَنهُ وَخَلَّو

هُ كَأَن لَم يَعرِفوهُ

And they turn away from him and leave him

As if they never knew him

وَكَأَنَّ القَومَ فيما

كانَ فيهِ لَم يَلوهُ

And it is as if the people, in what

Befell him, never tasted him

اِبتَنى الناسُ مِنَ البُن

يانِ ما لَم يَسكُنوهُ

People build, from buildings, what they do not

Inhabit

جَمَعَ الناسُ مِنَ الأَم

والِ ما لَم يَأكُلوهُ

People gather, from money, what they do not

Consume

طَلَبَ الناسُ مِنَ الآ

مالِ ما لَم يُدرِكوهُ

People seek, from wealth, what they do not

Attain

كُلُّ مَن لَم يَجعَلِ النا

سِ إِماماً تَرَكوهُ

Everyone who does not make people his leader is forsaken

The dead incline towards what

ظَعَنَ المَوتى إِلى ما

قَدَّموهُ وَجَدوهُ

They forwarded and find it

The life of a people was good so long as

طابَ عَيشُ القَومِ ما كا

نَ إِذا القَومُ رَضوهُ

The people were content with it

Live as you wish, for whoever's worldly life makes him happy, it makes him happy

عِش بِما شِئتَ فَمَن تَس

رُرهُ دُنياهُ تَسوهُ

And if a man does not honor people, they do not honor him

Everyone whom people do not need, they belittle him

وَإِذا لَم يُكرِمِ النا

سَ امرُؤٌ لَم يُكرِموهُ

And whoever people incline towards, they magnify him

Whoever competes with his brother

كُلُّ مَن لَم يَحتَجِ النا

سُ إِلَيهِ صَغَّروهُ

Through wealth, he is his brother

If he looks at him

وَإِلى مَن رَغِبَ النا

سُ إِلَيهِ أَكبَروهُ

He sees in him what makes him happy

A man is honored even if

مَن تَصَدّى لِأَخيهِ

بِالغِنى فَهوَ أَخوهُ

His farthest descendants honor him

If people saw a prophet

فَهوَ إِن يَنظُر إِلَيهِ

يَرءَ مِنهُ ما يَسوهُ

Begging, they would not give him

And if they hoped for

يُكرَمُ المَرءُ وَإِن أَم

لَقَ أَقصاهُ بَنوهُ

The provisions of a dog, they would eat it

Do not see me at the end of the

لَو رَأى الناسُ نَبِيّاً

سائِلاً ما وَصَلوهُ

Day opening my mouth begging

Indeed, whoever asks apart from the Merciful

وَهُمُ لَو طَمِعوا في

زادِ كَلبٍ أَكَلوهُ

Has many who forbid him

By Him who established the necklaces

لا تَراني آخِرَ الدَه

رِ بِتَسآلٍ أَفوهُ

Of the earth as adornments, they asked Him

And from the people by the grace of God

إِنَّ مَن يَسأَل سِوى الرَح

مَنِ يَكثُر حارِموهُ

Dispense, and praise Him

Wear the garments of honor

وَالَّذي قامَ بِأَرزا

قِ الوَرى طُرّاً سَلوهُ

So listen to my words and memorize them

Only he who possesses grace

وَعَنِ الناسِ بِفَضلِ اللَ

هِ فَاغنوا وَاحمِدوهُ

Is recognized by people as possessing it

The best charity is that in which

تَلبَسوا أَثوابَ عِزٍّ

فَاِسمَعوا قَولي وَعوهُ

Faces are not humiliated

You are, so long as you can do without

إِنَّما يُعرَفُ بِالفَض

لِ مَنِ الناسِ ذَوّهُ

Your companion, his lifetime brother

But when you need him

أَفضَلُ المَعروفِ ما لَم

تُبتَذَل فيهِ الوُجوهُ

For an hour, his mouth gapes

أَنتَ ما اِستَغنَيتَ عَن صا

حِبِكَ الدَهرَ أَخوهُ

فَإِذا اِحتَجتَ إِلَيهِ

ساعَةً مَجَّكَ فوهُ