الناسُ مِن مُحسِنٍ لَهُ صِفَةٌ
وَمِن مُسيءٍ يَكفيكَهُ عَمَلُه
People are known for the good they do
People are of the virtuous, distinguished by their trait,
And the evil by their misdeeds.
And of the evildoer—his own deeds suffice to demonstrate.
وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ عامِلٌ نَصِبٌ
لا يَنقَضي حِرصُهُ وَلا أَمَلُه
A man lives busy with his hopes and fears;
For man, as long as he lives, is a toiler, weary and spent,
His longing and desires know no end,
Neither his greed ever ceases, nor is his hope ever content.
يَرجو أُموراً عَنهُ مُغَيَّبَةً
جَهلاً وَمِن دونِ ما رَجا أَجَلُه
Seeking things obscured from him
He sets his heart on matters veiled from his eyes,
In ignorance, until death takes its toll.
In ignorance, while between him and his desire, his appointed hour lies.
