أَيَّةُ نارٍ قَدَحَ القادِحُ

وَأَيُّ جِدٍّ بَلَغَ المازِحُ

What a fire the kindler has struck!

And what seriousness the jester has reached!

لِلَّهِ دَرُّ الشَيبِ مِن واعِظٍ

وَناصِحٍ لَو سُمِعَ الناصِحُ

How excellent is grey hair as a preacher,

And as a counselor, if only the counselor were heeded.

يَأبى الفَتى إِلّا اتِّباعَ الهَوى

وَمَنهَجُ الحَقِّ لَهُ واضِحُ

The young man refuses all but to follow desire,

Though the path of truth is clear before him.

فَاسمُ بِعَينَيكَ إِلى نِسوَةٍ

مُهورُهُنَّ العَمَلُ الصالِحُ

So lift your gaze toward those maidens,

Whose dowries consist of righteous deeds.

لا يَجتَلي الحَوراءَ مِن خِدرِها

إِلّا امرُؤٌ ميزانِهِ راجِحُ

None unveils the wide-eyed beauty from her chamber

Save for a man whose scale of good weighs heavy.

مَنِ اتَّقى اللَهَ فَذاكَ الَّذي

سيقَ إِلَيهِ المَتجَرُ الرابِحُ

He who fears God, he is the one

To whom the profitable trade is driven.

شَمِّر فَما في الدينِ أُغلوطَةٌ

وَرُح لِما أَنتَ لَهُ رائِحُ

Strive hard, for there is no ambiguity in the faith,

And go forth toward that for which you are bound.