وَاللَهِ لَو عاشَ الفَتى مِن دَهرِهِ

أَلفاً مِنَ الأَعوامِ مالِكَ أَمرِهِ

By God, if the young man lived a thousand years

By Allah, were a youth to live out his time,

Controlling his affairs as he willed

A thousand years, possessing command of his affairs,

مُتَلَذِّذاً فيهِ بِكُلِّ هَنِيَّةٍ

وَمُبَلَّغاً كُلَّ المُنى مِن دَهرِهِ

Indulging in every pleasure

Taking pleasure therein in every delight,

And attaining all of his desires

And attaining every wish of his life,

لا يَعرِفُ الآلامَ فيها مَرَّةً

كَلّا وَلا جَرَتِ الهُمومُ بِفِكرِهِ

Never knowing pain even once

Never knowing pain in it, not even once,

Nor worries troubling his thoughts

Nay, nor did any worry ever cross his mind,

ما كانَ ذَاكَ يُفيدُهُ مِن عُظمِ ما

يَلقى بِأَوَّلِ لَيلَةٍ في قَبرِهِ

That would not help him on the first night

That would avail him nothing against the enormity of what

When he lies in his grave

He encounters on the first night in his grave.