أَحُسَينُ إِنّي واعِظٌ وَمؤَدِّبٌ

فَاِفهَم فَأَنتَ العاقِلُ المُتَأَدِّبُ

O Husayn, I am a counselor and a teacher of manners,

So understand, for you are the intelligent, the well-bred.

وَاِحفَظ وَصِيَّةَ وَالِدٍ مُتَحَنِّنٍ

يَغذوكَ بالآدابِ كَيلا تُعطَبُ

Preserve the testament of a compassionate father,

Who nourishes you with virtues so that you may not be harmed.

أَبُنَيَّ إِنَّ الرِزقَ مَكفولٌ بِهِ

فَعَلَيكَ بالإِجمالِ فيما تَطلُبُ

O my son, indeed provision is guaranteed,

So be moderate in your pursuit of it.

لا تَجعَلَنَّ المالَ كَسبَكَ مُفرَداً

وَتُقى إلَهَكَ فَاِجعَلَن ما تَكسِبُ

Do not make wealth your solitary gain,

But let fear of your God be the profit that you earn.

كَفِلَ الإِلَهُ بِرِزقِ كُلِ بَرِيَّةٍ

وَالمالُ عارِيَةٌ تَجيءُ وَتَذهَبُ

God has undertaken the provision of every creature,

And wealth is but a borrowed loan that comes and goes.

وَالرِزقُ أَسرَعُ مِن تَلَفُّتِ ناظِرٍ

سَبَباً إِلى الإِنسانِ حينَ يُسَبَّبُ

Provision is swifter than the glance of an eye,

As a means to man when the cause is ordained,

وَمِنَ السُيولِ إِلى مَقَرِّ قَرارِها

وَالطَيرُ لِلأَوكارِ حينَ تُصَوِّبُ

[Faster] than torrents rushing to their resting place,

And birds diving down toward their nests.

أَبُنَيَّ إِنَّ الذِكرَ فيهِ مَواعِظٌ

فَمَنِ الَّذي بِعِظاتِهِ يَتَأَدَّبُ

O my son, indeed in the Remembrance there are sermons,

So who is the one who learns discipline from its counsels?

فَاِقرَأ كِتابَ اللَهِ جَهدَكَ واِتلُهُ

فيمَن يَقومُ بِهِ هُناكَ وَيَنصَبُ

So read the Book of Allah with all your effort and recite it,

Among those who stand by it there and toil in worship.

بِتَفَكُّرٍ وَتَخَشُّعٍ وَتَقَرُّبٍ

إِنَّ المُقَرَّبَ عِندَهُ المُتَقَرِّبُ

With contemplation, humility, and drawing near,

For the one truly close to Him is the one who seeks to draw near.

وَاِعبُد إِلَهَكَ ذا المَعارِجِ مُخلِصاً

وَاِنصِت إِلى الأَمثالِ فيما تُضرَبُ

And worship your God, Possessor of the Ascending Stairways, with sincerity,

And listen intently to the parables when they are cited.

وَإِذا مَرَرتَ بِآيَةٍ وَعظِيَّةٍ

تَصِفُ العَذابَ فَقِف وَدَمعُكَ يُسكَبُ

And if you pass by a verse of warning,

That describes the punishment, then halt while your tears are shed.

يا مَن يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشاءُ بِعَدلِهِ

لا تَجعَلَنّي في الَّذينَ تُعَذِبُ

[Saying:] 'O You who punish whom You will with Your justice,'

'Do not place me among those whom You punish.'

إِنّي أَبوءُ بِعَثرَتي وَخَطيئَتي

هَرَباً إِلَيكَ وَلَيسَ دونَكَ مَهرَبُ

'Indeed, I acknowledge my stumble and my sin,'

'Fleeing to You, for there is no escape but toward You.'

وَإِذا مَرَرتَ بِآيَةٍ في ذِكرِها

وَصفَ الوَسيلَةِ وَالنَعيمِ المُعجِبُ

And if you pass by a verse mentioning,

The description of the Means [of approach] and the wondrous bliss,

فَاِسأَل إِلَهَكَ بِالإِنابَةِ مُخلِصاً

دارُ الخُلودِ سُؤالَ مَن يَتَقَرَّبُ

Then ask your God, with repentance and sincerity,

For the Abode of Eternity—the plea of one drawing near.

وَاِجهَد لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَحِلَّ بِأَرضِها

وَتَنالَ روحَ مَساكِنَ لا تَخرَبُ

And strive, that perhaps you may settle in its land,

And attain the spirit of dwellings that never fall to ruin,

وَتَنالَ عَيشاً لا اِنقِطاعَ لِوَقتِهِ

وَتَنالَ مُلكَ كَرامَةٍ لا تُسلَبُ

And attain a life that has no end to its time,

And attain a kingdom of honor that is never taken away.

بادِر هَواكَ إِذا هَمَمتَ بِصالِحٍ

خَوفَ الغَوالِبِ أَن تَجيءَ وَتُغلَبُ

Hasten against your caprice if you intend a good deed,

For fear that overwhelming obstacles may come and you be defeated.

وَإِذا هَمَمتَ بِسَيِّءٍ فَاِغمِض لَهُ

وَتَجَنَّبِ الأَمرَ الَّذي يُتَجَنَّبُ

And if you intend a bad deed, close your eyes to it,

And avoid the matter that ought to be avoided.

وَاِخفِض جَناحَكَ لِلصَديقِ وَكُن لَهُ

كَأَبٍ عَلى أَولادِهِ يَتَحَدَّبُ

Lower your wing in humility to the friend, and be to him,

Like a father who bends affectionately over his children.

وَالضَيفُ أَكرِم ما اِستَطَعتَ جِوارَهُ

حَتّى يَعُدُّكَ وارِثاً يَتَنَسَبُ

And the guest—honor his stay as much as you are able,

Until he considers you an heir related by blood.

وَاِجعَل صَديقَكَ مَن إِذا آخيتَهُ

حَفِظَ الإِخاءَ وَكانَ دونَكَ يَضرِبُ

And choose as your friend the one who, when you bond with him,

Guards the brotherhood and fights in your defense.

وَاِطلُبهُمُ طَلَبَ المَريضِ شِفاءَهُ

وَدَعِ الكَذوبَ فَلَيسَ مِمَّن يُصحَبُ

Seek such men as a sick man seeks his cure,

And leave the liar, for he is not fit for companionship.

وَاَحفَظ صَديقَكَ في المَواطِنِ كُلِّها

وَعَلَيكَ بِالمَرءِ الَّذي لا يَكذِبُ

Preserve your friend in all situations,

And stick to the man who does not lie.

وَاِقلِ الكَذوبَ وَقُربَهُ وَجِوارَهُ

إِنَّ الكَذوبَ مُلَطِّخٌ مَن يَصحَبُ

Detest the liar, and his nearness, and his neighborhood,

For indeed, the liar stains whoever accompanies him.

يُعطيكَ ما فَوقَ المُنى بِلِسانِهِ

وَيَروغُ مِنكَ كَما يَروغُ الثَعلَبُ

He gives you more than you wish for with his tongue,

But he dodges you just as the fox dodges.

وَاِحذَر ذَوي المَلَقِ اللِئامِ فَإِنَّهُم

في النائِباتِ عَلَيكَ مِمَّن يَخطُبُ

And beware the base flatterers, for indeed they,

In times of calamity, are among those who turn against you.

يَسعَونَ حَولَ المَرءِ ما طَمِعوا بِهِ

وَإِذا نَبا دَهرٌ جَفَوا وَتَغَيَبوا

They hover around a man as long as they covet what he has,

But if time turns harsh, they shun him and disappear.

وَلَقَد نَصَحتُكَ إِن قَبِلتَ نَصيحَتي

وَالنُصحُ أَرخَصُ ما يُباعُ وَيوهَبُ

I have surely advised you, if you accept my advice,

And advice is the most freely given of what is sold or bestowed.