إِذا ما عَراكُم حادِثٌ فَتَحَدَّثوا

فَإِنَّ حَديثَ القَومِ يُنسي المَصائِبا

When misfortune befalls you, then talk,

For talking makes people forget calamities,

وَحيدوا عَنِ الأَشياءِ خيفَةَ غَيِّها

فَلَم تُجعَلِ اللَذاتُ إِلّا نَصائِبا

And avoid frivolous things out of fear of their evil,

For pleasures were not created but as consolations,

وَما زالَتِ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

تُسَدِّدُ سَهماً لِلمَنِيَّةِ صائِبا

And time keeps passing heedlessly,

Directing an arrow at death unerringly.