الحَظُّ يُقسَمُ عاشَ بِشرٌ ما اِشتَكى

نَظَراً وَعُمِّرَ أَكمَهاً بَشّارُ

Fate divides fortune, a man lived happy, with no complaints

Though blind, yet blessed with life, like flowers in spring.

وَهيَ الحَوادِثُ عُوَّذٌ وَلَواقِحٌ

وَشَوائِلٌ وَحَوائِلٌ وَعِشارُ

Events can protect us or cause us harm,

Bringing problems and solutions in their wing.

كَم شُرنَ مِن أَريٍ يَكونُ مَقيلُهُ

ثَغراً يُشارُ لَهُ وَلَيسَ يُشارُ

Many a palace of bliss becomes a house of grief,

Once envied, now pitied, such twistings does fortune bring.

وَالفَقرُ مَوتٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ حَليفَهُ

يُرجى لَهُ بِتَمَوُّلٍ إِنشارُ

Poverty is death, though we hope sustenance will come,

Through charity life flows for the perishing.

وَنَرى مُباشَرَةَ التُرابِ مَهانَةً

وَإِلَيهِ تَرجِعُ هَذِهِ الأَبشارُ

We see labor as lowly, yet to dust we shall return,

As these bodies to earth their spirits will wing.

قَد ضَنَّ مَن رُزِقَ الغِنى بِزَكاتِهِ

وَغَدا فَلا فَلحٌ وَلا تِعشارُ

One hoards wealth, gives no alms, thus no gain comes his way,

When vines are untended, no fruit will they bring.

لَم يُعطِ رُبعَ العُشرِ مِن أَوراقِهِ

فَتُرامَ مِن سَقيِ الحَيا أَعشارُ

Gives less than a tenth of his riches away,

So life's waters dry up, no comfort they bring.