لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِفَألٍ إِن سَمِعتَ بِهِ

وَلا تَطَيَّر إِذا ما ناعِبٌ نَعَبا

Do not rejoice at good omens you hear about,

Nor fret when a wailing woman wails.

فَالخَطبُ أَفظَعُ مِن سَرّاءَ تَأمُلُها

وَالأَمرُ أَيسَرُ مِن أَن تُضمِرَ الرُعُبا

Calamities are more dreadful to contemplate

Than ease to nurture fearfulness.

إِذا تَفَكَّرتَ فِكراً لا يُمازِجُهُ

فَسادُ عَقلٍ صَحيحٍ هانَ ما صَعُبا

When you reflect rationally, undisturbed

By an unsound mind, the difficult seems slight.

فَاللُبُّ إِن صَحَّ أَعطى النَفسَ فَترَتَها

حَتّى تَموتَ وَسَمّى جِدَّها لَعِبا

If the heart be healthy, it grants respite to the soul

Until you die, making its striving but play.

وَما الغَواني الغَوادي في مَلاعِبِها

إِلّا خَيالاتُ وَقتٍ أَشبَهَت لُعَبا

The delusions of vain women in their playing

Are naught but fancies of a time that played at play.

زِيادَةُ الجِسمِ عَنَّت جِسمَ حامِلِهِ

إِلى التُرابِ وَزادَت حافِراً تَعَبا

The body's excess burdens its bearer

Down to dust, increasing the digging of a grave.