لا تَلبَسِ الدُنيا فَإِنَّ لِباسَها

سَقَمٌ وَعَرِّ الجِسمَ مِن أَثوابِها

Do not clothe yourself in the world, for her garment

is sickness—hurry the body out of her robes.

أَنا خائِفٌ مِن شَرِّها مُتَوَقِّعٌ

إِكآبَها لا الشُربَ مِن أَكوابِها

I fear her war, expecting

her to cast me headlong—not a draught from her cups.

فَلتَفعَلِ النَفسُ الجَميلَ لِأَنَّهُ

خَيرٌ وَأَحسَنُ لا لِأَجلِ ثَوابِها

Let the soul perform the beautiful deed, for it is

better and fairer—not for the sake of her reward.

في بَيتِهِ الحَكَمُ الَّذي هُوَ صادِقٌ

فَأتوا بُيوتَ القَومِ مِن أَبوابِها

In his house is the arbiter who speaks truth;

so come to people's houses through their doors.

وَتَخالُفُ الرُؤَساءِ يَشهَدُ مُقسِماً

إِنَّ المَعاشِرَ ما اِهتَدَت لِصَوابِها

The disagreement of rulers bears witness, swearing

that the communities have not found their proper course.

وَإِذا لُصوصُ الأَرضِ أَعيَت والِياً

أَلقى السُؤالَ بِها عَلى تُوّابِها

And when the land's thieves baffle a governor,

he turns his questioning there upon its penitents.

جيبَت فَلاةٌ لِلغِنى فَأَصابَهُ

نَفَرٌ وَصينَ الغَيبُ عَن جَوّابِها

A wilderness was crossed in pursuit of wealth, and it was attained by

a band, which kept the unseen from answering her.

آوى بِها اللَهُ الأَنامَ فَما أَوى

لِمُحالِفي دَدِها وَلا أَوّابِها

God lodged humankind within her, yet she gave no refuge

to those allied with her fortune, nor to those returning to her.