لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ نَذِيرٌ مِنْ طَبِيعَتِهِ

يُوحِي إِلَيْهِ بِمَا تَعْيَا بِهِ النُّذُرُ

For every living being there is a warner in his nature

That gives him intimations of the dangers which beset his path.

يَرْجُو وَيَخْشَى أُمُورَاً لَوْ تَدَبَّرَهَا

لَزَالَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ التَّأْمِيلُ وَالْحَذَرُ

He cherishes hopes and fears things which, if pondered over,

Would relieve his heart of ambitious hopes and anxious fears.

تَرَاهُ يَسْعَى لِجَمْعِ الْمَالِ مُعْتَقِداً

أَنَّ الْفَتَى مَنْ لَدَيْهِ السَّامُ وَالشَّذَرُ

You see him striving to amass wealth, believing

That the youth with riches is best graced.

وَكَيْفَ تَنْقَى ثِيابُ الْمَرْءِ مِنْ دَنَسٍ

وَقَلْبُ لابِسِهَا مِنْ غَدْرِهِ قَذِرُ

How can the garments of a man be clean from filth

When the heart of their wearer is stained with perfidy?

يَا فَارِسَ الْخَيْلِ كَفْكِفْ عَنْ أَعِنَّتِهَا

فَقَدْ شَكَتْ فِعْلَكَ الأَحْلاسُ وَالْعُذُرُ

O rider of horses, refrain from exhausting them,

For your actions have been blamed by the weak and the lame.

إِنْ كُنْتَ تَبْغِي بِهَا مَا لَسْتَ تَبْلُغُهُ

مِنَ الْبَقَاءِ فَبِئْسَ الْبُطْلُ وَالْهَذَرُ

If you seek through them what you cannot attain

In the length of days, evil is your heroism and waste.

إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ وَإِنْ طَالَتْ إِلَى أَمَدٍ

وَالدَّهْرُ قُرْحَانُ لا يُبْقِي وَلا يَذَرُ

Though life be prolonged to an age,

And time is but two bowls that neither remain nor pass away.

لا يَأْمَنُ الصَّامِتُ الْمَعْصُومُ صَوْلَتَهُ

وَلا يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ النَّاطِقُ الْبَذِرُ

Neither can the silent guiltless one be confident of his silence,

Nor can the talkative sinner count on long life.

فَاضْرَعْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاسْتَوْهِبْهُ مَغْفِرَةً

تَمْحُو الذُّنُوبَ فَجَانِي الذَّنْب يَعْتَذِرُ

Then pray to God and implore His forgiveness,

Which blots out sins, so the sinner apologizes.

وَاعْجَلْ وَلا تَنْتَظِرْ تَوْبَاً غَدَاةَ غَدٍ

فَلَيْسَ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ تُقْبَلُ الْعِذَرُ

And hasten, wait not for repentance on the morrow,

For regrets are not always acceptable.

هَيْهَاتَ لا يَسْتَوِي الشَّخْصَانِ فِي عَمَلٍ

هَذَا صَحِيحٌ وَهَذَا فَاسِدٌ مَذِرُ

Alas! two persons cannot be equal in deed,

This one is right and that one goes astray.