1. إنْ كنتَ ترغبُ في الثّوا

    ءِ بهذه الدّنيا عزيزا

    If you wish to dwell

    in this world in honor,

  2. فَاِحذرْ مُنى الأطماعِ أنْ

    تُعنى بها أو أنْ تحوزا

    so beware the hopes of greed, lest

    you become absorbed in them or make them yours.

  3. لا تُرعِها سمعاً فإن

    ن لها القعاقعِ والأَزيزا

    Do not lend them an ear, for

    theirs are clatter and buzzing.

  4. كم آمنٍ أضحى المطا

    حَ بها وقد أمسى الحريزا

    How many a secure man was cast down by morning

    by them, though he had been well protected at evening!

  5. لم يَفدِهِ من صَوْلَةِ ال

    أيّام أنْ جمعَ الكنوزا

    He was not saved from the onslaught of

    the days by the treasures he had amassed.

  6. كانتْ له نِعَمٌ فَرَرْ

    ن فعاد قاطنُها نَشوزا

    He had blessings, but they fled;

    so what had dwelt with him grew restive.

  7. كَم ذا نَحوزُ وَقَد رَأَي

    نا حائزاً ترك المحوزا

    How long shall we keep acquiring, though we have seen

    a possessor leave behind what he possessed?

  8. وَغَدا قَديراً ثمّ أَم

    سى بَعدَ قُدرتهِ عَجيزا

    And he was mighty at morning, then

    helpless by evening, after all his might.

  9. أين الذين على التِّلا

    عِ تبوّأوا الوطنَ الحجيزا

    Where are those who, upon the hills,

    settled in a well-protected abode?

  10. سحبوا وراءهمُ الجيو

    شَ وطالما سحبوا الخُزوزا

    They drew armies behind them,

    and often trailed their silken robes.

  11. إنْ زُرْتَهم زرت الأهل

    لَةَ في مَطالِعِها بُروزا

    If you visited them, you visited crescent moons

    appearing in their places of rising.

  12. نطقوا بما أعيا الرّجا

    ل وعاد ناطقُهُمْ ضَموزا

    They spoke what baffled men,

    yet their speaker fell silent.