لَو فاتَ شَيءٌ يُرى لَفاتَ اَبو

لَو فاتَ شَيءٌ يُرى لَفاتَ اَبو

حَيّانَ لا عاجِزٌ وَلا وَكِلُ

حَيّانَ لا عاجِزٌ وَلا وَكِلُ

If anything visible could have escaped death, so could Abu

Had a thing escaped sight, Abū Ḥayyān would not miss it,

Hayyan—neither helpless nor reliant on others;

Neither failing nor relying on deputies.

الحُوَّلُ القُلَّبُ الأَريبُ وَلَن

الحُوَّلُ القُلَّبُ الأَريبُ وَلَن

يَدفَعَ زَوءَ المَنِيَّةِ الحِيَلُ

يَدفَعَ زَوءَ المَنِيَّةِ الحِيَلُ

Resourceful, versatile, astute—and never

The ingenious, wily, and clever man,

will stratagems avert death’s decree.

Deceit cannot ward off the visit of death.