أَيُها الآملُ ما لَيسَ لَهُ

أَيُها الآملُ ما لَيسَ لَهُ

رُبَّما غَرَّ سَفيهاً أَمَلُه

رُبَّما غَرَّ سَفيهاً أَمَلُه

O you who hope for what is not yours,

O hope, for what is not destined

often a fool is deceived by his hope.

Perhaps it deceives a fool, his hope

رُبَّ مَن باتَ يمنّي نَفسَهُ

رُبَّ مَن باتَ يمنّي نَفسَهُ

حالَ مِن دونِ مُناهُ أَجَلُه

حالَ مِن دونِ مُناهُ أَجَلُه

Many a man has spent the night indulging his hopes,

Many a one who spends the night wishing himself

only for death to stand between him and his wishes.

His appointed term comes before his wish is fulfilled

وَالفَتى المُحتال فيما نابَهُ

وَالفَتى المُحتال فيما نابَهُ

رُبَما ضاقَت عَلَيهِ حِيَلُه

رُبَما ضاقَت عَلَيهِ حِيَلُه

And the resourceful young man, facing what befalls him,

The scheming youth in what has afflicted him

may find his stratagems inadequate.

His tricks may sometimes fail him

قُل لِمَن مَثَّلَ في أَشعارِهِ

قُل لِمَن مَثَّلَ في أَشعارِهِ

يَهلك المَرءُ وَيَبقى مَثَلُه

يَهلك المَرءُ وَيَبقى مَثَلُه

Say to him who speaks in maxims in his verse:

Say to him who moralized in his verses

A man perishes, but his example endures.

Man perishes but his moral remains

نافِسِ المُحسِنَ في إِحسانِهِ

نافِسِ المُحسِنَ في إِحسانِهِ

فَسَيَكفيكَ سَناءً عَمَلُه

فَسَيَكفيكَ سَناءً عَمَلُه

Vie with the doer of good in his goodness;

Compete with the virtuous in his virtue

for his work will bring you glory enough.

His good work will suffice you as glory