الخَيرُ وَالشَرُّ عاداتٌ وَأَهواءُ

الخَيرُ وَالشَرُّ عاداتٌ وَأَهواءُ

وَقَد يَكونُ مِنَ الأَحبابِ أَعداءُ

وَقَد يَكونُ مِنَ الأَحبابِ أَعداءُ

Good and evil are habits and desires.

Good and evil are habits and desires

And enemies may arise from among loved ones.

And friends may turn out to be foes

لِلحِلمِ شاهِدُ صِدقٍ حينَ ما غَضَبٌ

لِلحِلمِ شاهِدُ صِدقٍ حينَ ما غَضَبٌ

وَلِلحَليمِ عَنِ العَوراتِ إِغضاءُ

وَلِلحَليمِ عَنِ العَوراتِ إِغضاءُ

Forbearance has its true witness when anger comes.

Patience shows truth when angry

And the forbearing avert their gaze from faults.

And the forbearing overlooks faults

كُلٌّ لَهُ سَعيُهُ وَالسَعيُ مُختَلِفٌ

كُلٌّ لَهُ سَعيُهُ وَالسَعيُ مُختَلِفٌ

وَكُلُّ نَفسٍ لَها في سَعيِها شاءُ

وَكُلُّ نَفسٍ لَها في سَعيِها شاءُ

Each has his own striving, and striving varies.

Each has their own pursuit and pursuits differ

And every soul has its own desire in its striving.

Each soul has its own will in its quest

لِكُلِّ داءٍ دَواءٌ عِندَ عالِمِهِ

لِكُلِّ داءٍ دَواءٌ عِندَ عالِمِهِ

مَن لَم يَكُن عالِماً لَم يَدرِ ما الداءُ

مَن لَم يَكُن عالِماً لَم يَدرِ ما الداءُ

Every ailment has a remedy with one who knows it.

For every disease there is a cure with its doctor

Whoever lacks knowledge does not know what the ailment is.

Who doesn't know the cure won't know the illness

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ يَقضي ما يَشاءُ وَلا

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ يَقضي ما يَشاءُ وَلا

يُقضى عَلَيهِ وَما لِلخَلقِ ما شاؤوا

يُقضى عَلَيهِ وَما لِلخَلقِ ما شاؤوا

Praise be to God: He decrees what He wills, and none

Thanks to God who fulfills what He wills and none

can pass judgment upon Him; creatures do not have all they wish.

Can will against Him, creatures have no will

لَم يُخلَقِ الخَلقُ إِلّا لِلفَناءِ مَعاً

لَم يُخلَقِ الخَلقُ إِلّا لِلفَناءِ مَعاً

نَفنى وَتَفنى أَحاديثٌ وَأَسماءُ

نَفنى وَتَفنى أَحاديثٌ وَأَسماءُ

Creatures were created only to perish, one and all.

Creation was made only to perish together

We perish, and so do stories and names.

We perish and names and tales perish

يا بُعدَ مَن ماتَ مِمَّن كانَ يُلطِفُهُ

يا بُعدَ مَن ماتَ مِمَّن كانَ يُلطِفُهُ

قامَت قِيامَتُهُ وَالناسُ أَحياءُ

قامَت قِيامَتُهُ وَالناسُ أَحياءُ

How far one who has died is from those who once treated him kindly!

Oh how distant are the dead from the living

His Judgment Day has come, while others are still alive.

Their time has come while people live on

يُقصي الخَليلُ أَخاهُ عِندَ ميتَتِهِ

يُقصي الخَليلُ أَخاهُ عِندَ ميتَتِهِ

وَكُلُّ مَن ماتَ أَقصَتهُ الأَخِلّاءُ

وَكُلُّ مَن ماتَ أَقصَتهُ الأَخِلّاءُ

A close friend sends his brother away when he dies.

A friend deserts his brother at his death

And everyone who dies is sent away by his friends.

All the deceased are deserted by friends

لَم تَبكِ نَفسَكَ أَيّامَ الحَياةِ لِما

لَم تَبكِ نَفسَكَ أَيّامَ الحَياةِ لِما

تَخشى وَأَنتَ عَلى الأَمواتِ بَكّاءُ

تَخشى وَأَنتَ عَلى الأَمواتِ بَكّاءُ

You have not wept for yourself in life over what

Don't cry for yourself in life over what

you fear, yet you weep profusely for the dead.

You fear, while crying over the dead

أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ مِن ذَنبي وَمِن سَرَفي

أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ مِن ذَنبي وَمِن سَرَفي

إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ مَستوراً لَخَطّاءُ

إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ مَستوراً لَخَطّاءُ

I seek God's forgiveness for my sin and my excesses.

I seek forgiveness from God for my sins and excess

Indeed, though my faults are hidden, I am surely a habitual sinner.

Though hidden I am a sinner

لَم تَقتَحِم بي دَواعي النَفسِ مَعصيةً

لَم تَقتَحِم بي دَواعي النَفسِ مَعصيةً

إِلّا وَبَيني وَبَينَ النورِ ظَلماءُ

إِلّا وَبَيني وَبَينَ النورِ ظَلماءُ

Never have the soul's urges plunged me into sin

No urge makes me disobey though between me

without darkness lying between me and the light.

And the light is darkness

كَم راتِعٍ في ظِلالِ العَيشِ تَتبَعُهُ

كَم راتِعٍ في ظِلالِ العَيشِ تَتبَعُهُ

مِنهُنَّ داهِيَةٌ تَرتَجُّ دَهياءُ

مِنهُنَّ داهِيَةٌ تَرتَجُّ دَهياءُ

How many a grazer in life's shade is followed

How many hermits in the shadows of life

by a calamity from among them, dreadful and shaking violently!

Are followed by an insistent demon

وَلِلحَوادِثِ ساعاتٌ مُصَرَفَةٌ

وَلِلحَوادِثِ ساعاتٌ مُصَرَفَةٌ

فيهِنَّ لِلحَينِ إِدناءٌ وَإِقصاءُ

فيهِنَّ لِلحَينِ إِدناءٌ وَإِقصاءُ

And events have their changing hours,

Events have their allotted hours

in which death is drawn near and driven away.

Bringing closeness or distance in turn

كُلٌّ يُنَقَّلُ في ضيقٍ وَفي سَعَةٍ

كُلٌّ يُنَقَّلُ في ضيقٍ وَفي سَعَةٍ

وَلِلزَمانِ بِهِ شَدٌّ وَإِرخاءُ

وَلِلزَمانِ بِهِ شَدٌّ وَإِرخاءُ

Everyone is moved through hardship and through ease.

All move between hardship and ease

And time tightens and slackens its hold on him.

And time makes them now yield, now resist

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ كُلٌّ ذو مُكاذَبَةٍ

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ كُلٌّ ذو مُكاذَبَةٍ

صارَ التَصادُقُ لا يُسقى بِهِ الماءُ

صارَ التَصادُقُ لا يُسقى بِهِ الماءُ

Praise be to God! Everyone is given to mutual deceit.

Thanks to God, all are hypocrites

Honest dealing now earns not even a drink of water.

Honesty no longer wets the tongue