1. أَذَلَّ الحِرصُ وَالطَمَعُ الرِقابا

    وَقَد يَعفو الكَريمُ إِذا اِستَرابا

    Greed and covetousness have bowed necks.

    And the noble may pardon when in doubt.

  2. إِذا اِتَّضَحَ الصَوابُ فَلا تَدَعهُ

    فَإِنَّكَ كُلَّما ذُقتَ الصَوابا

    When the right course becomes clear, do not abandon it;

    For whenever you taste what is right,

  3. وَجَدتَ لَهُ عَلى اللَهَواتِ بَرداً

    كَبَردِ الماءِ حينَ صَفا وَطابا

    You find its coolness upon the palate,

    Like the coolness of water when clear and pleasant.

  4. وَلَيسَ بِحاكِمٍ مَن لا يُبالي

    أَأَخطَأَ في الحُكومَةِ أَم أَصابا

    And he is no judge who does not care

    Whether he erred in judgment or was right.

  5. وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ تَلخيصٍ لَوَجهاً

    وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَسأَلَةٍ جَوابا

    And every clarification surely has its approach,

    And every question has an answer.

  6. وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ حادِثَةٍ لَوَقتاً

    وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ ذي عَمَلٍ حِسابا

    And every event surely has its time,

    And everyone who acts has a reckoning.

  7. وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مُطَّلَعٍ لَحَدّاً

    وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ ذي عَمَلٍ حِسابا

    And every vantage point surely has a limit,

    And everyone who acts has a reckoning.

  8. وَكُلُّ سَلامَةٍ تَعِدُ المَنايا

    وَكُلُّ عِمارَةٍ تَعِدُ الخَرابا

    And all well-being promises death,

    And every building promises ruin.

  9. وَكُلُّ مُمَلَّكٍ سَيَصيرُ يَوماً

    وَما مَلَكَت يَداهُ مَعاً تَبابا

    And every crowned ruler will one day come,

    Together with what his hands possessed, to utter ruin.

  10. أَبَت طَرَفاتُ كُلِّ قَريرِ عَينٍ

    بِها إِلّا اِضطِراباً وَاِنقِلابا

    The blinks of every contented eye refuse

    In this world all but turmoil and reversal.

  11. كَأَنَّ مَحاسِنَ الدُنيا سَرابٌ

    وَأَيُّ يَدٍ تَناوَلتِ السَرابا

    As though the beauties of this world were a mirage;

    And what hand has ever grasped a mirage?

  12. وَإِن تَكُ مُنيَةٌ عَجِلَت بِشَيءٍ

    تُسَرُّ بِهِ فَإِنَّ لَها ذَهابا

    And if a wish has hastened to bring something

    That delights you, it will surely pass away.

  13. فَيا عَجَباً تَموتُ وَأَنتَ تَبني

    وَتَتَّخِذُ المَصانِعَ وَالقِبابا

    So, what a marvel! You die while you build,

    And erect strongholds and domes.

  14. أَراكَ وَكُلَّما أَغلَقتَ باباً

    مِنَ الدُنيا فَتَحتَ عَلَيكَ بابا

    I see you—and whenever you close a door

    Of this world, you open another upon yourself.

  15. أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ كُلَّ صَباحِ يَومٍ

    يَزيدُكَ مِن مَنِيَّتِكَ اِقتِرابا

    Have you not seen that each day's morning

    Brings you nearer to your death?

  16. وَحَقَّ لِموقِنٍ بِالمَوتِ أَلّا

    يُسَوِّغَهُ الطَعامَ وَلا الشَرابا

    And it is fitting for one sure of death not

    To find food or drink easy to swallow.

  17. يُدَبِّرُ ما نَرى مَلِكٌ عَزيزٌ

    بِهِ شَهِدَت هَوادِثُهُ وَغابا

    A mighty King governs what we see;

    His happenings testify to Him, though He is unseen.

  18. أَلَيسَ اللَهُ مِن كُلِّ قَريباً

    بَلى مِن حَيثُ ما نودي أَجابا

    Is God not near to all?

    Yes—wherever He is called, He answers.

  19. وَلَم تَرَ سائِلاً لِلَّهِ أَكدى

    وَلَم تَرَ راجِياً لِلَّهِ خابا

    And you have never seen a supplicant to God go empty-handed,

    Nor have you seen one hoping in God disappointed.

  20. رَأَيتُ الروحَ جَدبَ العَيشِ لَمّا

    عَرَفتُ العَيشَ مَخضاً وَاِحتِلابا

    I found ease in a life of want, when

    I came to know life as churning and milking.

  21. وَلَستَ بِغالِبِ الشَهَواتِ حَتّى

    تُعِدَّ لَهُنَّ صَبراً وَاِحتِسابا

    And you will not overcome desires until

    You prepare for them patience and hope of reward.

  22. فَكُلُّ مُصيبَةٍ عَظُمَت وَجَلَّت

    تَخِفُّ إِذا رَجَوتَ لَها ثَوابا

    For every calamity, however great and grave,

    Grows lighter when you hope for its reward.

  23. كَبِرنا أَيُّها الأَترابُ حَتّى

    كَأَنّا لَم نَكُن حيناً شَبابا

    We have grown old, O peers, until

    It is as though we were never once young.

  24. وَكُنّا كَالغُصونِ إِذا تَثَنَّت

    مِنَ الرَيحانِ مونِقَةً رِطابا

    And we were like branches when they swayed,

    Of sweet basil, lovely and fresh.

  25. إِلى كَم طولُ صَبوَتِنا بِدارٍ

    رَأَيتُ لَها اِغتِصاباً وَاِستِلابا

    How long will our youthful infatuation with an abode endure,

    Whose seizure and plunder I have witnessed?

  26. أَلا ما لِلكُهولِ وَلِلتَصابي

    إِذا ما اِغتَرَّ مُكتَهِلُ تَصابى

    Ah, what have middle-aged men to do with playing young?

    When a middle-aged man is deceived, he acts young.

  27. فَزِعتُ إِلى خِضابِ الشَيبِ مِنهُ

    وَإِنَّ نُصولَهُ فَضَحَ الخِضابا

    I took refuge from it in dyeing my gray hair;

    Yet its fading has exposed the dye.

  28. مَضى عَنّي الشَبابُ بِغَيرِ وُدّي

    فَعِندَ اللَهِ أَحتَسِبُ الشَبابا

    Youth left me against my will,

    So I seek God's reward for the loss of youth.

  29. وَما مِن غايَةٍ إِلّا المَنايا

    لِمَن خَلِقَت شَبيبَتُهُ وَشابا

    And there is no final end but death

    For one whose youth has worn away and who has grown gray.

  30. وَما مِنكَ الشَبابُ وَلَستَ مِنهُ

    إِذا سَأَلَتكَ لِحيَتُكَ الخِضابا

    And youth is no part of you, nor are you part of it,

    When your beard asks you for dye.