لَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ المَخافَةِ وَالأَمنِ

لَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ المَخافَةِ وَالأَمنِ

وَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ السُهولَةِ وَالحَزنِ

وَشَتّانَ ما بَينَ السُهولَةِ وَالحَزنِ

How far apart indeed are fear and safety,

How different is fear from safety,

and how far apart are smoothness and ruggedness!

And sorrow from ease!

تَنَزَّه عَنِ الدُنيا وَإِلّا فَإِنَّها

تَنَزَّه عَنِ الدُنيا وَإِلّا فَإِنَّها

سَتَأتيكَ يَوماً في خَطاطيفِها الحُجنِ

سَتَأتيكَ يَوماً في خَطاطيفِها الحُجنِ

Keep aloof from the world; otherwise it

Keep away from this world, or else

will come to you one day with its crooked hooks.

It will come to you one day with its calamities.

إِذا حُزتَ ما يَكفيكَ مِن سَدِّ خَلَّةٍ

إِذا حُزتَ ما يَكفيكَ مِن سَدِّ خَلَّةٍ

فَصِرتَ إِلى ما فَوقَهُ صِرتَ في سِجنِ

فَصِرتَ إِلى ما فَوقَهُ صِرتَ في سِجنِ

If you have acquired enough to meet a need,

When you have gained enough to cover your needs,

and then reach beyond it, you find yourself in prison.

Seeking more will lead you to prison.

أَيا جامِعَ الدُنيا سَتَكفيكَ جَمعَها

أَيا جامِعَ الدُنيا سَتَكفيكَ جَمعَها

وَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا سَيَخرَبُ ما تَبني

وَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا سَيَخرَبُ ما تَبني

O gatherer of the world, it will spare you the task of gathering it;

O you who gather wealth, collecting it will suffice you,

and O builder of the world, what you build will fall to ruin.

And O you who build, what you construct will fall apart.

أَلا إِنَّ مَن لا بُدَّ أَن يَطعَمَ الرَدى

أَلا إِنَّ مَن لا بُدَّ أَن يَطعَمَ الرَدى

وَشيكاً حَقيقٌ بِالبُكاءِ وَبِالحُزنِ

وَشيكاً حَقيقٌ بِالبُكاءِ وَبِالحُزنِ

Surely, one who must taste death

Alas! Whoever must eventually taste death

before long has every cause for weeping and grief.

Will soon truly weep and grieve.

تَعَجَّبتُ إِذ أَلهو وَلَم أَرَ طَرفَةً

تَعَجَّبتُ إِذ أَلهو وَلَم أَرَ طَرفَةً

لِعَينِ امرِئٍ مِن سَكرَةِ المَوتِ لا تَدني

لِعَينِ امرِئٍ مِن سَكرَةِ المَوتِ لا تَدني

I marvel that I amuse myself, though I have never seen a blink

I'm amazed when I play heedlessly

of anyone's eye that does not draw him nearer death's stupor.

That no eye sheds a tear at death's intoxication drawing near.

وَلِلدَهرِ أَيّامٌ عَلَينا مُلِحَّةٌ

وَلِلدَهرِ أَيّامٌ عَلَينا مُلِحَّةٌ

تُصَرِّحُ لي بِالمَوتِ عَنهُنَّ لا تَكني

تُصَرِّحُ لي بِالمَوتِ عَنهُنَّ لا تَكني

And time has days that press relentlessly upon us;

The days have moments that afflict us

speaking for themselves, they tell me plainly of death, not in hints.

Explicitly telling me of death, not hinting.

أَيا عَينُ كَم حَسَّنتِ لي مِن قَبيحَةٍ

أَيا عَينُ كَم حَسَّنتِ لي مِن قَبيحَةٍ

وَما كُلُّ ما تَستَحسِنينَ بِذي حُسنِ

وَما كُلُّ ما تَستَحسِنينَ بِذي حُسنِ

O eye, how many ugly things you have made seem fair to me!

O eye, how much ugliness you've made seem beautiful to me!

Yet not everything you find fair is beautiful.

Not everything you find attractive is truly beautiful.

كَأَنَّ امرَأً لَم يَغنَ في الناسِ ساعَةً

كَأَنَّ امرَأً لَم يَغنَ في الناسِ ساعَةً

إِذا نُفِضَت عَنهُ الأَكُفُّ مِنَ الدَفنِ

إِذا نُفِضَت عَنهُ الأَكُفُّ مِنَ الدَفنِ

It is as though a man had not lived among people for an hour,

It's as if a man was never of use to people for an hour,

when hands are shaken clean after his burial.

When hands withdraw from him for burial.

أَلا هَل إِلى الفِردَوسِ مِن مُتَشَوِّقٍ

أَلا هَل إِلى الفِردَوسِ مِن مُتَشَوِّقٍ

تَحِنُّ إِلَيها نَفسُهُ وَإِلى عَدنِ

تَحِنُّ إِلَيها نَفسُهُ وَإِلى عَدنِ

Is there anyone longing for Paradise,

Is there anyone longing for Paradise,

whose soul yearns for it and for Eden?

Whose soul yearns for it and for Eden?

وَما يَنبَغي لي أَن أُسَرَّ بِلَيلَةٍ

وَما يَنبَغي لي أَن أُسَرَّ بِلَيلَةٍ

أَبيتُ بِها مِن ظالِمٍ لي عَلى ضِغنِ

أَبيتُ بِها مِن ظالِمٍ لي عَلى ضِغنِ

Nor should I be pleased by a night

It does not befit me to delight in a night

I spend nursing a grudge against one who wrongs me.

I spend with one who wrongs me, nursing hatred.

وَمَن طابَ لي نَفساً بِقُربٍ قَبِلتُهُ

وَمَن طابَ لي نَفساً بِقُربٍ قَبِلتُهُ

وَمَن ضاقَ عَن قُربي فَفي أَوسَعِ الإِذنِ

وَمَن ضاقَ عَن قُربي فَفي أَوسَعِ الإِذنِ

And whoever is glad to be near me, I welcome;

Whoever's soul is pleasant to me, I accept his nearness,

and whoever cannot bear my company has the fullest leave to depart.

And whoever dislikes my company, he has ample leeway.

لَعَمرُكَ ما ضاقَ امرُؤٌ بَرَّ وَاتَّقى

لَعَمرُكَ ما ضاقَ امرُؤٌ بَرَّ وَاتَّقى

فَذو البِرِّ وَالتَقوى مِنَ اللَهِ في ضَمنِ

فَذو البِرِّ وَالتَقوى مِنَ اللَهِ في ضَمنِ

By your life, no man who does good and is devout is hemmed in,

By your life! No God-fearing, righteous man

for one who is good and devout is in God's keeping.

Has ever felt cramped - the righteous are in God's care.

وَأَبعِد بِذي رَأيٍ مِنَ الحُبِّ لِلتُقى

وَأَبعِد بِذي رَأيٍ مِنَ الحُبِّ لِلتُقى

إِذا كانَ لا يُقصي عَلَيها وَلا يُدني

إِذا كانَ لا يُقصي عَلَيها وَلا يُدني

And how far from love of piety is a man of judgment,

Keep the advising man of reason far from love

if he neither keeps others away nor draws them near for its sake!

If he does not draw near to piety or befriend it.