أَلا أَرى لِلمَرءِ أَن يَأمَنَ الدَهرا

أَلا أَرى لِلمَرءِ أَن يَأمَنَ الدَهرا

فَإِنَّ لَهُ في طولِ مُهلَتِهِ مَكرا

فَإِنَّ لَهُ في طولِ مُهلَتِهِ مَكرا

I do not think a man should feel safe from Time,

Alas, should man feel safe from fate for long?

For its long respite harbors a plot.

For in the length of respite lurks deceit.

فَكَم مِن مُلوكٍ أَمَّلوا أَن يُخَلَّدوا

فَكَم مِن مُلوكٍ أَمَّلوا أَن يُخَلَّدوا

رَأَيتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ تَجزُرُهُم جَرا

رَأَيتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ تَجزُرُهُم جَرا

How many kings have hoped to live forever!

How many kings who hoped for immortality

You have seen Time's vicissitudes slaughter them, dragging them away.

Have you seen swept away by the turns of fate?

بُليتُ بِدارٍ ما تَقَضّى هُمومُها

بُليتُ بِدارٍ ما تَقَضّى هُمومُها

فَلَستُ أَرى إِلّا التَوَكُّلَ وَالصَبرا

فَلَستُ أَرى إِلّا التَوَكُّلَ وَالصَبرا

I have been afflicted with an abode whose cares never end,

I am afflicted with a house whose sorrows are endless;

So I see no course but trust in God and patience.

I see no recourse but trust in God and patience.

إِذا ما انقَضى يَومٌ بِأَمرٍ فَقُلتُ قَد

إِذا ما انقَضى يَومٌ بِأَمرٍ فَقُلتُ قَد

أَمِنتُ أَذاهُ أَحدَثَت لَيلَةٌ أَمرا

أَمِنتُ أَذاهُ أَحدَثَت لَيلَةٌ أَمرا

Whenever a day of trouble passes and I say, 'Now

If a day passes with an event, and I say,

I am safe from its harm,' a night brings fresh trouble.

"I am safe from its harm," a night brings new trouble.

أُحِبُّ الفَتى يَنفي الفَواحِشَ سَمعُهُ

أُحِبُّ الفَتى يَنفي الفَواحِشَ سَمعُهُ

كَأَنَّ بِهِ عَن كُلِّ فاحِشَةٍ وَقرا

كَأَنَّ بِهِ عَن كُلِّ فاحِشَةٍ وَقرا

I love the young man whose hearing shuts out obscenities,

I love the noble youth who turns his hearing away from vices,

As though he were deaf to every obscenity.

As if to guard himself from each corruption and defect.

سَليمَ دَواعي الصَدرِ لا باسِطاً يَداً

سَليمَ دَواعي الصَدرِ لا باسِطاً يَداً

وَلا مانِعاً خَيراً وَلا قائِلاً هُجرا

وَلا مانِعاً خَيراً وَلا قائِلاً هُجرا

Pure in the promptings of his breast, not stretching out a hand,

Composed in his feelings, neither refusing bounty,

Nor withholding good, nor uttering foul speech.

Nor barring good deeds, nor speaking words of estrangement.

إِذا ما بَدَت مِن صاحِبٍ لَكَ زَلَّةٌ

إِذا ما بَدَت مِن صاحِبٍ لَكَ زَلَّةٌ

فَكُن أَنتَ مُحتالاً لِزَلَّتِهِ عُذرا

فَكُن أَنتَ مُحتالاً لِزَلَّتِهِ عُذرا

Whenever a misstep comes from a friend of yours,

If a companion slips, make excuses to cover his error;

Then you yourself should devise an excuse for his misstep.

Seek to be an apologist for his slip.

أَرى اليَأسَ مِن أَن تَسأَلَ الناسَ راحَةً

أَرى اليَأسَ مِن أَن تَسأَلَ الناسَ راحَةً

تُميتُ بِها عُسراً وَتُحيِي بِها يُسرا

تُميتُ بِها عُسراً وَتُحيِي بِها يُسرا

I find relief in giving up hope of asking people,

I see no use in asking people for comfort

Through it you put hardship to death and bring ease to life.

By which to soothe hardship and revive ease.

وَلَيسَت يَدٌ أَولَيتَها بِغَنيمَةٍ

وَلَيسَت يَدٌ أَولَيتَها بِغَنيمَةٍ

إِذا كُنتَ تَبغي أَن تُعِدَّ لَها شُكرا

إِذا كُنتَ تَبغي أَن تُعِدَّ لَها شُكرا

And a favor you bestow is no gain,

The hand you have accustomed to booty

If you seek to secure thanks for it.

Will need to be thanked if you wish it to show gratitude.

غِنى المَرءِ ما يَكفيهِ مِن سَدِّ خَلَّةٍ

غِنى المَرءِ ما يَكفيهِ مِن سَدِّ خَلَّةٍ

فَإِن زادَ شَيئاً عادَ ذاكَ الغِنى فَقرا

فَإِن زادَ شَيئاً عادَ ذاكَ الغِنى فَقرا

A man's wealth is what suffices to meet his need;

A man's wealth lies in contendedness to plug his lacks;

For if it exceeds that at all, that wealth becomes poverty.

If something extra accrues, that wealth becomes poverty.