رَأَيتُكَ فيما يُخطِئُ الناسُ تَنظُرُ

رَأَيتُكَ فيما يُخطِئُ الناسُ تَنظُرُ

وَرَأسُكَ مِن ماءِ الخَطيئةِ يَقطُرُ

وَرَأسُكَ مِن ماءِ الخَطيئةِ يَقطُرُ

I saw you looking at the wrongs people commit,

I saw you looking where people err

while your head drips with the water of sin.

With your head dripping with the water of sin

تَوارى بِجُدرانِ البُيوتِ عَنِ الوَرى

تَوارى بِجُدرانِ البُيوتِ عَنِ الوَرى

وَأَنتَ بِعَينِ اللَهِ لَو كُنتَ تَشعُرُ

وَأَنتَ بِعَينِ اللَهِ لَو كُنتَ تَشعُرُ

You hide behind the walls of houses from mankind,

You hide behind house walls from people’s sight

though you are in God's sight, if only you knew.

Yet to God’s eye you would see if you were aware

وَتَخشى عُيونَ الناسِ أَن يَنظُروا بِها

وَتَخشى عُيونَ الناسِ أَن يَنظُروا بِها

وَلَم تَخشَ عَينَ اللَهِ وَاللَهُ يَنظُرُ

وَلَم تَخشَ عَينَ اللَهِ وَاللَهُ يَنظُرُ

You fear people's eyes, lest they look with them,

You fear people’s eyes that they may look with them

yet you did not fear God's eye, though God is watching.

Yet you did not fear God’s eye and God does look

وَكَم مِن قَبيحٍ قَد كَفى اللَهُ شَرَّهُ

وَكَم مِن قَبيحٍ قَد كَفى اللَهُ شَرَّهُ

أَلا إِنَّهُ يَعفو القَبيحَ وَيَستُرُ

أَلا إِنَّهُ يَعفو القَبيحَ وَيَستُرُ

How many a vile deed has God spared you the harm of!

How much ugliness has God sufficed you from its evil

Behold, He forgives the vile deed and conceals it.

Indeed He pardons the ugly and veils

إِلى كَم تَعامى عَن أُمورٍ مِنَ الهُدى

إِلى كَم تَعامى عَن أُمورٍ مِنَ الهُدى

وَأَنتَ إِذا مَرَّ الهَوى بِكَ تُبصِرُ

وَأَنتَ إِذا مَرَّ الهَوى بِكَ تُبصِرُ

How long will you turn a blind eye to matters of guidance,

To how much have you been blind to matters of guidance

yet see whenever desire passes your way?

Yet when desire passes you, you do see

إِذا ما دَعاكَ الرُشدُ أَحجَمتَ دونَهُ

إِذا ما دَعاكَ الرُشدُ أَحجَمتَ دونَهُ

وَأَنتَ إِلى ما قادَكَ الغَيُّ تَبدُرُ

وَأَنتَ إِلى ما قادَكَ الغَيُّ تَبدُرُ

When right guidance calls you, you shrink back before it,

When righteousness calls you, you refrain from it

yet you rush toward whatever error leads you to.

While to what fancy leads you, you hasten

وَلَيسَ يَقومُ الشُكرُ مِنكَ بِنِعمَةٍ

وَلَيسَ يَقومُ الشُكرُ مِنكَ بِنِعمَةٍ

وَلَكِن عَلَيكَ الشُكرُ إِن كُنتَ تَشكُرُ

وَلَكِن عَلَيكَ الشُكرُ إِن كُنتَ تَشكُرُ

Your gratitude cannot match even one blessing,

Gratitude does not arise from you for a blessing

yet gratitude is your duty, if you would give thanks.

But gratitude is upon you if you are grateful

وَما كُلُّ ما لَم تَأتِ إِلّا كَما مَضى

وَما كُلُّ ما لَم تَأتِ إِلّا كَما مَضى

مِنَ اللَهوِ في اللَذاتِ إِن كُنتَ تَذكُرُ

مِنَ اللَهوِ في اللَذاتِ إِن كُنتَ تَذكُرُ

And all you have yet to do is only like what has passed

Not all that has passed was but as it went

of diversion amid pleasures, if you remember.

Of frivolity in pleasures if you remember

وَماهِيَ إِلّا تَرحَةٌ بَعدَ فَرحَةٍ

وَماهِيَ إِلّا تَرحَةٌ بَعدَ فَرحَةٍ

كَذالِكَ شُربُ الدَهرِ يَصفو وَيَكدُرُ

كَذالِكَ شُربُ الدَهرِ يَصفو وَيَكدُرُ

And it is nothing but sorrow after joy;

They are but comfort after joy

thus time's draught grows clear and grows turbid.

Thus is the drinking of fate, it clears and muddies

كَأَنَّ الفَتى المُغتَرَّ لَم يَدرِ أَنَّهُ

كَأَنَّ الفَتى المُغتَرَّ لَم يَدرِ أَنَّهُ

تَروحُ عَلَيهِ الحادِثاتُ وَتَبكُرُ

تَروحُ عَلَيهِ الحادِثاتُ وَتَبكُرُ

As though the deluded young man did not know that

As if the deceived youth did not know

calamities come upon him evening and morning.

That events pass upon him and come early

أَجَدَّكَ أَمّا كُنتَ وَاللَهوُ غالِبٌ

أَجَدَّكَ أَمّا كُنتَ وَاللَهوُ غالِبٌ

عَلَيكَ وَأَمّا السَهوُ مِنكا فَيَكثُرُ

عَلَيكَ وَأَمّا السَهوُ مِنكا فَيَكثُرُ

Are you in earnest? As for you, diversion has prevailed

What an earnest you were while heedlessness prevailed

over you; and as for your heedlessness, it grows.

Over you and forgetfulness from you is plentiful

وَأَمّا بَنو الدُنيا فَفي غَفَلاتِهِم

وَأَمّا بَنو الدُنيا فَفي غَفَلاتِهِم

وَأَمّا يَدُ الدُنيا فَتَفري وَتَجزُرُ

وَأَمّا يَدُ الدُنيا فَتَفري وَتَجزُرُ

As for the sons of the world, they remain in their heedlessness,

As for the people of the world, they are in their neglect

while the world's hand cuts and slaughters.

And the hand of the world flows and ebbs

وَأَمّا جَميعُ الخَلقِ فيها فَمَيِّتٌ

وَأَمّا جَميعُ الخَلقِ فيها فَمَيِّتٌ

وَلَكِنَّ آجالاً تَطولُ وَتَقصُرُ

وَلَكِنَّ آجالاً تَطولُ وَتَقصُرُ

And as for all creatures within it, they must die,

And all the creation in it is dead

yet lifespans are long and short.

But lifespans are long and short

لَهَوتَ وَكَم مِن عِبرَةٍ قَد حَضَرتَها

لَهَوتَ وَكَم مِن عِبرَةٍ قَد حَضَرتَها

كَأَنَّكَ عَنها غائِبٌ حينَ تَحضُرُ

كَأَنَّكَ عَنها غائِبٌ حينَ تَحضُرُ

You have amused yourself, though you have witnessed many a lesson,

You sported and how much admonition attended you

as though absent from it even when you are present.

As if you were absent when it attended

تَمَنّى المُنى وَالريحُ تَلقاكَ عاصِفاً

تَمَنّى المُنى وَالريحُ تَلقاكَ عاصِفاً

وَفَوقَكَ أَمواجٌ وَتَحتَكَ أَبحُرُ

وَفَوقَكَ أَمواجٌ وَتَحتَكَ أَبحُرُ

You cherish hopes while the wind meets you, raging,

You wished for wishes and the winds met you stormy

with waves above you and seas beneath you.

With waves above you and seas below you

أَلَم تَرَ يا مَغبونُ ما قَد غُبِنتَهُ

أَلَم تَرَ يا مَغبونُ ما قَد غُبِنتَهُ

وَأَنتَ تَرى في ذاكَ أَنَّكَ تَتجُرُ

وَأَنتَ تَرى في ذاكَ أَنَّكَ تَتجُرُ

Have you not seen, O cheated one, what you have been cheated of,

Have you not seen, O deceived, what you have been deceived of

while you think that in this you are trading?

Yet you see that you are gaining in that

خُدِعتَ عَنِ الساعاتِ حَتّى غُبِنتَها

خُدِعتَ عَنِ الساعاتِ حَتّى غُبِنتَها

وَغَرَّتكَ أَيّامٌ قِصارٌ وَأَشهُرُ

وَغَرَّتكَ أَيّامٌ قِصارٌ وَأَشهُرُ

You were deceived about your hours until you were cheated of them,

You were tricked out of the hours until you lost them

and brief days and months beguiled you.

And days were short and months deceived you

فَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَبتَني

فَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَبتَني

وَيا عامِرَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَعمُرُ

وَيا عامِرَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَعمُرُ

So, O builder of the world, you build for another;

So builder of the world for others you build

and O cultivator of the world, you cultivate for another.

And populator of the world for others you populate

وَمالَكَ إِلّا الصَبرُ وَالبِرُّ عُدَّةٌ

وَمالَكَ إِلّا الصَبرُ وَالبِرُّ عُدَّةٌ

وَإِلّا اعتِبارٌ ثاقِبٌ وَتَفَكُّرُ

وَإِلّا اعتِبارٌ ثاقِبٌ وَتَفَكُّرُ

You have no provision but patience and righteousness,

And you have nothing but patience and righteousness as equipment

and penetrating reflection and contemplation alone.

Except penetrating consideration and reflection