خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ الهَمَّ قَد يَتَفَرَّجُ

خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ الهَمَّ قَد يَتَفَرَّجُ

وَمَن كانَ يَبغي الحَقَّ فَالحَقُّ أَبلَجُ

وَمَن كانَ يَبغي الحَقَّ فَالحَقُّ أَبلَجُ

My two friends, sorrow may indeed lift.

My friend, worries will surely pass

And for whoever seeks the truth, the truth shines clear.

And he who seeks the truth, the truth is more eloquent

وَذو الغِشِّ مَرهوبٌ وَذو النُصحِ آمِنٌ

وَذو الغِشِّ مَرهوبٌ وَذو النُصحِ آمِنٌ

وَذو الطَيشِ مَدحوضٌ وَذو الحَقِّ يَفلُجُ

وَذو الطَيشِ مَدحوضٌ وَذو الحَقِّ يَفلُجُ

And the man of deceit is feared, while the sincere counselor is safe.

The deceitful one is frightened, the advisor is safe

And the reckless man is defeated, while the man of truth prevails.

The rash one is rejected, the just prevails

وَذو الصِدقِ لا يَرتابُ وَالعَدلُ قائِمٌ

وَذو الصِدقِ لا يَرتابُ وَالعَدلُ قائِمٌ

عَلى طُرُقاتِ الحَقِّ وَالجَورُ أَعوَجُ

عَلى طُرُقاتِ الحَقِّ وَالجَورُ أَعوَجُ

And the truthful man does not doubt, and justice stands

The truthful has no doubts, justice remains

Upon the paths of truth, while injustice is crooked.

On the paths of truth, while injustice is distorted

وَأَخلاقُ ذي التَقوى وَذي البِرِّ في الدُجى

وَأَخلاقُ ذي التَقوى وَذي البِرِّ في الدُجى

لَهُنَّ سِراجٌ بَينَ عَينَيهِ يُسرَجُ

لَهُنَّ سِراجٌ بَينَ عَينَيهِ يُسرَجُ

And the virtues of the pious and the righteous, in the darkness,

The morals of the devout and the righteous in the darkness

Have a lamp lit between his eyes.

Have for them a lamp between their eyes lighting

وَلَذّاتُ أَهلِ الفَضلِ بيضٌ نَقِيَّةٌ

وَلَذّاتُ أَهلِ الفَضلِ بيضٌ نَقِيَّةٌ

وَأَلسُنُ أَهلِ الصِدقِ لا تَتَلَجلَجُ

وَأَلسُنُ أَهلِ الصِدقِ لا تَتَلَجلَجُ

And the pleasures of the virtuous are white and pure.

The pleasures of the virtuous are pure white

And the tongues of the truthful do not falter.

And the tongues of the truthful do not waver

وَلَيسَ بِمَخلوقٍ عَلى اللَهِ حُجَّةٌ

وَلَيسَ بِمَخلوقٍ عَلى اللَهِ حُجَّةٌ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن حُجَّةِ اللَهِ مَخرَجُ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن حُجَّةِ اللَهِ مَخرَجُ

And no created being has an argument against God,

No creature over God has an argument

And he has no escape from God's proof.

And from God's argument he has no escape

أَلا دَحَرَت مِنّا قُرونٌ كَثيرَةٌ

أَلا دَحَرَت مِنّا قُرونٌ كَثيرَةٌ

وَنَحنُ سَنَمضي بَعدَهُنَّ وَنَدرُجُ

وَنَحنُ سَنَمضي بَعدَهُنَّ وَنَدرُجُ

Lo, many generations have receded from among us,

Oh, many generations have vanished from us

And we shall follow them and pass away.

And we will follow them and march on

أَلا إِنَّ أَملاكاً سَمَت وَتَبَهَّجَت

أَلا إِنَّ أَملاكاً سَمَت وَتَبَهَّجَت

وَلَكِنَّها بادَت وَبادَ التَبَهُّجُ

وَلَكِنَّها بادَت وَبادَ التَبَهُّجُ

Lo, kings indeed rose high and rejoiced,

Oh, kingdoms rose high and rejoiced

But they perished, and rejoicing perished.

But they perished and the rejoicing perished

أَلا غَرَّتِ الدُنيا رِجالاً عَهِدتَهُم

أَلا غَرَّتِ الدُنيا رِجالاً عَهِدتَهُم

أَلا رُبَّما راحوا عَلَيها وَأَدلَجوا

أَلا رُبَّما راحوا عَلَيها وَأَدلَجوا

Lo, the world deceived men whom you knew;

Oh, the world has fooled men I have known

Lo, how often they set out across it at evening and traveled by night!

Oh, sometimes they wandered in it and became senile

رُوَيدَكَ يا ذا القَصرِ في شُرُفاتِهِ

رُوَيدَكَ يا ذا القَصرِ في شُرُفاتِهِ

فَإِنَّكَ عَنهُ تُستَحَثُّ وَتُزعَجُ

فَإِنَّكَ عَنهُ تُستَحَثُّ وَتُزعَجُ

Easy now, O master of the palace, upon its balconies:

Slow down, you of the lofty palace

For you will be hurried away from it and driven out.

You will be driven out and disturbed

وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا اختَرتَهُ لَمُزَحلَقٌ

وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا اختَرتَهُ لَمُزَحلَقٌ

وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا في يَدَيكَ مُخَرَّجُ

وَإِنَّكَ عَمّا في يَدَيكَ مُخَرَّجُ

And you will surely be made to slide away from what you chose,

You slip from what you have chosen

And you will be taken away from what is in your hands.

And you escape what is in your hands

تَذَكَّر وَلا تَنسَ المَعادَ وَلا تَكُن

تَذَكَّر وَلا تَنسَ المَعادَ وَلا تَكُن

كَأَنَّكَ مُخلاً لِلمَلاعِبِ مُمرَجُ

كَأَنَّكَ مُخلاً لِلمَلاعِبِ مُمرَجُ

Remember, and do not forget the final return, and do not be

Remember and forget not the fate and be not

As though left free, turned loose for games.

Like someone heedless playing and frolicking

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُوَلوَلُ حَولَهُ

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُوَلوَلُ حَولَهُ

وَنَفسُكَ مِن بَينِ الجَوانِحِ تَخرُجُ

وَنَفسُكَ مِن بَينِ الجَوانِحِ تَخرُجُ

And do not forget when you are the one around whom they wail,

And forget not when you toss and turn around it

And your soul departs from between your ribs.

And your soul escapes amongst your organs

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُسَجّى بِثَوبِهِ

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُسَجّى بِثَوبِهِ

وَإِذ أَنتَ في كَربِ السِياقِ تُحَشرِجُ

وَإِذ أَنتَ في كَربِ السِياقِ تُحَشرِجُ

And do not forget when you lie draped in your garment,

And forget not when you are wrapped in its clothes

And when you gasp with a death rattle in the anguish of dying.

And when you choke in the sauce of death

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُعَزّى قَريبُهُ

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ أَنتَ المُعَزّى قَريبُهُ

وَإِذ أَنتَ في بيضٍ مِنَ الرَيطِ مُدرَجُ

وَإِذ أَنتَ في بيضٍ مِنَ الرَيطِ مُدرَجُ

And do not forget when your kinsman is offered condolences for you,

And forget not when you are consoled, a relative

And when you are wrapped in white sheets of fine cloth.

And when you lie in a shroud of muslin

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ يَهديكَ قَومٌ إِلى الثَرى

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ يَهديكَ قَومٌ إِلى الثَرى

إِذا ما هَدَوكاهُ انثَنَوا لَم يُعَرِّجوا

إِذا ما هَدَوكاهُ انثَنَوا لَم يُعَرِّجوا

And do not forget when people conduct you to the earth;

And forget not when a people guide you to the soil

Once they have led you there, they turn back without lingering.

If they straighten you, they will not swerve

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ قَبرٌ وَإِذ مِن تُرابِهِ

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ قَبرٌ وَإِذ مِن تُرابِهِ

عَلَيكَ بِهِ رَدمٌ وَلِبنٌ مُشَرَّجُ

عَلَيكَ بِهِ رَدمٌ وَلِبنٌ مُشَرَّجُ

And do not forget when there is a grave, and when, from its soil,

And forget not, a grave and made of its soil

A mound lies over you within it, with close-set mud bricks.

Poured upon you a mound and mud plastered

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ بَينٌ بَعيدٌ وَإِذ أَدا

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ بَينٌ بَعيدٌ وَإِذ أَدا

لَهُ سَبَبٌ لِلصَرمِ دونَكَ مُدمِجُ

لَهُ سَبَبٌ لِلصَرمِ دونَكَ مُدمِجُ

And do not forget when parting is distant, and when it is given mastery

And forget not, a distant separation and a far

By a firmly twisted cord of severance set before you.

Away house, the cause of which beside you lies joined

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ تُكسى غَداً مِنكَ وَحشَةٌ

وَلا تَنسَ إِذ تُكسى غَداً مِنكَ وَحشَةٌ

مَجالِسُ فيهِنَّ العَناكِبُ تَنسِجُ

مَجالِسُ فيهِنَّ العَناكِبُ تَنسِجُ

And do not forget when, tomorrow, desolation at your absence clothes

And forget not, you will wear tomorrow from you isolation

The gathering places where spiders weave.

Councils in which spin spiders

لا بُدَّ مِن بَيتِ انقِطاعٍ وَوَحدَةٍ

لا بُدَّ مِن بَيتِ انقِطاعٍ وَوَحدَةٍ

وَإِن سَرَّكَ البَيتُ العَتيقُ المُدَبَّجُ

وَإِن سَرَّكَ البَيتُ العَتيقُ المُدَبَّجُ

There is no escape from a dwelling of separation and solitude,

There must be a house of isolation and loneliness

Even if the ancient, brocade-adorned house delights you.

Even if the ancient gilded house appeals to you

وَلِلغِيِّ أَحياناً سَبيلٌ مُشَبَّهٌ

وَلِلغِيِّ أَحياناً سَبيلٌ مُشَبَّهٌ

وَلَكِن سَبيلُ الرُشدِ أَهدى وَأَبهَجُ

وَلَكِن سَبيلُ الرُشدِ أَهدى وَأَبهَجُ

And error sometimes has a deceptively similar path,

Sometimes the misguided have a similar path

But the path of right guidance is surer and more delightful.

But the path of righteousness is more guiding and brighter

وَإِنَّ القُلوبَ لَو تَوَخَّت يَقينَها

وَإِنَّ القُلوبَ لَو تَوَخَّت يَقينَها

لَتَصفو عَلى روحِ الحَياةِ وَتَثلُجُ

لَتَصفو عَلى روحِ الحَياةِ وَتَثلُجُ

And indeed, if hearts sought their certainty,

If only hearts would seek their faith

They would surely grow serene in life's solace and find cool relief.

They would clear to the soul of life and freeze

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجِدَّ يَبرُقُ صَفُّهُ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجِدَّ يَبرُقُ صَفُّهُ

وَإِن كانَ أَحياناً بِهِ الهَزلُ يُمزَجُ

وَإِن كانَ أَحياناً بِهِ الهَزلُ يُمزَجُ

Have you not seen how the rank of earnestness gleams,

Have you not seen that seriousness gleams in its lines

Even though jest is sometimes mingled with it?

And though sometimes in it is jest intermingled

أَلا رُبَّ ذي طِمرٍ غَدا في كَرامَةٍ

أَلا رُبَّ ذي طِمرٍ غَدا في كَرامَةٍ

وَمَلكٍ بِتيجانِ الهَوانِ مُتَوَّجُ

وَمَلكٍ بِتيجانِ الهَوانِ مُتَوَّجُ

Lo, many a rag-clad man has come to honor,

Oh, how many lowly became noble

And many a king is crowned with crowns of humiliation.

And a king crowned with the crowns of disgrace

لَعَمرُكَ ما الدُنيا بِدارِ إِقامَةٍ

لَعَمرُكَ ما الدُنيا بِدارِ إِقامَةٍ

وَإِن زَبَّرَ الغاوُونَ فيها وَزَبرَجوا

وَإِن زَبَّرَ الغاوُونَ فيها وَزَبرَجوا

By your life, this world is no permanent abode,

By your life, the world is no land of settlement

Though the misguided build solidly within it and adorn it.

Even if the misguided embellished and adorned it

وَكَم خامِدٍ تُخفيهِ ضَغطَةُ حُفرَةٍ

وَكَم خامِدٍ تُخفيهِ ضَغطَةُ حُفرَةٍ

وَقَد كانَ في الدُنيا يَصيحُ وَيُرهِجُ

وَقَد كانَ في الدُنيا يَصيحُ وَيُرهِجُ

And how many a stilled man a pit's pressure conceals,

And how many faded the pressure of a pit hides

Yet once, in this world, he shouted and stirred up dust.

And he once in the world screamed and sparked

إِذا ما قَضى لَهُ امرِئٍ فَكَأَنَّهُ

إِذا ما قَضى لَهُ امرِئٍ فَكَأَنَّهُ

تَحَسُّفُ زَهرٍ أَو كِتابٌ يُمَجمَجُ

تَحَسُّفُ زَهرٍ أَو كِتابٌ يُمَجمَجُ

When a man has finished something for him [wording unclear], it is like

When the order of a person passes, it is as if

The shedding of blossoms, or a book recited indistinctly.

The bloom of flowers or pages crumpled