تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا مُسِرّاً وَمُعلِنا

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا مُسِرّاً وَمُعلِنا

فَما هُوَ إِلّا أَن تُنادى فَتَظعَنا

فَما هُوَ إِلّا أَن تُنادى فَتَظعَنا

Take provisions from this world, in secret and openly,

He prepared for life with ease and ostentation

For it is but a summons, and then you depart.

Yet it was but a call to toil and tribulation

يُريدُ امرُؤٌ أَلّا تُلَوَّنَ حالُهُ

يُريدُ امرُؤٌ أَلّا تُلَوَّنَ حالُهُ

وَتَأبى بِهِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا تَلَوَّنا

وَتَأبى بِهِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا تَلَوَّنا

A man wishes his condition would never change,

A man desires his state be never changed

Yet the days allow him nothing but change.

But days insist it only be rearranged

عَجِبتُ لِذي الدُنيا وَقَد حَطَّ رَحلَهُ

عَجِبتُ لِذي الدُنيا وَقَد حَطَّ رَحلَهُ

بِمُستَنِّ سَيلٍ فَابتَنى وَتَحَصَّنا

بِمُستَنِّ سَيلٍ فَابتَنى وَتَحَصَّنا

I marvel at the worldly man, who has set down his baggage

I'm stunned by one whose life is but a tent

In a torrent's path, then built a home and fortified himself.

Pitched by a flooding stream, unstable and rent

تَزَيَّن لِيَومِ العَرضِ ما دُمتَ مُطلَقاً

تَزَيَّن لِيَومِ العَرضِ ما دُمتَ مُطلَقاً

وَما دامَ دونَ المُنتَهى لَكَ مُمكِنا

وَما دامَ دونَ المُنتَهى لَكَ مُمكِنا

Adorn yourself for the Day of Presentation while you are still free,

Adorn yourself while free, ere comes your end

And while it remains possible for you before the end.

Roam whilst the realm of possibilities extend

وَلا تُمكِنَنَّ النَفسَ مِن شَهَواتِها

وَلا تُمكِنَنَّ النَفسَ مِن شَهَواتِها

وَلا تَركَبَنَّ الشَكَّ حَتّى تَيَقَّنا

وَلا تَركَبَنَّ الشَكَّ حَتّى تَيَقَّنا

And never let your soul indulge its desires,

Indulge no lusts, assumptions leave unknown

And never embark on a doubtful course until you are certain.

Lest certitude be lost, and peace o'erthrown

وَما الناسُ إِلّا مِن مُسيءٍ وَمُحسِنٍ

وَما الناسُ إِلّا مِن مُسيءٍ وَمُحسِنٍ

وَكَم مِن مُسيءٍ قَد تَلافى فَأَحسَنا

وَكَم مِن مُسيءٍ قَد تَلافى فَأَحسَنا

And people are only wrongdoers or doers of good,

Mankind comprises but the good and bad

And many a wrongdoer has made amends and then done good.

And many a sinner's ways saw reform glad

إِذا ما أَرادَ المَرءُ إِكرامَ نَفسِهِ

إِذا ما أَرادَ المَرءُ إِكرامَ نَفسِهِ

رَعاها وَوَقّاها القَبيحَ وَزَيَّنا

رَعاها وَوَقّاها القَبيحَ وَزَيَّنا

When a man wishes to honor himself,

If you would honor self, play guardian true

He cares for himself, shields himself from ugliness, and adorns himself.

From disrepute defend it, and virtues pursue

أَلَيسَ إِذا هانَت عَلى المَرءِ نَفسُهُ

أَلَيسَ إِذا هانَت عَلى المَرءِ نَفسُهُ

وَلَم يَرعَها كانَت عَلى الناسِ أَهوَنا

وَلَم يَرعَها كانَت عَلى الناسِ أَهوَنا

Is it not true that, when a man holds himself in low esteem,

Is not the soul that's cheaply held by man

And neglects himself, others hold him in still lower esteem?

More lightly weighed by all his fellow clan?