مُعاناتُكَ الأشغالَ من غَيرِ طائِلٍ

مُعاناتُكَ الأشغالَ من غَيرِ طائِلٍ

عَناءٌ فأوْرِدْ واستَبِنْ سَنَنَ الرُّشْدِ

عَناءٌ فأوْرِدْ واستَبِنْ سَنَنَ الرُّشْدِ

Your labor at tasks that bring no benefit

Your suffering with futile toil

Is hardship; so lead yourself to water and discern the path of sound judgment.

Is vain effort, so come and discern the ways of righteousness,

وَرِّفهْ على النَّفسِ الّتي قد كَدَدْتَها

وَرِّفهْ على النَّفسِ الّتي قد كَدَدْتَها

ونَغَّصْتَها في غَيرِ جَدوى ولا رَدِّ

ونَغَّصْتَها في غَيرِ جَدوى ولا رَدِّ

And give ease to the soul you have exhausted

And educate it for the self you have wearied

And embittered without benefit or return.

And soured without benefit or repeal.

إذا لم يكُن للكَدِّ رَدُّ على الفَتى

إذا لم يكُن للكَدِّ رَدُّ على الفَتى

فإجمامُهُ الأطرافَ خَيرٌ منَ الكَدِّ

فإجمامُهُ الأطرافَ خَيرٌ منَ الكَدِّ

If toil brings a young man no return,

If effort has no repeal for the youth,

Then giving his limbs rest is better than toil.

Then restraining the limbs is better than effort.