لا تجزعَنْ إنْ فات ما رُمْتَهُ

لا تجزعَنْ إنْ فات ما رُمْتَهُ

واشْدُدْ عُرَى عزمِكَ بالصَّبْرِ

واشْدُدْ عُرَى عزمِكَ بالصَّبْرِ

Do not despair if what you sought eludes you,

Do not despair if what you seek escapes you

And strengthen the bonds of your resolve with patience.

And strengthen your resolve with patience

فالجَدُّ إنْ ساعدَ نالَ الفَتَى

فالجَدُّ إنْ ساعدَ نالَ الفَتَى

بُغْيَتَه من حيثُ لا يَدرِي

بُغْيَتَه من حيثُ لا يَدرِي

For if fortune favors him, a young man attains

For effort, if aided, attains for the youth

His desire from a quarter he does not foresee.

His desire from where he knows not

وإنْ نَبا الجَدُّ فكلُّ الذي

وإنْ نَبا الجَدُّ فكلُّ الذي

تأمُلُ من رِبْحٍ إِلى خُسْرِ

تأمُلُ من رِبْحٍ إِلى خُسْرِ

And if fortune turns away, all that

And if effort fails, then all that

You hope to gain turns to loss.

You hope for in terms of gain is loss

والمرءُ في إقبالِه سابِحٌ

والمرءُ في إقبالِه سابِحٌ

يجري مع الماءِ كما يجري

يجري مع الماءِ كما يجري

And a man in prosperity is a swimmer,

And man in his success swims along

Moving with the water as it flows;

Flowing with the water as it flows

وهو إِذا أدبر مستقبلٌ

وهو إِذا أدبر مستقبلٌ

جَرْيتَهُ منقطعَ الظَّهْرِ

جَرْيتَهُ منقطعَ الظَّهْرِ

And when his fortune declines, he faces

But when he turns away, facing

Its current with a broken back.

His back to it, his course is cut