1. أضعتَ العُمرَ في إصلاح حالِكْ

    ومَا فكّرتَ وَيْحَكَ في مآلِكْ

    You have wasted your life setting your affairs in order,

    and never thought—alas for you—of your final end.

  2. أراكَ أَمِنتَ أحداثَ اللَّيالي

    وقَدْ صَمدتْ لِغَدرِكَ واغتيالِكْ

    I see you feeling safe from the calamities of the nights,

    though they have set out to betray and slay you by stealth.

  3. ومِلْتَ لِزخْرفِ الدّنيا غروراً

    وقد جاءتْ تسيرُ إلى قِتالك

    And, deluded, you leaned toward the world's glitter,

    while she came marching out to fight you.

  4. وكَمْ أتعتبَ بالآمال قلباً

    تَحَمِّلَ ما يزيدُ على احْتِمالِكْ

    And how often have you wearied a heart with hopes,

    making it bear more than you can endure.

  5. ولَمْ يكُنِ الذي أمَّلْتَ فيها

    بأسْرعَ من زوالِكَ وانتقالِكْ

    And what you hoped for in her was not

    swifter than your passing and departure.

  6. فَعِش فيها خَمِيصَ البَطْنِ واعْمَلْ

    لِيَومٍ فيه تَذْهَلُ عَنْ عيالِكْ

    So live in her, lean of belly, and work

    for a day when you will be oblivious to your dependents.

  7. تجيءُ غليه مُنقاداً ذليلاً

    ولا تدري يمنَك مِن شِمالِكْ

    You will come to it submissive and abased,

    and you will not know your right from your left.

  8. إليها في شبابِك مِلْت جَهْلاً

    فَهَلاّ مِلْتَ عَنها في اكْتهالِكْ

    Toward her you leaned in your youth, in ignorance;

    so why not turn away from her in your middle age?

  9. فَمَهْلاً فهيَ عند اللهِ أَدْنَى

    وأهْونُ مِن ترابٍ في نعالِكْ

    So hold back: in God's sight she is baser

    and more worthless than the dust in your sandals.

  10. وإِنْ جاءَتْكَ خاطبةً فأعرِضْ

    وقُلْ مَهْلاً فما أنا مِنْ رجالِكْ

    And if she comes to you as a suitor, turn away,

    and say: Hold back, for I am not one of your men.

  11. إليَّ تَزَيّنينَ لِتَخْدَعيني

    فما أَبْصَرتُ أقبحَ مِنْ جمالِكْ

    You adorn yourself for me, to deceive me;

    for I have seen nothing uglier than your beauty.

  12. أما لَوْ كُنتِ في الرِّمضاءِ ظِلاًّ

    إذاً مَا مِلتُ قطّ إلى ظِلالِكْ

    Indeed, if you were shade upon the sun-scorched ground,

    then I would never turn toward your shade.

  13. صِليْ ما شئِتِ هُجراني فإنّي

    رَضيتُ الدَّهرَ هَجْراً مِنْ وصالِكْ

    Continue forsaking me as you wish, for I

    have accepted lifelong estrangement instead of union with you.

  14. فليسَ النّبل من ثُعَلِ إذا ما

    رمَتْ يَوماً بأصمَى مِنْ نبالِك

    For the arrows of Thuʿal, when

    they shoot one day, are no deadlier than your arrows.

  15. حرامُكِ لِلْورى فيهِ عِقابٌ

    عليهِ والحِسابُ على حَلالِكْ

    Your forbidden things entail punishment for mortals

    for indulging in them; your lawful things entail a reckoning.

  16. فَمَنْ قد كَان قبلكَ مِن بَنيها

    زَوالْهُمُ يَدُلُّ عَلى زَوالِكْ

    For those among her children who lived before you—

    their passing points to your passing.

  17. وكَمْ شادوا الممالِكَ والمباني

    فأينَ ترى المباني والممَالِكْ

    And how many kingdoms and buildings they raised!

    So where do you see the buildings and kingdoms?

  18. وأنتَ إذا عَقَلْتَ عَلَى ارْتحالِ

    فَخُذْ في جمعِ زادِكَ لارْتحالِكْ

    And you, if you understand, are bound to depart;

    so begin gathering your provisions for your departure.

  19. ودَعْ طُرقَ الضَّلالِ لِمُبْتَغيها

    فطرقُ الحقَّ بَينة المسالِكْ

    And leave the paths of error to those who seek them,

    for the paths of truth are plain to follow.

  20. إلامَ وفيمَ ويُحكَ ذا التَّصابي

    وكَمْ هذا التغابي في ضلالِكْ

    How long, and to what end—alas for you—this youthful affectation?

    And how long this feigned ignorance in your straying?

  21. تنَبهْ إنّ عمرَكَ قد تَقَضَّى

    فَعَدِّ وعُدّ نَفسَك في الهَوالِكْ

    Awake! Your life has already run its course.

    So turn aside, and count yourself among the perished.

  22. وعاتِبْها على التَفريط وانظرْ

    لأيّ طريقةٍ أَصبْحتَ سالِكْ

    And reproach it for negligence, and consider

    which path you have come to walk.

  23. وقُلْ لي ما الّذي يومَ التّنادي

    تجيبُ بهِ المهيْمن عَنْ سؤالكْ

    And tell me: on the Day of Calling, what

    answer will you give the Guardian when you are questioned?

  24. وماذا أنتَ قائلهُ اعْتِذاراً

    إذا نَشَروا كِتابَكَ عَنْ فِعالِك

    And what will you say in excuse

    when they unroll your book of deeds?

  25. فَخَفْ مولاك في الخَلواتِ واجأرْ

    إليه بانْتِحابِكَ وابْتِهالكْ

    So fear your Lord in solitude, and cry out

    to Him with your sobbing and supplication.

  26. وراقِبْ أمره في كلّ حالٍ

    يُفرَجْ في القيامَةِ ضيقَ حالِكْ

    And heed His command in every circumstance;

    at the Resurrection, your distress will be relieved.

  27. ولا تجنَحْ إلى العصْيانِ تُدْفَعْ

    إلى ليلٍ مِنَ الأحزانِ حالِكْ

    And do not incline toward disobedience, lest you be driven

    into a pitch-dark night of sorrows.

  28. وإن أمراً بًلِيتَ بهِ فَصَبراً

    لَعَلَ الله يُحدِثُ بعْدَ ذلكْ

    And if you are afflicted by some matter, be patient;

    perhaps God will bring about a change after that.

  29. فَرُبَّ مصيبةٍ مَرَّتْ ومَرَّتْ

    عليكَ كأنْ مَا مَرَّتْ ببالِك

    For many a calamity was bitter, and passed

    over you as though it had never crossed your mind.

  30. وكم قد ثقّفَ مِنكَ الرَّزايا

    وأَحْكمتِ اللّيالي مِن صقالِكْ

    And how often calamities have set you straight,

    and the nights polished you to perfection.