هَوِّن عَلَيكَ وَلا تُبالِ بِحادِثٍ

هَوِّن عَلَيكَ وَلا تُبالِ بِحادِثٍ

يُشجيكَ فَالأَيّامُ سائِرَةٌ بِنا

يُشجيكَ فَالأَيّامُ سائِرَةٌ بِنا

Be easy on yourself, and do not mind a mishap

Lighten your burden and pay no mind to troubles

That grieves you, for the days carry us onward.

That upset you, for days flow on steadily with us.

أَعدى عَدُوٍّ لِاِبنِ آدَمَ نَفسُهُ

أَعدى عَدُوٍّ لِاِبنِ آدَمَ نَفسُهُ

ثُمَّ اِبنُهُ وافاهُ يَهدِمُ ما بَنى

ثُمَّ اِبنُهُ وافاهُ يَهدِمُ ما بَنى

The fiercest enemy of Adam's son is his own soul;

The most hostile foe to mankind is his own soul,

Next is his son, who comes to him, tearing down what he built.

Then his son comes along and destroys what he built.

هاتيكَ تَأمُرُهُ بِكُلِّ قَبيحَةٍ

هاتيكَ تَأمُرُهُ بِكُلِّ قَبيحَةٍ

وَدَعاهُ ذاكَ لِأَن يَضَنَّ وَيَجبُنا

وَدَعاهُ ذاكَ لِأَن يَضَنَّ وَيَجبُنا

That soul commands him to commit every vile deed,

This one commands him to every ugly deed,

And that son urged him to be miserly and cowardly.

While that one calls him to hoard and be cowardly.

وَالغَبنُ كَوني في الحَياةِ مُصَوَّراً

وَالغَبنُ كَوني في الحَياةِ مُصَوَّراً

فَمِنَ الغَباوَةِ خيفَتي أَن أُغبَنا

فَمِنَ الغَباوَةِ خيفَتي أَن أُغبَنا

And the loss is my being given form in life;

And foolishness in life is my being portrayed

So my fear of being cheated springs from foolishness.

As ignorant, so by ignorance I fear being fooled.

وَأَقَلُّ عِبئاً مِن جُلوسِ مُمَدَّحٍ

وَأَقَلُّ عِبئاً مِن جُلوسِ مُمَدَّحٍ

لِلوَفدِ يَقصُدُ أَن يَروحَ مُؤَبِّنا

لِلوَفدِ يَقصُدُ أَن يَروحَ مُؤَبِّنا

And less burdensome than a much-praised man's sitting

More burdensome than sitting being flattered

To receive a delegation seeking him out is to depart as a eulogist.

By delegates who aim to gain something from me.