إِن يُرسِلِ النَفسَ في اللَذّاتِ صاحِبُها

إِن يُرسِلِ النَفسَ في اللَذّاتِ صاحِبُها

فَما يُخَلَّدنَ صُعلوكاً وَلا مَلِكا

فَما يُخَلَّدنَ صُعلوكاً وَلا مَلِكا

If the soul's owner lets it loose amid pleasures,

If a man lets his soul indulge in pleasures,

then they will make neither pauper nor king immortal.

He shall be neither glorious nor kingly.

وَمَن يُطَهِّر بِخَوفِ اللَهِ مُهجَتَهُ

وَمَن يُطَهِّر بِخَوفِ اللَهِ مُهجَتَهُ

فَذاكَ إِنسانُ قَومٍ يُشبِهُ المَلَكا

فَذاكَ إِنسانُ قَومٍ يُشبِهُ المَلَكا

And whoever purifies his soul through fear of God,

But he who purifies his soul with the fear of God,

then that man among his people resembles an angel.

Is of a people whose likeness is angelic.

وَشارِبُ الخَمرِ يُلفى مِن غَوايَتِه

وَشارِبُ الخَمرِ يُلفى مِن غَوايَتِه

كَأَنَّ مارِدَ جَنّانٍ بِهِ سَلَكا

كَأَنَّ مارِدَ جَنّانٍ بِهِ سَلَكا

And the wine-drinker, in his delusion, seems

The drinker of wine is lost in his drunkenness,

as though a rebellious jinn had entered him.

As if a fiery demon has taken hold of him,

تُغَيِّرُ العَقلَ حَتّى يَستَجيزَ بِهِ

تُغَيِّرُ العَقلَ حَتّى يَستَجيزَ بِهِ

مَدَّ اليَمينِ لِكَيما تَقبِضَ الفَلَكا

مَدَّ اليَمينِ لِكَيما تَقبِضَ الفَلَكا

It alters the mind until, through it, he deems it possible

It changes his reason until he deems it permissible,

to stretch out his right hand so it may grasp the celestial sphere.

To extend his hand to seize the stars.

تَبيتُ عَنها عَديمَ الزادِ مُخفِقَهُ

تَبيتُ عَنها عَديمَ الزادِ مُخفِقَهُ

وَقَد تَوَهَّمتَ أَنَّ الخافِقَينِ لَكا

وَقَد تَوَهَّمتَ أَنَّ الخافِقَينِ لَكا

You pass the night without provisions, having gained none from it,

You spend the night far from it, without provision,

though you had imagined that East and West were yours.

Yet imagine the two settings are yours.

عُمرُ الغَريزَةِ عُشرونَ اِقتَفَت مائَةً

عُمرُ الغَريزَةِ عُشرونَ اِقتَفَت مائَةً

هَيهاتَ أَيُّ لِجامٍ قَلَّما أَلِكا

هَيهاتَ أَيُّ لِجامٍ قَلَّما أَلِكا

The natural lifespan is twenty years beyond a hundred.

The life of instinct is but twenty, though it pursues a hundred.

Far beyond reach! What a bit, so seldom chewed!

Alas! What drinker attains such an age!

وَما أُسائِلُ عَن شَخصٍ لِمَولِدِهِ

وَما أُسائِلُ عَن شَخصٍ لِمَولِدِهِ

عَشرٌ وَتِسعونَ إِلّا قيلَ قَد هَلِكا

عَشرٌ وَتِسعونَ إِلّا قيلَ قَد هَلِكا

And I never ask about someone whose birth was

I do not ask about one whose birth was ninety years ago,

ten and ninety years ago without being told, 'He has died.'

Except to be told, “He has passed away!”

تَمَسَّخَت في أُمورٍ غَيرَ طائِلَةٍ

تَمَسَّخَت في أُمورٍ غَيرَ طائِلَةٍ

سُهدٍ وَنَومٍ وَوَفَّت نِصفَها حَلَكا

سُهدٍ وَنَومٍ وَوَفَّت نِصفَها حَلَكا

Those years were marred by matters of no benefit—

You have wasted yourself on fruitless matters,

sleeplessness and sleep—and paid half their span to darkness.

Sleep and slumber, halves of which are sufficient.

وَالمَرءُ يَحرِصُ إِمّا ضارِباً فَرَساً

وَالمَرءُ يَحرِصُ إِمّا ضارِباً فَرَساً

إِلى المَنونِ وَإِمّا راكِباً فُلُكا

إِلى المَنونِ وَإِمّا راكِباً فُلُكا

And man is greedy, whether spurring a horse

Man strives either striking his horse forward,

toward death or riding aboard ships.

Towards death, or mounting his ship.