1. غُضَّ الجُفونَ إِذا جَلَس

    تَ عَلى الصَعيدِ وَلا تَأَمَّل

    Lower your eyelids when you sit

    upon the ground, and do not stare.

  2. وَالبَيتُ أَولى بِالكَري

    مِ مِنَ الطَريقِ وَإِن تَجَمَّل

    And home better suits the honorable man

    than the road, even if he behaves with dignity.

  3. وَالذِكرُ يَترُكُهُ الفَتى

    لِلقاطِنينَ إِذا تَحَمَّل

    And a young man leaves his remembrance

    to those who remain when he departs.

  4. وَالمَرءُ تُعجِبُهُ الحَيا

    ةُ وَعَيشُهُ سُمٌّ يُثمَل

    And a person is delighted by life,

    yet his living is a brew of poison.

  5. مَن ذا الَّذي سَمَحَ الزَما

    نُ لَهُ بِإِدراكِ المُؤَمَّل

    Who is it that time has favored

    with attaining what he hoped for?

  6. فيهِ تَوافى المُرمِلو

    نَ وَقَلَّ أَصحابُ المُرَمَّل

    In it the destitute gather,

    and few are those who possess wealth.

  7. حِيَلٌ تُمَنُّ عَلى الأَنا

    مِ فَأَدمُعُ العُقَلاءِ هُمَّل

    Ruses are bestowed upon humankind,

    so the tears of the wise stream down.

  8. كَم غَرَّ صاحِبَةَ الجَما

    لِ مُنَجَّمٌ بِحِسابِ جُمَّل

    How often has a beautiful woman been deceived

    by an astrologer reckoning letters’ numerical values!