مَعاصٍ تَلوحُ فَأوصيكُمُ

مَعاصٍ تَلوحُ فَأوصيكُمُ

بِهِجرانِها لا بِإِغبابِها

بِهِجرانِها لا بِإِغبابِها

Sins appear, so I counsel you

The pleasures are waving, so I advise you

to forsake them, not merely commit them now and then.

To abandon them, not to be desirous of them

كَأَنَّ المُهَيمِنَ أَوصى النُفوسَ

كَأَنَّ المُهَيمِنَ أَوصى النُفوسَ

بِعِشقِ الحَياةِ وَإِحبابِها

بِعِشقِ الحَياةِ وَإِحبابِها

As though the Guardian had enjoined souls

As if the Overseer advised the souls

to love life passionately and cherish it.

To love life and make it lovable

إِذا دَفَنَت في الثَرى هالِكاً

إِذا دَفَنَت في الثَرى هالِكاً

تَناسَت عُهوداً لِأَحبابِها

تَناسَت عُهوداً لِأَحبابِها

When they bury one who has perished in the dust,

If he is buried in the soil, destroyed

they put their pledges to their loved ones out of mind.

It forgets pacts for its loved ones

أَلَبَّت عَلى غَيرِ نَفعٍ لَها

أَلَبَّت عَلى غَيرِ نَفعٍ لَها

وَذاكَ لِقِلَّةِ أَلبابِها

وَذاكَ لِقِلَّةِ أَلبابِها

They persist in what brings them no benefit,

It turned without any benefit to it

and that is because they have little understanding.

And that is due to the lack of its intellect

تَوَلّى الخَليلُ إِلى رَبِّهِ

تَوَلّى الخَليلُ إِلى رَبِّهِ

وَخَلّى العَروضَ لِأَربابِها

وَخَلّى العَروضَ لِأَربابِها

Al-Khalil departed to his Lord,

The friend turned to his Lord

and left prosody to its masters.

And left the poetry for its professionals

فَلَيسَ بِذاكِرِ أَوتادِها

فَلَيسَ بِذاكِرِ أَوتادِها

وَلا مُرتَجٍ فَضلَ أَسبابِها

وَلا مُرتَجٍ فَضلَ أَسبابِها

So he gives no thought to its pegs,

So he is not remembering its strings

nor hopes for any benefit from its cords.

Nor excelling in its causes