1. يا من تصدَّرَ في القصور

    وسطا على الأسدِ الهصورِ

    O one who took the foremost seat in palaces,

    and pounced upon the fierce lion,

  2. وَرقا السّريرَ متُوَّجاً

    فَزها بهِ رأسُ السَّريرِ

    and mounted the throne, crowned,

    so the head of the throne gloried in him.

  3. وأطاعهُ الفَلكُ الأثي

    رُ فعزَّ بالفَلكِ الأثيرِ

    And the exalted celestial sphere obeyed him,

    so he grew mighty through the exalted sphere.

  4. ووفَت له أيامُهُ

    والغَدرُ من شِيمِ الدهورِ

    His days kept faith with him,

    though treachery is a trait of the ages.

  5. فغدا بأثوابِ الهنا

    ءِ وراحَ في خِلَعِ السرورِ

    So he went forth at dawn in garments of bliss,

    and at dusk in joy's robes of honor.

  6. تُلهيهِ كأس مُدامةٍ

    صفراءَ كالشِّعري العَبُّورِ

    A cup of wine diverts him,

    yellow as Sirius, the Crossing Star,

  7. في مجلسٍ لذَّاتُهُ

    تَنبثُّ مِن كفِّ المُديرِ

    in a gathering whose pleasures

    spread from the cupbearer's hand.

  8. يَشدوه شاديهِ به

    بمهذَّبِ الصّوتِ الجَهيرِ

    His singer sings to him there

    in a refined, resonant voice;

  9. فَتُجيبُهُ عِيدانُه

    عن ناطِقَي بُمٍّ وزيرِ

    so his lutes answer him

    through the two speaking strings, bass and treble.

  10. وله الجواري كالشُّمو

    سِ مُخدَّراتِ في القصورِ

    And he has maidens like suns,

    secluded within palaces.

  11. يَرفُلنَ في حُللِ الدِّمق

    سِ وفي أَفانينِ الحريرِ

    They sweep along in robes of white silk

    and in varied kinds of silk.

  12. ينظُرنَ مِن خَللِ السُّتو

    رِ بمقلةِ الرَّشأِ الغريرِ

    They gaze through gaps in the curtains

    with the eye of an innocent young gazelle,

  13. مُتَزيِّناتٍ بالحُليِّ مضُمَّخاتٍ بالعَبيرِ

    لا تَخدعَنكَ التُّرَّها

    adorned with jewelry, richly anointed with perfume.

    Do not let idle fancies deceive you

  14. تُ بذاهب للعيشِ زُورِ

    واسمع كلاماً واعظاً

    with life's fleeting falsehood.

    And listen to words of admonition

  15. مِن قولِ بحَّاثً خبيرِ

    ما هذه الدنيا بدا

    from the speech of a probing, knowledgeable man.

    This world is no abode

  16. رٍ للمُهذَّبِ والبصيرِ

    لا تَغتَرِر بِغرُورها

    for the refined and the discerning.

    Do not be beguiled by its deception,

  17. فلأنتَ في دارِ الغُرورِ

    واحذر حبائِلها اذا

    for you are indeed in the abode of delusion.

    And beware its snares when

  18. ما ازيَّنت فِعلَ الحَذُورِ

    واعمل لنفسكَ حِيلةً

    it adorns itself; act as the wary do.

    And devise a stratagem for yourself

  19. من قبلِ نازلةِ القَتيرِ

    فكأنَّهُ عمّا قلي

    before the onset of gray hair.

    For it is as though, before long,

  20. لٍ قد تراءى كالنَّذيرُ

    يبدو لذي ليل الشعو

    it has already appeared as a warning herald.

    It appears to one whose hair is night,

  21. رُ كواضح الصُّبحُ المُنيرِ

    متضاحكاً يبكي العيو

    like the brightness of radiant dawn.

    Smiling, it makes the eyes weep

  22. نَ بوابلِ الدَّمعِ الغزيرِ

    واعلم بأنَّ الشيبَ ين

    with a downpour of abundant tears.

    And know that gray hair warns

  23. ذر لا محالةَ بالمصيرِ

    والموتُ حتمٌ لازمٌ

    inevitably of the end.

    And death is an inescapable decree,

  24. بيمينِ مختارٍ قديرِ

    قدسيَّةُ المأمورِ في

    in the right hand of the sovereign, almighty One.

    The commanded one's sanctity lies in

  25. هِ اذا تحكَّمَ بالأميرِ

    وهو الطريقُ حقيقةً

    it, when he holds sway over the ruler.

    And it is truly the road

  26. نحوَ الجِنانِ أو السّعيرِ

    فاعمل وشَمِّر للذي

    toward the Gardens of Paradise or the blazing Fire.

    So work, and gird yourself for what

  27. ترجوهُ في يومِ النشورِ

    آتاكَ والأملَ الطوي

    you hope for on the Day of Resurrection.

    It has come to you while hope is long,

  28. لَ وأنتَ في العُمرِ القصيرِ

    واقلع عن الذَّنبِ الصغي

    and you are within a short span of life.

    And renounce the minor sin,

  29. رِ كما انتهيتَ عن الكبيرِ

    وارجع الى ربِّ كري

    as you have desisted from the major.

    And return to a generous Lord

  30. مٍ قبلَ حشرجةِ الصُّدورِ

    واذكر أياديهِ الأُولى

    before the chests sound their death-rattle.

    And remember His earlier favors:

  31. هُنَّ القلائدُ في النُّخُورِ

    فلئن ذممتَ صنيعهُ

    they are necklaces upon the necks.

    For if you disparage His kindness,

  32. ما أنتَ بالعبدِ الشَّكورِ

    ايّاكَ تَمطُلُ بالمتا

    you are no grateful servant.

    Beware of delaying repentance,

  33. بِ فإنَّهُ بابُ الفجورِ

    لا ينفعُ الإقلاعُ في ال

    for that is the gateway to wickedness.

    Renouncing sin will not avail on the

  34. يومِ العبوسِ القَمطريرِ

    يا واحداً في ملكهِ

    grim and dreadful Day.

    O One alone in His dominion,

  35. فهو الغنيُّ عن السَّميرِ

    وهو المنزَّهُ عن شري

    for He needs no nightly companion,

    and He is free of any partner

  36. كٍ والمقدَّسُ عن نظيرِ

    انِّي أتيتُكَ بعدما

    and sanctified beyond any equal.

    Indeed, I have come to You, now that

  37. آنَ الزِّماعُ على المسيرِ

    في أسرِ ما قدَّمتُهُ

    the time has come to resolve upon departure,

    in bondage to what I sent ahead,

  38. جهلاً بعاقبةِ الأُمورِ

    فامنُن على العاني الأسي

    in ignorance of the outcome of affairs.

    So grant grace to the prisoner held captive,

  39. رِ وجُد على العافي الفقيرِ

    واحلُم له عن ذنبهِ

    and give generously to the poor supplicant.

    And be forbearing toward him despite his sin,

  40. فالحِلمُ أجدرُ بالقديرِ

    for forbearance best befits the Almighty.