منْ ذَا الذِي قَدْ نالَ رَاحةَ فِكرهِ

منْ ذَا الذِي قَدْ نالَ رَاحةَ فِكرهِ

 فِي عُمره مِنْ عُسْره أو يُسْرهِ ؟

فِي عُمره مِنْ عُسْره أو يُسْرهِ ؟

Who is there who has ever found peace of mind

Who is he who has found rest for his thoughts

in his lifetime, in hardship or in ease?

In his life, in hardship or in ease?

يلقَى الغَنِيُّ لحفظه ما قد حَوى

يلقَى الغَنِيُّ لحفظه ما قد حَوى

 أضْعَافَ ما يَلقى الفقيرُ لفقرهِ

أضْعَافَ ما يَلقى الفقيرُ لفقرهِ

To safeguard what he has amassed, the rich man suffers

The wealthy man finds, to keep what he gathered,

many times what the poor man suffers from poverty.

Many times what the poor man finds in his poverty.

فَيظلُّ هذا سَاخطاً في قله

فَيظلُّ هذا سَاخطاً في قله

 ويظلُّ هذا ثاعباً في كثـرهِ

ويظلُّ هذا ثاعباً في كثـرهِ

So this one remains discontented with his little,

So this one remains discontent in his stinginess,

and that one remains [weary] amid his abundance.

And this one remains fearful in his riches.

والجنُّ مثلُ الإنس يَجري فِيهمُ

والجنُّ مثلُ الإنس يَجري فِيهمُ

 حُكْم القَضاء بِحُلوه وبمُره

حُكْم القَضاء بِحُلوه وبمُره

The jinn, like humankind, are subject to

Jinn are to humans as destiny's rule

the decree of fate, both sweet and bitter.

Makes sweet or bitter for them.

فإذَا المَريدُ أتى ليَخطفَ خَطفةً

فإذَا المَريدُ أتى ليَخطفَ خَطفةً

 جاءَ الشِّهابُ بحَرْقِه وبزجْرهِ

جاءَ الشِّهابُ بحَرْقِه وبزجْرهِ

So when the rebellious spirit comes to snatch something,

So if an ascetic comes to snatch an instant,

the shooting star comes to burn him and drive him away.

The shooting star comes with its burning and rebuke.

وَنبيُّ صِدقٍ لا يَزالُ مُكذَّبًا

وَنبيُّ صِدقٍ لا يَزالُ مُكذَّبًا

يُرمَى بباطلِ قولِهم وبِسحرهِ

يُرمَى بباطلِ قولِهم وبِسحرهِ

And a true prophet is continually disbelieved,

An honest prophet remains forever called a liar,

assailed by their false talk and accusations of sorcery.

Pelted with the falsehood and sorcery of their words.

والعالِمُ المُفتي يَظلُّ مُنَازعاً

والعالِمُ المُفتي يَظلُّ مُنَازعاً

بالمشكلاتِ لدى مَجالسِ ذِكرهِ

بالمشكلاتِ لدى مَجالسِ ذِكرهِ

The scholar who gives legal rulings remains challenged

The scholar issuing legal opinions remains disputed

with difficult questions at his teaching assemblies.

By problematic cases in gatherings where he is mentioned.

فَالويلُ إنْ زلَّ اللسانُ فَلا يُرى

فَالويلُ إنْ زلَّ اللسانُ فَلا يُرى

 أَحدٌ يُساعِدُ في إقامةِ عُذرهِ

أَحدٌ يُساعِدُ في إقامةِ عُذرهِ

Then woe if his tongue slips: no one is found

So woe if the tongue slips and none

to help put forward his excuse.

Is seen to help establish his excuse.

أوَ مَا ترى المَلكَ العزيزَ بجُنده

أوَ مَا ترى المَلكَ العزيزَ بجُنده

رَهنَ الهُمومِ على جَلالة قَدرهِ

رَهنَ الهُمومِ على جَلالة قَدرهِ

And do you not see the king, mighty through his troops,

Do you not see the mighty king with his armies

held hostage to cares despite his exalted rank?

Held hostage to worries despite his glorious might?

فيَسرُّهُ خبرٌ وفي أعقابِه

فيَسرُّهُ خبرٌ وفي أعقابِه

خبرٌ تَضيقُ به جوانبُ قصرهِ

خبرٌ تَضيقُ به جوانبُ قصرهِ

One report delights him, and on its heels

Good news delights him, but on its heels

comes a report that makes the sides of his palace close in.

comes news that squeezes his palace walls.

ومُؤَازرُ السلطانِ أهلُ مَخاوف

ومُؤَازرُ السلطانِ أهلُ مَخاوف

 وإن استبد بعزه وبقهرهِ

وإن استبد بعزه وبقهرهِ

And the ruler's supporter is beset by fears,

The sultan's supporters are people of fears,

even if he holds absolute sway through his might and force.

Though he controls them utterly by his might and coercion.

فلربما زلتْ به قدم فلم

فلربما زلتْ به قدم فلم

يرجع يساوي في قلامة ظفرهِ

يرجع يساوي في قلامة ظفرهِ

For sometimes his foot slips, and then

So sometimes he trips and cannot match

he is no longer worth even a clipping of his nail.

What his claws had seized in the first place.

وأخو العبادةِ دهرُه مُتنغصٌ

وأخو العبادةِ دهرُه مُتنغصٌ

يَبغي التخلصَ من مخاوفِ قبرهِ

يَبغي التخلصَ من مخاوفِ قبرهِ

And the devotee's life is troubled,

The devotee's lifetime is worried;

as he seeks release from the terrors of his grave.

He wants release from the fears of his grave.

وأخو التِّجارةِ حائرٌ مُتفكرٌ

وأخو التِّجارةِ حائرٌ مُتفكرٌ

مما يُلاقِي من خسارةِ سعرهِ

مما يُلاقِي من خسارةِ سعرهِ

And the merchant is bewildered and deep in thought,

The trader wanders anxious and thoughtful

over the losses he suffers as his prices fall.

Of what he faces in the loss of his goods' value.

وأبو العيالِ أبُو الهمومِ، وحَسرةُ الـ

وأبو العيالِ أبُو الهمومِ، وحَسرةُ الـ

ـرجل العقيمِ كمينةٌ في صدرهِ

ـرجل العقيمِ كمينةٌ في صدرهِ

And the father of children is a father of cares; the anguish of the

The father of a household owns its worries, while

childless man lies hidden in his breast.

A childless man's regret nests in his breast.

وكل قرين مضمر لقرينه

وكل قرين مضمر لقرينه

حسداً وحقداً في غناه وفقرهِ

حسداً وحقداً في غناه وفقرهِ

And every companion harbors toward his companion

And every companion envies his companion,

envy and rancor, in wealth and poverty alike.

In wealth or poverty, with hidden spite and hatred.

ولرب طالبِ راحةٍ في نومه

ولرب طالبِ راحةٍ في نومه

جاءتْه أحلامٌ فهام بأمرهِ

جاءتْه أحلامٌ فهام بأمرهِ

And many a seeker of rest in his sleep

And perhaps one who longs for restful sleep

has been visited by dreams and left bewildered about his affairs.

Sees disturbing dreams that addle his mind.

والطفل من بطن أمه يخرجُ

والطفل من بطن أمه يخرجُ

غُصصُ الفِطام تروعه في صغرهِ

غُصصُ الفِطام تروعه في صغرهِ

And the infant comes forth from his mother's womb;

The child emerges from its mother's womb

the pangs of weaning terrify him in his infancy.

To screams of weaning that terrify its infancy.

والوحشُ يأتيه الردى فِي بَره

والوحشُ يأتيه الردى فِي بَره

والحوتُ يلقَى حَتفه في بَحرهِ

والحوتُ يلقَى حَتفه في بَحرهِ

And death comes to the wild beast on its land,

The wild creature meets harm out on the range,

and the whale meets its doom in its sea.

While the whale meets its end in the sea.

ولربما تأتِي السباعُ لميتٍ

ولربما تأتِي السباعُ لميتٍ

فاستخرجته من قرارة قبره

فاستخرجته من قرارة قبره

And sometimes beasts of prey come for a dead man,

Perhaps predators will come to a corpse

then pull him out from the depths of his grave.

And drag it from the depths of its grave.

ولقدْ حسدتُ الطيرَ في أَوكارها

ولقدْ حسدتُ الطيرَ في أَوكارها

فَوجدتُ منها ما يُصادُ بوكرهِ

فَوجدتُ منها ما يُصادُ بوكرهِ

And I have indeed envied the birds in their nests,

I envied birds in their nests

only to find some of them caught in their nests.

But found among them what earns them trouble at dawn.

كيفَ التلذذُ في الحياةِ بعَيْشَةٍ

كيفَ التلذذُ في الحياةِ بعَيْشَةٍ

مَا زالَ وهو مروع في أسرهِ ؟

مَا زالَ وهو مروع في أسرهِ ؟

How can one take pleasure in living a life

How to enjoy life in an existence

while ever terrified in one's captivity?

That remains fearful and oppressed?

تاللهِ لو عاشَ الفتى في أهلهِ

تاللهِ لو عاشَ الفتى في أهلهِ

ألفاً من الأعوامِ مالكَ أمرهِ

ألفاً من الأعوامِ مالكَ أمرهِ

By God, if a young man lived among his family

By God, if a lad lived with his family

a thousand years, master of his own affairs,

A thousand years with his affairs under control,

متلذذاً معهمْ بكل لذيذةٍ

متلذذاً معهمْ بكل لذيذةٍ

متنعماً بالعيشِ مدةَ عُمرهِ

متنعماً بالعيشِ مدةَ عُمرهِ

enjoying every delight with them,

Delighting with them in every delight,

living in comfort throughout his lifetime,

At ease with life the span of his days,

لا يعتريه النقصُ في أحواله

لا يعتريه النقصُ في أحواله

كُلاًّ ولا تَجري الهموم بفكرهِ

كُلاًّ ولا تَجري الهموم بفكرهِ

with no decline in his circumstances

No loss affecting his fortunes

at all, and no cares crossing his mind,

Or worries occupying his thoughts,

ما كان ذلك كلُّه مما يفي

ما كان ذلك كلُّه مما يفي

بنزولِ أَوَّلِ ليلةِ في قبرهِ

بنزولِ أَوَّلِ ليلةِ في قبرهِ

all of that would not suffice to compensate

All that would not suffice

for the first night he spends in his grave.

To counter one night spent lying in his grave!

كَيْفَ التخلصُ يا أخِي مِما تَرى؟

كَيْفَ التخلصُ يا أخِي مِما تَرى؟

صبراً على حُلو القضاءِ ومرهِ !

صبراً على حُلو القضاءِ ومرهِ !

How can one escape, my brother, from what you see?

My brother, how does one escape what you see?

Have patience with fate's sweetness and its bitterness!

Patience with the sweet and bitter in destiny!