نفس ابن آدم لو تسامت للسما

نفس ابن آدم لو تسامت للسما

فالنقص مستول على أخلاقها

فالنقص مستول على أخلاقها

Even if the soul of Adam's son soared to heaven,

The soul of the son of Adam, if it aspires to the sky

imperfection would still hold sway over its character.

Deficiency has taken hold of its morals

تطغى إذا استغنت ويكثر زهوها

تطغى إذا استغنت ويكثر زهوها

وتذل ثم تقل في إملاقها

وتذل ثم تقل في إملاقها

It grows insolent when wealthy, and its conceit increases;

It becomes tyrannical when self-sufficient, and its vanity increases

and it is humbled, then diminished, in its poverty.

And it becomes lowly, then it decreases in its hopes

وإذا رجت نجح المساعي استبشرت

وإذا رجت نجح المساعي استبشرت

وعدت بها الأطماع في استلحاقها

وعدت بها الأطماع في استلحاقها

And when it hopes for success in its endeavors, it rejoices;

And when it has hope, it is glad for the prospects

and its cravings carry it racing in pursuit of them.

And it promises itself hopes in obtaining them

وإذا تستر دونها سبب الرجا

وإذا تستر دونها سبب الرجا

قنطت وساء الظن في رزاقها

قنطت وساء الظن في رزاقها

And when the means of hope are hidden from it,

And when the cause of hope is concealed from it

it despairs and thinks ill of its Provider.

It despairs, and thinks badly of its sustenance

وإذا تباطا النجح عنها استعجلت

وإذا تباطا النجح عنها استعجلت

وجرت رياح الطيش في أعراقها

وجرت رياح الطيش في أعراقها

And when success is slow to reach it, it grows impatient,

And when success turns away from it, it hastens

and winds of recklessness course through its veins.

And the winds of frivolity blow through its limbs

وإذا رأت وجه الرضا حلت له

وإذا رأت وجه الرضا حلت له

قيد التحفظ والوفا عن ساقها

قيد التحفظ والوفا عن ساقها

And when it sees favor's face, it loosens in response

And when it sees the face of pleasure, it is devoted to it

the fetter of caution and fidelity from its leg.

With the chains of self-restraint and loyalty around its legs

وإذا سخطا تزايد خوفها

وإذا سخطا تزايد خوفها

واستسلمت للموت من إشفاقها

واستسلمت للموت من إشفاقها

And at displeasure, its fear increases,

And when the two are angry, its fear increases

and it surrenders to death out of its dread.

And it surrenders itself to death out of horror

ويصيبها خير فتحسبه لها

ويصيبها خير فتحسبه لها

أبدا وقد أخذته باستحقاقها

أبدا وقد أخذته باستحقاقها

And good befalls it, and it thinks it is its own

And good comes to it, but it reckons it as its own

forever, and that it has received it through its own merit.

Forever, and it has taken it by its right

وإذا أتاها الشر تحسب أنه

وإذا أتاها الشر تحسب أنه

قد صار ضربة لازم بخناقها

قد صار ضربة لازم بخناقها

And when evil comes to it, it thinks that it

And when evil comes to it, it thinks that it

has become an inescapable blow at its throat.

Has become an inescapable blow around its neck

هذا وأوصاف قد اتصفت بها

هذا وأوصاف قد اتصفت بها

أخرى جزاها المقت من خلاقها

أخرى جزاها المقت من خلاقها

All this, and qualities it has taken on—

This, while the attributes it was characterised with

others—earn it loathing from its Creator.

Others, may the Wise judge it for its morals

وأظنها أدنى واحقر عنده

وأظنها أدنى واحقر عنده

من أن يعاقبها على أحماقها

من أن يعاقبها على أحماقها

And I think it too base and contemptible in His sight

And I think it is the lowest and most despicable to Him

for Him to punish it for its follies.

That He would punish it for its foolishness