لي في الله حسن ظن جميل

إن تجافي عن الخليل خليل

I have a beautiful, hopeful trust in God,

Even if a friend turns away from his friend.

لي رزق لا بد منه وعمر

ينقضى والكثير منه قليل

I have sustenance that is sure to come, and a lifetime

That comes to an end; even much of it is little.

ما قضاه الإِله لا بد منه

فعلام هذا العريض الطويل

What God has decreed must come to pass.

So why all this vast and lengthy ado?

ومع العسر إن تتابع يسر

وصروف الزمان حال تحول

And with hardship, even if it persists, comes ease,

And time's vicissitudes are a state that changes.

رب أمر يضيق ذرعك منه

لك منه إلى النجاة سبيل

Many a matter leaves you at your wits' end,

Yet from it you have a path to deliverance.

إنما هذه الحياة غرور

قد خدعنا بها فأين العقول

This life is nothing but deception.

We have been deceived by it—where, then, are our minds?

نذكر الموت حين تدبر عنا

فإذا أقبلت فنحن ذهول

We remember death when life turns away from us,

But when it turns toward us, we are heedless.

قد علمنا وما انتفعنا بعلم

إنه قد دنا وحان الرحيل

We have learned, yet gained no benefit from knowledge:

Death has indeed drawn near, and departure is at hand.

نعرف الحق ثم نصدف عنه

ونراه ونحن عنه نميل

We know the truth, then turn away from it,

And we see it, yet veer away from it.

لوقنعنا من المحال استرحنا

وكفانا عن الكثير القليل

Were we content, we would find rest from pursuing the impossible,

And a little would suffice us instead of much.

ليت شعري عواقب الأمر ماذا

والى ما بنا المآل نؤل

Would that I knew what the outcome of it all will be,

And to what end our fate will bring us.

إن لله في الأنام مرادا

وسوى ما اراده مستحيل

Indeed, God has a purpose for His creatures,

And anything other than what He has willed is impossible.

نحن مستعملون فيما خلقنا

ما لنا في نفوسنا ما نقول

We are put to use for that for which we were created;

We have no say over our own selves.