لا بأس من ضنك السقام وَبؤسِهِ

لا بأس من ضنك السقام وَبؤسِهِ

فعَسى بسقمِ الجسم صحة نَفسِهِ

فعَسى بسقمِ الجسم صحة نَفسِهِ

There is no harm in sickness's distress and misery;

No harm in the distress and misery of illness,

For through the body's sickness, its soul may find health.

For with the sickness of body may come health of soul.

لَم تأتِنا صُمُّ الصخورِ بجوهرٍ

لَم تأتِنا صُمُّ الصخورِ بجوهرٍ

الا على برد الزَمان وَشمسِهِ

الا على برد الزَمان وَشمسِهِ

The solid rocks have brought us no gem

The rocks' deafness brought us no gems,

Except through Time's cold and its sunshine.

Except with the cold of time and its sun.

وَالجسمُ ترس النفس اذ اضحت بِهِ

وَالجسمُ ترس النفس اذ اضحت بِهِ

تُحمى كَما يُحمى الكميّ بترسِهِ

تُحمى كَما يُحمى الكميّ بترسِهِ

And the body is the soul's shield, since through it the soul has come

And the body is the soul's shield when

To be protected, as the armored warrior is protected by his shield.

It is protected as the quiver protects its arrows.

لا تَكرَهوا شَيئاً لعلَّ بِهِ لكم

لا تَكرَهوا شَيئاً لعلَّ بِهِ لكم

خَيراً كيوسفَ في عواقب حبسِهِ

خَيراً كيوسفَ في عواقب حبسِهِ

Do not hate a thing; perhaps it holds for you

Do not hate anything, for through it

Some good, as for Joseph in the outcome of his imprisonment.

Good may come to you, like Joseph in the outcome of his imprisonment.

إن الزَمان مبارِزٌ لكنهُ

إن الزَمان مبارِزٌ لكنهُ

يَبغي مبارزة الشجاعِ لبأسِهِ

يَبغي مبارزة الشجاعِ لبأسِهِ

Indeed, Time is a duelist, yet it

Time is an adversary, but it wants

Seeks to duel with the brave man because of his valor.

To wrestle with the valiant for their vigor.

لا تيأَسنَّ من الزَمان فربمّا

لا تيأَسنَّ من الزَمان فربمّا

نالَ الفَتى آمالُهُ في يأسهِ

نالَ الفَتى آمالُهُ في يأسهِ

Never despair of Time, for sometimes

Do not despair of time, for perhaps

A young man attains his hopes amid his despair.

The youth may attain his hopes through despair.

اللَه يَفعَل ما يَشاءُ فَلا تكن

اللَه يَفعَل ما يَشاءُ فَلا تكن

مِمّا يحاسبُ يومهُ عن أَمسِهِ

مِمّا يحاسبُ يومهُ عن أَمسِهِ

God does what He wills, so do not be

God does as He wills, so do not be

Among those who call their today to account for their yesterday.

Of those who will be judged for their yesterdays.

لا يَستَريحُ المَرءُ من نَكَباتِهِ

لا يَستَريحُ المَرءُ من نَكَباتِهِ

حَتىّ يُغيَّبَ في جوانب رمسِهِ

حَتىّ يُغيَّبَ في جوانب رمسِهِ

A man finds no respite from his misfortunes

One finds no rest from misfortunes

Until he is hidden within the confines of his grave.

Until he is hidden in the sides of his burial.

حالان لَو خيَّرتَ بينهما امرءاً

حالان لَو خيَّرتَ بينهما امرءاً

لأَقامَ يخبِطُ هائماً في حَدسِهِ

لأَقامَ يخبِطُ هائماً في حَدسِهِ

Two states: if you offered a man a choice between them,

Two conditions, if one were given the choice between them,

He would keep floundering, bewildered in his guesswork.

Would keep a man wavering confused in his guesswork.

لَكِنَّ خيرهما الَّتي فيها رضى ال

لَكِنَّ خيرهما الَّتي فيها رضى ال

باري فتلك مراحمٌ من قُدسِهِ

باري فتلك مراحمٌ من قُدسِهِ

But the better of the two is the one that pleases the

But better than them is that in which is God's good pleasure,

Creator; that, then, is mercy from His holiness.

For that is a mercy from His Holiness.

كَم مَرَّ كأسُ الدهر لكن اذ جرت

كَم مَرَّ كأسُ الدهر لكن اذ جرت

كأَسُ المنيَّة طابَ علقمُ كأَسِهِ

كأَسُ المنيَّة طابَ علقمُ كأَسِهِ

How often Time's cup grew bitter! Yet when there flows

How often the cup of fate passes, but when

The cup of death, the colocynth in Time's cup turns sweet.

The cup of death flows, its bitterness is sweetened.

يا من لبستَ من التفى درعاً غدا

يا من لبستَ من التفى درعاً غدا

من صنعِ داوودٍ ففزتَ بلبسِهِ

من صنعِ داوودٍ ففزتَ بلبسِهِ

O you who donned a coat of mail of piety that proved to be

O you who have worn the armor of purity tomorrow

Of David's making, and so triumphed by wearing it.

Of David's make, triumphing in its wearing,

وَغَرستَهُ فَجَنيَيتَ طيبَ محامدٍ

وَغَرستَهُ فَجَنيَيتَ طيبَ محامدٍ

فَوقَ الَّذي ستنالُهُ من غرسِهِ

فَوقَ الَّذي ستنالُهُ من غرسِهِ

And you planted it, then reaped sweet praises,

And have planted it, reaping the good praise

Over and above what you will gain from planting it.

Above what you will gain from its planting,

كُلٌّ يغارُ علي صيانة جسمِهِ

كُلٌّ يغارُ علي صيانة جسمِهِ

يا مَن يغارُ على صيانة نَفسِهِ

يا مَن يغارُ على صيانة نَفسِهِ

Everyone jealously guards his body,

All are jealous in protecting their bodies,

O you who jealously guard your soul!

O you who are jealous in protecting your soul!

لما اِحتقرتَ الدهرَ مسَّكَ صَرفُهُ

لما اِحتقرتَ الدهرَ مسَّكَ صَرفُهُ

لكنَّ نفسكَ لا تُنال بمسِّهِ

لكنَّ نفسكَ لا تُنال بمسِّهِ

When you scorned Time, its vicissitudes touched you,

When you scorned fate, its course struck you,

But your soul cannot be reached by its touch.

But your soul cannot be reached by its touch.

وَالجسم من هَذا الزَمان وارضهِ

وَالجسم من هَذا الزَمان وارضهِ

ولكل شيءٍ آفةٌ من جنسِهِ

ولكل شيءٍ آفةٌ من جنسِهِ

And the body is of this Time and its earth,

The body is of this time and its earth,

And everything has a bane of its own kind.

And everything has a weakness from its own species.