1. إمَّا فَررْتَ من العِدَى

    أين الفرارُ من الردَى

    If you flee from foes,

    where can you flee from death?

  2. وإذا سلمتَ اليوم منه

    يأتي القضاءُ به غدَا

    And if you escape it today,

    fate will bring it tomorrow.

  3. فإذا أتَى ماذا تقو

    لُ إذا دَعاك إلى الندَا

    Then, when it comes, what will you

    say when it summons you to the call?

  4. الر أىُ مِنّي إنْ أتى

    قُلْ مرحباً بك إن بدَا

    My advice, if it comes:

    Say, "Welcome to you," if it appears.

  5. لو تُفْتَدى منه بملء

    الأرض لم يُقبلْ فِدَا

    Were you to be ransomed from it with enough to fill

    the earth, no ransom would be accepted.

  6. لو كنتَ في ظلماتِ بحرِ

    زاخر لك لاهتدَى

    If you were in the darkness of a sea

    surging, it would surely find its way to you.

  7. أو كنتَ فوقَ الراسيا

    تِ الشامخاتِ لأنجدَا

    Or if you were atop the steadfast

    towering mountains, it would surely ascend.

  8. فتأهَّبنَّ ولا تكن

    في غَفْلةٍ متردِّدَا

    So be fully prepared, and do not be

    heedless and wavering.

  9. فلعلّه يأتي مفا

    جأةً فكن متزوِّدَا

    For it may come all of a

    sudden; so be well provisioned.

  10. لا تلْقَه برذائل

    متلوثاً متعمدَا

    Do not meet it with vices,

    willfully defiled.

  11. إن كنتَ تبغي الفوزَ في

    روضِ الجنانِ مخلَّدَا

    If you seek triumph in

    the meadows of Paradise, abiding forever,

  12. فاغسلْ يديك من الزما

    نِ وأهلِه متفردَا

    then wash your hands of the

    age and its people, standing apart.

  13. واعبدْ إلهَك بكرةً

    وعشيةً طولَ المدَى

    And worship your God in the morning

    and evening, for all time.

  14. واقنعْ بما تُؤْتَى ولا

    تُطْلِق لسانَك للجَدَى

    And be content with what you are given, and do not

    let your tongue loose in seeking gifts.

  15. لَكن إذا أُعْطِيتَ شيئاً

    لا تَرُدَّ المُسْعِدَا

    But if you are given something,

    do not rebuff the benefactor.

  16. أبَى الله أن يعطى الفتى ما يودُّه

    وإن شاءَ أمراً بامرىء من يردُّه

    God has refused to let a young man receive what he desires;

    and if He wills something for a man, who can avert it?

  17. وما المرءُ إلا صورةٌ وبهيمةٌ

    يزينُه حسنُ الطباعِ ورشدُه

    And man is nothing but a form and a beast;

    good character and his sound judgment adorn him.

  18. فهذا محالٌ ما لَه قطُّ غايةٌ

    انشرح شَيئاً لَيْس يُبلغُ حدُّه

    So this is impossible; it has no end at all.

    Shall we explain something whose limit cannot be reached?

  19. إذا ما رضيتمْ بالقضاء استرحتم

    وما ضرَّكُم سوءُ القضاءِ وجَهدهُ

    If you are content with fate, you will find rest,

    and neither fate's adversity nor its hardship will harm you.