مَن يَكُ غافِلاً لَم يَلقَ بُؤساً

مَن يَكُ غافِلاً لَم يَلقَ بُؤساً

يُنِخ يَوماً بِساحَتِهِ القَضاءُ

يُنِخ يَوماً بِساحَتِهِ القَضاءُ

Whoever is heedless, having never known hardship,

Whoever is heedless will not encounter misery

fate will one day encamp in his courtyard.

One day fate will alight in his courtyard

تَناوَلُهُ بَناتُ الدَهرِ حَتّى

تَناوَلُهُ بَناتُ الدَهرِ حَتّى

تُثَلِّمَهُ كَما اِنثَلَمَ الإِناءُ

تُثَلِّمَهُ كَما اِنثَلَمَ الإِناءُ

The daughters of time assail him until

The days' daughters will handle him

they chip him as a vessel is chipped.

Until he is worn out like a worn-out vessel

وَكُلُّ شَديدَةٍ نَزَلَت بِحَيٍّ

وَكُلُّ شَديدَةٍ نَزَلَت بِحَيٍّ

سَيَأتي بَعدَ شِدَّتِها رَخاءُ

سَيَأتي بَعدَ شِدَّتِها رَخاءُ

And every hardship that befalls a living soul—

And every severe occurrence that befell a living being

ease will come after its severity.

Relief will come after its severity

فَقُل لِلمُتَّقي عَرَضَ المَنايا

فَقُل لِلمُتَّقي عَرَضَ المَنايا

تَوَقَّ وَلَيسَ يَنفَعُكَ اِتِّقاءُ

تَوَقَّ وَلَيسَ يَنفَعُكَ اِتِّقاءُ

So tell the one who guards against the onset of death:

So say to the God-conscious the accidents of death

Take precautions, though precautions will not help you.

Beware, and being cautious will not avail you

فَلا يُعطى الحَريصُ غِنىً لِحِرصٍ

فَلا يُعطى الحَريصُ غِنىً لِحِرصٍ

وَقَد يَنمي لِذي العَجزِ الثَراءُ

وَقَد يَنمي لِذي العَجزِ الثَراءُ

For the eager seeker is not granted wealth for his eagerness,

The greedy is not given wealth for his greed

yet wealth may grow for one who is helpless.

And abundance may grow for the powerless one

غَنِيُّ النَفسِ ما اِستَغنى غَنِيٌّ

غَنِيُّ النَفسِ ما اِستَغنى غَنِيٌّ

وَفَقرُ النَفسِ ما عَمِرَت شَقاءُ

وَفَقرُ النَفسِ ما عَمِرَت شَقاءُ

He who is rich in soul is rich so long as he needs nothing,

Rich is the one with a rich soul, not the materially rich

and poverty of soul is misery for as long as the soul lives.

And poor is the one possessed by misery