باسم الذي أُنزِلت من عِندِه السُّوَرُ

باسم الذي أُنزِلت من عِندِه السُّوَرُ

والحَمدُ للَّهِ أمَّا بَعدُ يا عُمَرُ

والحَمدُ للَّهِ أمَّا بَعدُ يا عُمَرُ

In the name of Him from whom the suras were sent down,

In the name of Him from whom the surahs were sent down,

praise be to God—and now then, O Umar:

and praise be to God. Now then, O Umar:

إن كنتَ تَعلَمُ ما تأتي وما تَذَر

إن كنتَ تَعلَمُ ما تأتي وما تَذَر

فَكُن على حَذر قد يَنفَعُ الحَذَرُ

فَكُن على حَذر قد يَنفَعُ الحَذَرُ

If you know what you do and what you leave undone,

If you know what you do and what you leave undone,

then be on your guard, for caution may avail.

then be on your guard; caution may be of use.

واصبِر على القَدَرِ المَجلُوبِ وارضَ به

واصبِر على القَدَرِ المَجلُوبِ وارضَ به

وإن أتاك بِمَا لا تَشتَهِي القَدَرُ

وإن أتاك بِمَا لا تَشتَهِي القَدَرُ

Endure the fate brought upon you, and accept it,

And bear the fate brought upon you patiently, and be content with it,

even when fate brings what you do not desire.

even if fate brings you what you do not desire.

فَما صَفا لامرِئٍ عَيشٌ يُسَرُّ به

فَما صَفا لامرِئٍ عَيشٌ يُسَرُّ به

إلا سيتبَعُ يوما صَفوَه كَدَرُ

إلا سيتبَعُ يوما صَفوَه كَدَرُ

No mortal’s life has ever remained serene and gladdening

For no one has a serene life that delights him

without its serenity one day being followed by distress.

without trouble one day following its serenity.

واستَخبِرِ الناسَ عمّا أنت جَاهِلُه

واستَخبِرِ الناسَ عمّا أنت جَاهِلُه

إذا عَمِيتَ فقد يَجلو العَمَى البَصَرُ

إذا عَمِيتَ فقد يَجلو العَمَى البَصَرُ

Ask people about whatever you do not know;

And ask people about what you do not know;

when you are blind to a thing, sight may dispel the blindness.

when you are blind, sight may dispel blindness.

قَد يَرعَوِي المرءُ يوما بعد هَفوَته

قَد يَرعَوِي المرءُ يوما بعد هَفوَته

وتحكُم الجاهلَ الأيامُ والعِبَرُ

وتحكُم الجاهلَ الأيامُ والعِبَرُ

A man may come to his senses one day after his lapse,

A man may one day come to his senses after his lapse,

and days, with all their lessons, may make the ignorant wise.

and days and lessons discipline the ignorant.

إن التُّقَى خَيرُ زادٍ أنت حامِلُهُ

إن التُّقَى خَيرُ زادٍ أنت حامِلُهُ

والبرُّ أفضلُ شيءٍ نَالَه بَشَرُ

والبرُّ أفضلُ شيءٍ نَالَه بَشَرُ

Godfearingness is the finest provision you can carry,

Indeed, piety is the best provision you carry,

and righteousness the finest thing a mortal may attain.

and righteousness is the finest thing a human being has attained.

مَن يَطلُبِ الجَورَ لا يَظفَر بحاجَتهِ

مَن يَطلُبِ الجَورَ لا يَظفَر بحاجَتهِ

وطالِبُ الحقِّ قد يُهدَى له الظَّفَرُ

وطالِبُ الحقِّ قد يُهدَى له الظَّفَرُ

Whoever seeks injustice will not gain his desire,

Whoever seeks injustice will not achieve his aim;

while the seeker of right may be guided to victory.

and the seeker of right may be granted victory.

وفي الهُدَى عِبَرٌ تَشفَى القلوبُ بها

وفي الهُدَى عِبَرٌ تَشفَى القلوبُ بها

كالغَيثِ يَنضِرُ عن وَسمِيِّه الشَّجَرُ

كالغَيثِ يَنضِرُ عن وَسمِيِّه الشَّجَرُ

In right guidance are lessons that heal the heart,

And in guidance are lessons through which hearts are healed,

as rain makes trees flourish wherever its trace has fallen.

like rain, from whose autumn showers trees grow green.

وليسَ ذُو العِلم بالتَّقوى كَجاهِلِها

وليسَ ذُو العِلم بالتَّقوى كَجاهِلِها

ولا البَصيرُ كأعمَى ما له بَصَرُ

ولا البَصيرُ كأعمَى ما له بَصَرُ

The person of knowledge and godfearingness is not like the ignorant,

And one who knows piety is not like one ignorant of it,

nor is one who sees like one blind and sightless.

nor is the sighted like a blind man who has no sight.

والرُّشدُ نافلةٌ تُهدَى لصاحِبِها

والرُّشدُ نافلةٌ تُهدَى لصاحِبِها

والغَيُّ يُكرَه منه الوِردُ والصَّدَرُ

والغَيُّ يُكرَه منه الوِردُ والصَّدَرُ

Right guidance is a boon bestowed upon its recipient;

And right guidance is an added gift bestowed on its possessor;

error makes both the watering place and the return from it hateful.

and error is loathsome in both its coming and its going.

قد يُوبِقُ المرءَ أمرٌ وهو يَحقِره

قد يُوبِقُ المرءَ أمرٌ وهو يَحقِره

والشيءُ يا نَفسُ يَنمَى وهو يُحتَقَرُ

والشيءُ يا نَفسُ يَنمَى وهو يُحتَقَرُ

A thing a man belittles may bring him to ruin;

A matter may destroy a man while he belittles it;

and gray hair, O soul, grows while being stored away.

and a thing grows, O soul, while it is scorned.

ورُبَّما جاءني ما لا أؤملُه

ورُبَّما جاءني ما لا أؤملُه

وربَّما فاتَ مأمُول ومُنتَظَرُ

وربَّما فاتَ مأمُول ومُنتَظَرُ

Often what I never hoped for has come to me,

And sometimes what I do not hope for comes to me,

and often a hoped-for, awaited thing has passed me by.

and sometimes what is hoped for and awaited slips away.

لا يُشبِعُ النفسَ شيءٌ حين تُحرِزُهُ

لا يُشبِعُ النفسَ شيءٌ حين تُحرِزُهُ

ولا يزالُ لها في غَيرِه وَطَرُ

ولا يزالُ لها في غَيرِه وَطَرُ

Nothing satisfies the soul once it has secured it;

Nothing satisfies the soul when you acquire it;

it always has some other desire elsewhere.

it still has a longing for something else.

ولا تزالُ وإن كَانت لها سَعَةٌ

ولا تزالُ وإن كَانت لها سَعَةٌ

لَهَا إلى الشيءِ لم تَظفَر به نَظَرُ

لَهَا إلى الشيءِ لم تَظفَر به نَظَرُ

Even amid abundance, it continues

And still, even when it has abundance,

to gaze toward whatever it has failed to obtain.

its gaze turns toward the thing it has not attained.

وكلُّ شيءٍ له حالٌ يغيِّرُهُ

وكلُّ شيءٍ له حالٌ يغيِّرُهُ

كما تُغَيِّرُ لونَ اللمّةِ الغِيَرُ

كما تُغَيِّرُ لونَ اللمّةِ الغِيَرُ

Everything has a condition that will alter it,

And everything has a circumstance that changes it,

as fortune’s turns alter the color of one’s locks.

as vicissitudes change the color of one's locks.

والذِّكرُ فيه حَيَاةٌ لِلقُلُوبِ كما

والذِّكرُ فيه حَيَاةٌ لِلقُلُوبِ كما

يُحيِي البِلادَ إذا ما ماتَت المَطَرُ

يُحيِي البِلادَ إذا ما ماتَت المَطَرُ

Remembrance gives life to hearts, just as

And remembrance holds life for hearts, just as

rain revives the land after it has died.

rain revives lands when they have died.

والعِلمُ يَجلُو العَمَى عن قلبِ صاحبِه

والعِلمُ يَجلُو العَمَى عن قلبِ صاحبِه

كما يُجلي سوادَ الظُّلمةِ القَمَرُ

كما يُجلي سوادَ الظُّلمةِ القَمَرُ

Knowledge clears blindness from its possessor’s heart,

And knowledge clears blindness from its possessor's heart,

as the moon clears the blackness of the dark.

as the moon clears the blackness of darkness.

لا ينفعُ الذِّكرُ قَلباً قَاسِياً أبدَاً

لا ينفعُ الذِّكرُ قَلباً قَاسِياً أبدَاً

وهَل يَلِينُ لِقَولِ الوَاعِظِ الحَجَرُ

وهَل يَلِينُ لِقَولِ الوَاعِظِ الحَجَرُ

Admonition never profits a heart grown hard;

Remembrance never benefits a hardened heart;

can stone be softened by a preacher’s words?

and does stone soften at the preacher's words?

والمَوتُ جِسرٌ لِمَن يَمشِي على قَدَم

والمَوتُ جِسرٌ لِمَن يَمشِي على قَدَم

إلى الأمور التي تُخشَى وتُنتَظَرُ

إلى الأمور التي تُخشَى وتُنتَظَرُ

Death is a bridge for everyone who walks on two feet

And death is a bridge for whoever walks on foot

to the things that are feared and awaited.

to the things that are feared and awaited.

فهم يَمُرُّونَ أفواجاً وتَجمَعُهم

فهم يَمُرُّونَ أفواجاً وتَجمَعُهم

دَارٌ إليها يَصيرُ البَدوُ والحَضَرُ

دَارٌ إليها يَصيرُ البَدوُ والحَضَرُ

They pass in companies, gathered together by

So they pass in throngs, and are gathered together by

an abode to which nomad and townsman alike must go.

a dwelling to which nomads and townspeople come.

مَن كَان في مَعقِل للحِزرِ أسلَمَه

مَن كَان في مَعقِل للحِزرِ أسلَمَه

أو كانَ في خَمرٍ لم يُنجِه خَمَرُ

أو كانَ في خَمرٍ لم يُنجِه خَمَرُ

Whoever seeks safety in a stronghold is surrendered by it,

Whoever is in a fortress for protection, it surrenders him;

and whoever hides in a thicket is saved by no thicket.

or is under cover, that cover will not save him.

حتَّى مَتَى أنَا في الدُّنيا أخو كلَفٍ

حتَّى مَتَى أنَا في الدُّنيا أخو كلَفٍ

في الخدِّ مني إلى لَذَّاتِها صَعَرُ

في الخدِّ مني إلى لَذَّاتِها صَعَرُ

How long shall I remain in this world, a companion to infatuation,

How long shall I remain infatuated in this world,

as though immortal, my cheek inclined toward its pleasures?

my cheek tilted toward its pleasures?

وَلا أرى أثَراً للذِّكرِ في جَسَدي

وَلا أرى أثَراً للذِّكرِ في جَسَدي

والماءُ في الحَجَرِ القاسي لَهُ أثَرُ

والماءُ في الحَجَرِ القاسي لَهُ أثَرُ

I see no mark of remembrance upon my body,

And I see no effect of remembrance in my body,

although water leaves its mark even upon hard stone.

while water leaves a mark on hard stone.

لَو كَانَ يُسهِرُ عيني ذِكرُ آخرَتِي

لَو كَانَ يُسهِرُ عيني ذِكرُ آخرَتِي

كَمَا يؤرِّقُني لِلعَاجِلِ السَّهَرُ

كَمَا يؤرِّقُني لِلعَاجِلِ السَّهَرُ

If thought of my afterlife kept my eyes awake

If remembrance of my hereafter kept my eyes awake,

as concern for this fleeting world keeps me awake,

as wakefulness for this present life keeps me sleepless,

إذاً لَدَاويتُ قَلباً قد أضَرَّ بِهِ

إذاً لَدَاويتُ قَلباً قد أضَرَّ بِهِ

طُولُ السِّقَام ووهنُ العَظم يَنجَبرُ

طُولُ السِّقَام ووهنُ العَظم يَنجَبرُ

I would tend a heart grievously harmed

then I would surely have healed a heart harmed

by prolonged sickness, frailty of bone, and age.

by prolonged sickness; and weakness of bone can be mended.

ما يَلبَثُ الشيءُ أن يَبلَى إذا اختَلَفَت

ما يَلبَثُ الشيءُ أن يَبلَى إذا اختَلَفَت

يَوماً عَلَى نَقضِه الرَّوحَاتُ والبُكَرُ

يَوماً عَلَى نَقضِه الرَّوحَاتُ والبُكَرُ

A thing soon wears away when, in alternation,

A thing soon wears out when

evenings and mornings keep stripping it down.

in time, evenings and mornings take turns undoing it.

والمَرءُ يَصعَدُ رَيعَانُ الشَبَابِ به

والمَرءُ يَصعَدُ رَيعَانُ الشَبَابِ به

وكُلُّ مُصعدَةٍ يَوماً ستَنحَدِرُ

وكُلُّ مُصعدَةٍ يَوماً ستَنحَدِرُ

A man ascends while youth is in its first vigor,

And the prime of youth bears a man upward,

but everyone who ascends must one day descend.

and every rising thing will one day descend.

وكلُّ بيتٍ خَرَاب بَعدَ جِدَّتِه

وكلُّ بيتٍ خَرَاب بَعدَ جِدَّتِه

ومن وراء الشبابِ المَوتُ والكِبَرُ

ومن وراء الشبابِ المَوتُ والكِبَرُ

Every house falls to ruin after being made new,

And every house becomes a ruin after its newness,

and behind youth wait death and old age.

and beyond youth lie death and old age.

بَينَا يُرَى الغُصنُ لَدناً في أرومَتِه

بَينَا يُرَى الغُصنُ لَدناً في أرومَتِه

رَيَّانَ أضحَى حُطاماً جَوفُه نَخِرُ

رَيَّانَ أضحَى حُطاماً جَوفُه نَخِرُ

While the branch appears supple upon its root,

While a branch is seen supple on its stock,

lush and watered, it becomes dry wreckage, hollow and rotten.

well-watered, it becomes broken wood, rotten at its core.

كَم مِن جَمِيعٍ أشتَّ الدَّهرُ شَملَهُمُ

كَم مِن جَمِيعٍ أشتَّ الدَّهرُ شَملَهُمُ

وكلُّ شيءٍ جَمِيع سَوفَ يَنتَثِرُ

وكلُّ شيءٍ جَمِيع سَوفَ يَنتَثِرُ

How many united companies Time has torn apart;

How many a company has time scattered apart!

every gathered company will be scattered.

And everything united will be scattered.

ورُبَّ أصيدَ سَامِي الطَّرفِ مُعتَصِب

ورُبَّ أصيدَ سَامِي الطَّرفِ مُعتَصِب

بالتَّاجِ نِيرَانُه لِلحَربِ تَستَعِرُ

بالتَّاجِ نِيرَانُه لِلحَربِ تَستَعِرُ

How many a proud man, lofty of gaze, his brow bound

And many a proud man, lofty of gaze, his head girded

with a crown, while the fires of war blaze,

with a crown, his fires blazing for war,

يَظَلُّ يَفتَرِشُ الدِّيبَاجَ مُحتَجِبا

يَظَلُّ يَفتَرِشُ الدِّيبَاجَ مُحتَجِبا

عليه تُبنَى قِبَابُ المُلكِ والحُجَرُ

عليه تُبنَى قِبَابُ المُلكِ والحُجَرُ

spends his days reclining on brocade, screened from sight,

spends his days reclining on brocade, secluded,

while royal domes and stone chambers rise above him—

with royal domes and chambers built above him,

قد غادرتهُ المَنَايا وهو مُستَلَبُ

قد غادرتهُ المَنَايا وهو مُستَلَبُ

مجَدَّلُ تَربُ الخدين مُنعَفِرُ

مجَدَّلُ تَربُ الخدين مُنعَفِرُ

only for death to leave him stripped and plundered,

death has left him despoiled,

naked, his cheeks dust-stained and his face in the earth.

felled, his cheeks dust-stained, covered in earth.

أبَعدَ آدمَ تَرجُونَ البَقَاءَ وَهَل

أبَعدَ آدمَ تَرجُونَ البَقَاءَ وَهَل

تَبقَى فروعٌ لأَصلٍ حين يَنعَقِرُ

تَبقَى فروعٌ لأَصلٍ حين يَنعَقِرُ

After Adam, do you hope for lasting life? Can

After Adam, do you hope to endure? And can

branches survive when their root is torn out?

branches survive when their root is cut away?

لهم بيوتٌ بِمُستَنّ السُّيولِ وهل

لهم بيوتٌ بِمُستَنّ السُّيولِ وهل

يَبقَى على الماءِ بَيتٌ أُسُّه مَدَرُ

يَبقَى على الماءِ بَيتٌ أُسُّه مَدَرُ

They have houses founded upon the edges of swords—but can

Their houses stand in the torrents' path; and can

a house built on water, with mud for its foundation, remain?

a house endure on water when its foundation is clay?

إلى الفَنَاءِ وإن طالت سَلامتُهم

إلى الفَنَاءِ وإن طالت سَلامتُهم

مَصيرُ كلِّ بَنِي أُنثَى وإن كَثُروا

مَصيرُ كلِّ بَنِي أُنثَى وإن كَثُروا

Toward extinction—even if their safety lasts long—

To extinction, though their safety lasts long,

goes every child of woman, however numerous they are.

go all born of woman, however numerous.

إنَّ الأُمورَ إذا استقبلتَها اشتَبَهَت

إنَّ الأُمورَ إذا استقبلتَها اشتَبَهَت

وفي تَدَبُّرِها التِّبيانُ والعِبَرُ

وفي تَدَبُّرِها التِّبيانُ والعِبَرُ

When matters first confront you, they seem obscure,

Indeed, affairs are unclear when you first face them;

but reflection reveals their meaning and their lesson.

and in reflecting on them lie clarity and lessons.

والمَرءُ ما عاشَ في الدنيا له أملُ

والمَرءُ ما عاشَ في الدنيا له أملُ

إذا انقَضى سَفَر منا أتَى سَفَرُ

إذا انقَضى سَفَر منا أتَى سَفَرُ

As long as a person lives in this world, he has some hope;

And as long as a man lives in this world, he has hope;

whenever one journey ends for us, another begins.

when one journey of ours ends, another comes.

لَهَا حَلاوةُ عَيشٍ غَيرُ دَائِمَةٍ

لَهَا حَلاوةُ عَيشٍ غَيرُ دَائِمَةٍ

وفي العَوَاقِبِ مِنهَا المُرُّ والصَّبِرُ

وفي العَوَاقِبِ مِنهَا المُرُّ والصَّبِرُ

Its life has sweetness, but that sweetness does not last,

It has a sweetness of life that does not last,

and in its outcomes lie bitterness and bitter aloe.

and in its endings lie bitterness and bitter aloe.

إذا انقضت زُمَرٌ آجالُها نَزَلت

إذا انقضت زُمَرٌ آجالُها نَزَلت

على مَنَازِلِها مِن بَعدِها زُمَرُ

على مَنَازِلِها مِن بَعدِها زُمَرُ

When successive companies reach the end of their appointed terms,

When groups' allotted lifetimes end, there settle

new companies alight in their dwelling places after them.

in their dwellings, after them, other groups.

وليسَ يَزجُرُكم ما تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ

وليسَ يَزجُرُكم ما تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ

والبَهمُ يَزجُرها الرَّاعِي فَتَنزَجِرُ

والبَهمُ يَزجُرها الرَّاعِي فَتَنزَجِرُ

Will what you are admonished with not restrain you,

And what you are admonished with does not restrain you,

when even dumb beasts heed the herdsman’s check?

yet the shepherd checks the lambs, and they heed him.

أصبَحتُمُ جَزَرا للموتِ يَقبِضُكم

أصبَحتُمُ جَزَرا للموتِ يَقبِضُكم

كما البَهَائمُ في الدنيا لها جَزَرُ

كما البَهَائمُ في الدنيا لها جَزَرُ

You have become prey for death, which seizes you,

You have become beasts for death to slaughter; it seizes you,

as beasts in this world are marked for slaughter.

just as beasts in this world have their slaughterers.

لا تَبطِروا واهجُروا الدنيا فإنَّ لها

لا تَبطِروا واهجُروا الدنيا فإنَّ لها

غِبَّا وَخِيما وكفرُ النعمةِ البَطَرُ

غِبَّا وَخِيما وكفرُ النعمةِ البَطَرُ

Do not grow wanton; forsake the world, for it has

Do not grow insolent; forsake the world, for it has

a dire aftermath, and wantonness is ingratitude for blessing.

a ruinous aftermath, and insolence is ingratitude for blessings.

ثم اقتَدُوا بالأُلى كانوا لكم غُرَرا

ثم اقتَدُوا بالأُلى كانوا لكم غُرَرا

ولَيسَ من أُمَّةٍ إلا لها غُرَرُ

ولَيسَ من أُمَّةٍ إلا لها غُرَرُ

Then follow those who came before, who were exemplars for you;

Then follow those who were shining examples for you;

there is no nation that has not had its exemplars.

and no community is without its shining examples.

حتَّى تكونوا على مِنهَاجِ أوَّلِكُم

حتَّى تكونوا على مِنهَاجِ أوَّلِكُم

وتَصبِروا عن هَوَى الدنيا كَما صَبَروا

وتَصبِروا عن هَوَى الدنيا كَما صَبَروا

Keep to the path of your earliest predecessors,

so that you are on your predecessors' path,

and resist worldly desire as they resisted it.

and patiently resist desire for the world, as they did.

ما لي أرى الناسَ والدنيا مُوَلِّيةٌ

ما لي أرى الناسَ والدنيا مُوَلِّيةٌ

وكلُّ حَبلٍ عليها سوف يَنبَتِرُ

وكلُّ حَبلٍ عليها سوف يَنبَتِرُ

Why do I see people while the world is turning away,

Why do I see people—while the world is turning away,

and every rope that binds them to it will be severed?

and every cord upon it will be severed—

لا يَشعُرونَ بِمَا في دِينهم نَقَصُوا

لا يَشعُرونَ بِمَا في دِينهم نَقَصُوا

جَهلاً وإن نَقَصت دُنياهُمُ شَعَروا

جَهلاً وإن نَقَصت دُنياهُمُ شَعَروا

They do not perceive what they diminish in their religion

unaware of what they have diminished in their religion,

through ignorance—yet if their worldly fortune diminishes, they perceive it.

through ignorance, yet aware if their worldly life diminishes?

مَن عاشَ أدرك في الأعداءِ بُغيَتَهُ

مَن عاشَ أدرك في الأعداءِ بُغيَتَهُ

ومَن يَمُت فَلَهُ الأيَّامُ تَنتَصِرُ

ومَن يَمُت فَلَهُ الأيَّامُ تَنتَصِرُ

Whoever lives will, in the course of days, attain what he seeks;

Whoever lives will attain his aim against his enemies;

and whoever dies—the days claim their victory.

and whoever dies, the days will avenge him.