تَرى المَرءَ يَخشى بَعضَ ما لا يَضيرُهُ

تَرى المَرءَ يَخشى بَعضَ ما لا يَضيرُهُ

وَيَأمَلُ شَيئاً دونَهُ المَوتُ واقِعُ

وَيَأمَلُ شَيئاً دونَهُ المَوتُ واقِعُ

You see a man fear some things that do not harm him,

Man fears things that can do him no harm,

And hope for something before which death will come.

And hopes for things, though death is a certainty.

وَما المالُ وَالأَهلونَ إِلّا وَدائِعٌ

وَما المالُ وَالأَهلونَ إِلّا وَدائِعٌ

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الوَدائِعُ

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الوَدائِعُ

Wealth and family are nothing but things held in trust,

Wealth and loved ones are but loans to man,

And one day those trusts must be returned.

Loans which one day must be repaid.

فَكُلُّ أَمانِيِّ اِمرىءٍ لا يَنالُها

فَكُلُّ أَمانِيِّ اِمرىءٍ لا يَنالُها

كَأَضغاثِ أَحلامٍ يَراهُنَّ هاجِعُ

كَأَضغاثِ أَحلامٍ يَراهُنَّ هاجِعُ

So all a man's wishes that he does not attain

So man's wishes will not be fulfilled,

Are like tangled dreams a sleeper sees.

They are like mirages haunting the sleeper.

وَفي اليَأسِ مِن بَعضِ المَطامِعِ راحَةٌ

وَفي اليَأسِ مِن بَعضِ المَطامِعِ راحَةٌ

وَيا رُبَّ خَيرٍ أَدرَكَتهُ المَطامِعُ

وَيا رُبَّ خَيرٍ أَدرَكَتهُ المَطامِعُ

And there is relief in giving up some desires,

Yet in abandoning some ambitions there is comfort,

And many a good thing has been overtaken by desires!

While many ambitions, Lord, end in grief.

أَبى الشَيبُ وَالإِسلامُ أَن أَتبَع الهَوى

أَبى الشَيبُ وَالإِسلامُ أَن أَتبَع الهَوى

وَفي الشَيبِ وَالإِسلامِ لِلمَرءِ وازِعُ

وَفي الشَيبِ وَالإِسلامِ لِلمَرءِ وازِعُ

Gray hair and Islam have forbidden me to follow passion,

Old age and Islam refused to let me follow desire,

And in gray hair and Islam there is restraint for a man.

Old age and Islam curb mankind.