البِدَارَ البِدَارَ قَبْلَ الفَوَاتِ

البِدَارَ البِدَارَ قَبْلَ الفَوَاتِإِنَّمَا أَنْتَ عُرْضَةُ الآفَاتِ

Al-bidāra al-bidāra qabla al-fawāti, Innamā anta ʿurḍatu al-ʾāfāti

Hasten, hasten before it is too late! You are exposed to every calamity.

بَادِرِ الفَوْتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقْطَعَنْكَدُونَ مَا تَبْتَغِي حُتُوفُ المَمَاتِ

Bādiri al-fawta qabla an taqṭaʿanka, Dūna mā tabtaghī ḥutūfu al-mamāti

Outrun loss before the fatal strokes of death cut you off from what you seek.

مَا أَرَاكَ مُشَمِّراً وَاللَّيَالِيسَوْفَ تُدْنِي إِلَيْكَ مَا هُوَ آتِي

Mā arāka mushammiran wa-al-layālī, Sawfa tudnī ilayka mā huwa ʾātī

I do not see you making ready, while the nights will soon bring near to you what is coming.

إِنَّمَا رَأْسُ مَالِكَ العُمْرُ فَاعْمُرْهُ بِفِعْلِ الجَمِيلِ وَالمَكْرُمَاتِ

Innamā raʾsu mālika al-ʿumru faʿmur, Hu bifiʿli al-jamīli wa-al-makrumāti

Your capital is your life, so fill it with beautiful deeds and noble acts.

وَاتَّخِذْهُ مَطِيَّةً تَمْتَطِيهَافِي سُلُوكِ السَّبِيلِ لِلدَّرَجَاتِ

Wattakhidhhu maṭiyyatan tamtaṭīhā, Fī sulūki as-sabīli lilddarajāti

Take it as a mount to ride on the path that leads to the high ranks,

وَجَوَاداً تَطْوِي عَلَيْهِ مَدَى هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لِتَبْلُغَ الغَايَاتِ

Wajawādan taṭwī ʿalayhi madā hā, Dhihi ad-dunyā litablugha al-ghāyāti

And a steed on which to cross the full span of this world, that you may reach the goals.