دَعِ الأَيَّامَ تَفْعَلُ مَا تَشَاءُ

دَعِ الأَيَّامَ تَفْعَلُ مَا تَشَاءُوَطِبْ نَفْساً إِذَا حَكَمَ القَضَاءُ

Daʿi al-ʾayyāma tafʿalu mā tashāʾu, Waṭib nafsan idhā ḥakama al-qaḍāʾu

Let the days do as they will, and be content when destiny decrees.

وَلَا تَجْزَعْ لِحَادِثَةِ اللَّيَالِيفَمَا لِحَوَادِثِ الدُّنْيَا بَقَاءُ

Walā tajzaʿ liḥādithati al-layālī, Famā liḥawādithi ad-dunyā baqāʾu

Do not grieve at the misfortunes of the nights, for the events of this world do not last.

وَكُنْ رَجُلاً عَلَى الأَهْوَالِ جَلْداًوَشِيمَتُكَ السَّمَاحَةُ وَالوَفَاءُ

Wakun rajulan ʿalā al-ʾahwāli jaldan, Washīmatuka as-samāḥatu wa-al-wafāʾu

Be a man who is steadfast in the face of terrors, with generosity and loyalty as your nature.

وَإِنْ كَثُرَتْ عُيُوبُكَ فِي البَرَايَاوَسَرَّكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهَا غِطَاءُ

Waʾin kathurat ʿuyūbuka fī al-barāyā, Wasarraka an yakūna lahā ghiṭāʾu

If your faults are many in the eyes of people, and you would be glad to have a cover for them,

تَسَتَّرْ بِالسَّخَاءِ فَكُلُّ عَيْبٍيُغَطِّيهِ كَمَا قِيلَ السَّخَاءُ

Tasattar bi-as-sakhāʾi fakullu ʿaybin, Yughaṭṭīhi kamā qīla as-sakhāʾu

Then cover yourself with generosity, for every fault is covered, as they say, by generosity.

وَلَا تُرِ لِلْأَعَادِي قَطُّ ذُلّاًفَإِنَّ شَمَاتَةَ الأَعْدَا بَلَاءُ

Walā turi lilʾaʿādī qaṭṭu dhullan, Faʾinna shamātata al-ʾaʿdā balāʾu

Never show your enemies any weakness, for the gloating of enemies is an affliction.

وَلَا تَرْجُ السَّمَاحَةَ مِنْ بَخِيلٍفَمَا فِي النَّارِ لِلظَّمْآنِ مَاءُ

Walā tarju as-samāḥata min bakhīlin, Famā fī an-nāri lilẓẓamʾāni māʾu

Do not hope for generosity from a miser, for in fire there is no water for the thirsty.

وَرِزْقُكَ لَيْسَ يُنْقِصُهُ التَّأَنِّيوَلَيْسَ يَزِيدُ فِي الرِّزْقِ العَنَاءُ

Warizquka laysa yunqiṣuhu at-taʾannī, Walaysa yazīdu fī ar-rizqi al-ʿanāʾu

Your provision is not lessened by taking your time, nor is provision increased by toil.

وَلَا حُزْنٌ يَدُومُ وَلَا سُرُورٌوَلَا بُؤْسٌ عَلَيْكَ وَلَا رَخَاءُ

Walā ḥuznun yadūmu walā surūrun, Walā buʾsun ʿalayka walā rakhāʾu

No sorrow lasts, nor any joy; neither hardship nor ease stays with you.

إِذَا مَا كُنْتَ ذَا قَلْبٍ قَنُوعٍفَأَنْتَ وَمَالِكُ الدُّنْيَا سَوَاءُ

Idhā mā kunta dhā qalbin qanūʿin, Faʾanta wamāliku ad-dunyā sawāʾu

If you have a contented heart, then you and the owner of the world are equal.

وَمَنْ نَزَلَتْ بِسَاحَتِهِ المَنَايَافَلَا أَرْضٌ تَقِيهِ وَلَا سَمَاءُ

Waman nazalat bisāḥatihi al-manāyā, Falā arḍun taqīhi walā samāʾu

And the one in whose courtyard death descends, no earth will shelter him, nor any sky.

وَأَرْضُ اللهِ وَاسِعَةٌ وَلَكِنْإِذَا نَزَلَ القَضَا ضَاقَ الفَضَاءُ

Waʾarḍu Allāhi wāsiʿatun walakin, Idhā nazala al-qaḍā ḍāqa al-faḍāʾu

Allah's earth is vast, but when destiny descends, the open space grows narrow.

دَعِ الأَيَّامَ تَغْدِرُ كُلَّ حِينٍفَمَا يُغْنِي عَنِ المَوْتِ الدَّوَاءُ

Daʿi al-ʾayyāma taghdiru kulla ḥīnin, Famā yughnī ʿani al-mawti ad-dawāʾu

Let the days betray you at every turn, for no medicine can avail against death.