مَا شَأْنُ دُنْيَانَا سِوَى الإِنْذَارِ

مَا شَأْنُ دُنْيَانَا سِوَى الإِنْذَارِ

لَوْ أَنَّنَا كُنَّا ذَوِي أَبْصَارِ

لَوْ أَنَّنَا كُنَّا ذَوِي أَبْصَارِ

Our world's business is nothing but warning,

What is the matter with our world except forewarning,

The affair of our world is nothing but a warning,

if only we had eyes to see.

If only we were endowed with insight.

if only we were people of true sight.

نَادَى تَصَرُّفُهَا أَخَا الأَوْزَارِ

نَادَى تَصَرُّفُهَا أَخَا الأَوْزَارِ

يَا مُوثِراً لِنَعِيمِ هَذِي الدَّارِ

يَا مُوثِراً لِنَعِيمِ هَذِي الدَّارِ

Its vicissitudes called out to the brother of sins:

Its course of events calls out, "O laden with burdens!"

Its vicissitudes cry out to the bearer of sins:

O you who prefer the delights of this abode,

O you who prefer the bliss of this abode,

"O you who prefer the bliss of this fleeting abode,

وَمُضَيِّعَ الأَعْمَارِ فِي الأَسْفَارِ

وَمُضَيِّعَ الأَعْمَارِ فِي الأَسْفَارِ

لِمْ لاَ تُبَالِي بِالْمَنُونِ وَسَهْمِهِ

لِمْ لاَ تُبَالِي بِالْمَنُونِ وَسَهْمِهِ

and squander lifetimes on journeys,

And waste your life on travels,

and squander lifetimes in aimless wandering!

why do you heed neither death nor its arrow?

Why don't you care about death and its arrow?

Why do you heed not death and its piercing arrow?

هَلْ أَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَاكَ مَنْ لَمْ يُصْمِهِ

هَلْ أَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَاكَ مَنْ لَمْ يُصْمِهِ

مِنْ طَالِمٍ لَمْ يَنْكَفِفْ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِ

مِنْ طَالِمٍ لَمْ يَنْكَفِفْ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِ

Have your eyes seen anyone it has not struck dead—

Have your eyes seen one whom it has not made blind,

Have your eyes ever seen one it has failed to strike?

an oppressor who has not ceased his oppression,

Of an oppressor who did not desist from his oppression,

From the tyrant who never ceased his oppression,

وَمَنِ اعْتَدَى لاَ يَرْعَوِي عَنْ جُرْمِهِ

وَمَنِ اعْتَدَى لاَ يَرْعَوِي عَنْ جُرْمِهِ

مَا هَذِهِ ذَا حَالَةُ الأَبْرَارِ

مَا هَذِهِ ذَا حَالَةُ الأَبْرَارِ

or a transgressor who will not desist from his crime?

And a transgressor who does not restrain himself from his crime?

to the aggressor who never refrained from his crime."

This, O you, is not the state of the righteous.

This is not the state of the righteous,

This is truly not the condition of the righteous,

بَلْ حَالُ مَنْ لَمْ يُقْلِعُوا عَنْ خَبِّهِمْ

بَلْ حَالُ مَنْ لَمْ يُقْلِعُوا عَنْ خَبِّهِمْ

وَتَمَكَّنَتْ خُدَعُ الْمُنَى مِنْ لُبِّهِمْ

وَتَمَكَّنَتْ خُدَعُ الْمُنَى مِنْ لُبِّهِمْ

Rather, it is the state of those who have not abandoned their deceit,

Rather, the state of those who do not desist from their wickedness,

but rather the state of those who have not forsaken their deceit,

and whose minds the deceptions of hopes have seized,

And the deceits of death have taken hold of their innermost being,

whose core has been seized by the illusions of desire,

حَتَّى ثَنَتْهُمْ عَنء مَنَاهِجِ قُرْبِهِمْ

حَتَّى ثَنَتْهُمْ عَنء مَنَاهِجِ قُرْبِهِمْ

مَا ذَاكَ وَصْفُ السَّائِرِينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ

مَا ذَاكَ وَصْفُ السَّائِرِينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ

until they turned them from the paths of nearness to Him.

Until it has turned them away from the path of drawing near to their Lord.

until they turned them away from the paths of nearness to God.

That is not the character of those journeying toward their Lord,

This is not the description of those walking towards their Lord,

That is not the description of those journeying to their Lord,

وَسَِبيلُ مَنْ يَخْشَى مِنَ الْجَبَّارِ

وَسَِبيلُ مَنْ يَخْشَى مِنَ الْجَبَّارِ

فَانْهَضْ لِدِينِكَ فَاعْتَمِدْ تَصْحِيحَهُ

فَانْهَضْ لِدِينِكَ فَاعْتَمِدْ تَصْحِيحَهُ

nor the path of one who fears the Compeller.

Nor the path of one who fears the Overpowering.

nor the path of one who fears the Compeller.

So rise for your faith, and resolve to set it right,

So rise for your religion and rely on reforming it,

So rise for your faith and resolve to set it right,

وَأَدِمْ عَلَى كُلِّ الْمُنَى تَرْجِيحَهُ

وَأَدِمْ عَلَى كُلِّ الْمُنَى تَرْجِيحَهُ

وَإِذَا كَسَا الْغَمُّ الْحَشَا تَبْرِيحَهُ

وَإِذَا كَسَا الْغَمُّ الْحَشَا تَبْرِيحَهُ

and always give it precedence over every wish.

And persist despite every death in preferring it,

and continuously elevate it above all worldly hopes.

And when grief clothes the heart in its torment,

And when grief overwhelms you, seek its relief,

And when sorrow cloaks your heart in torment,

فَأَنِبْ لِرَبِّكَ وَاغْتَنِمْ تَسْبِيحَهُ

فَأَنِبْ لِرَبِّكَ وَاغْتَنِمْ تَسْبِيحَهُ

وَسُؤَالَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ فِي الأَسْحَارِ

وَسُؤَالَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ فِي الأَسْحَارِ

then turn repentantly to your Lord, and seize the chance to glorify Him,

So turn to your Lord and seize glorifying Him

turn in repentance to your Lord and seize the chance to praise Him,

and to beseech Him at night, in the hours before dawn.

And asking Him at night, at dawn,

and to beseech Him in the depths of the pre-dawn hours.

وَاحْذَرْ فَتىً لاَ تَنْتَهِي آمَالُهُ

وَاحْذَرْ فَتىً لاَ تَنْتَهِي آمَالُهُ

وَاصْحَبْ فَتىً قَدْ سُدِّدَتْ أَعْمَالُهُ

وَاصْحَبْ فَتىً قَدْ سُدِّدَتْ أَعْمَالُهُ

And beware a young man whose hopes never end,

And beware of one whose hopes do not end,

Beware the man whose worldly hopes know no end,

and befriend a young man whose deeds have been set aright.

And accompany one whose deeds have been made correct,

and keep company with the man whose deeds are steadfast and true,

إِنْ قَالَ لَمْ تُخْطِ الْهُدَى أَقْوَالَهُ

إِنْ قَالَ لَمْ تُخْطِ الْهُدَى أَقْوَالَهُ

وَاعْمَلْ لِيَوْمٍ جَمَّةٌ أَهْوَالُهُ

وَاعْمَلْ لِيَوْمٍ جَمَّةٌ أَهْوَالُهُ

If he speaks, his words never stray from right guidance.

If he speaks, his words do not contradict guidance,

whose words, when he speaks, never stray from guidance.

And work for a day whose terrors are many,

And work for a day whose terrors are tremendous,

Work for a day whose terrors are manifold,

يَوْمَ اشْتِدَادِ الْهَوْلِ بِالْفُجَّارِ

يَوْمَ اشْتِدَادِ الْهَوْلِ بِالْفُجَّارِ

يَا ذَا الذِي سَئِمَ الْحَيَاةَ وَمَلَّهَا

يَا ذَا الذِي سَئِمَ الْحَيَاةَ وَمَلَّهَا

the day when terror bears hard upon the wicked.

The day when horror intensifies for the sinners.

the day when horror intensifies upon the wicked.

O you who have wearied of life and grown tired of it,

O you who is tired of life and wearied of it,

O you who have grown weary of life and tired of it,

مِنْ أَجْلِ أَوْزَارٍ تَحَمَّلَ ثِقْلَهَا

مِنْ أَجْلِ أَوْزَارٍ تَحَمَّلَ ثِقْلَهَا

لاَ تَيْأَسَنْ فَالْعَفْوُ يَنْقُضُ غَزْلَهَا

لاَ تَيْأَسَنْ فَالْعَفْوُ يَنْقُضُ غَزْلَهَا

because of sins whose weight you have borne,

Because of burdens whose weight you carried,

because of the heavy sins whose burden you bear:

never despair, for forgiveness unravels their yarn.

Do not despair, for pardon unravels its yarn,

Do not despair, for divine pardon unravels their threads.

وَاسْكُبْ دُمُوعَكَ إِذْ خَلَوْتَ لَعَلَّهَا

وَاسْكُبْ دُمُوعَكَ إِذْ خَلَوْتَ لَعَلَّهَا

تُنْجِيكَ يَا ذَا مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ

تُنْجِيكَ يَا ذَا مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ

And pour out your tears when you are alone; perhaps they

And shed your tears when alone, perhaps

Shed your tears in solitude, that perhaps they

will save you, O you, from the torment of the Fire.

They will save you, O laden one, from the torment of the fire.

may save you, O man, from the torment of the Fire.