سَبَقَ القَضاءُ بِكُلِّ ما هُوَ كائِنُ

سَبَقَ القَضاءُ بِكُلِّ ما هُوَ كائِنُ

وَاللَهُ يا هَذا لِرِزقِكَ ضامِنُ

وَاللَهُ يا هَذا لِرِزقِكَ ضامِنُ

Divine decree has already determined all that is to be;

Destiny has ordained all that will be

and God, O you, guarantees your sustenance.

And God, O you, guarantees your provision

تُعنى بِمَ تُكفى وَتَترُكُ ما بِهِ

تُعنى بِمَ تُكفى وَتَترُكُ ما بِهِ

توصى كَأَنَّكَ لِلحَوادِثِ آمِنُ

توصى كَأَنَّكَ لِلحَوادِثِ آمِنُ

You worry about what is provided for you and neglect what

You busy yourself with what suffices you and leave what

you are enjoined to do, as though safe from calamities.

You are enjoined as if you are safe from misfortunes

أَو ما تَرى الدُنيا وَمَصدَرُ أَهلِها

أَو ما تَرى الدُنيا وَمَصدَرُ أَهلِها

ضَنكٌ وَمَورِدُها كَريهٌ آجِنُ

ضَنكٌ وَمَورِدُها كَريهٌ آجِنُ

Do you not see the world, whose people's departure

Or do you not see that the source of the people of this world

is hardship, and whose watering place is foul and stagnant?

Is distress and its waters are foul and muddy

وَاللَهِ ما اِنتَفَعَ العَزيزُ بِعِزِّهِ

وَاللَهِ ما اِنتَفَعَ العَزيزُ بِعِزِّهِ

فيها وَلا سَلِمَ الصَحيحُ الآمِنُ

فيها وَلا سَلِمَ الصَحيحُ الآمِنُ

By God, the mighty man has not benefited from his might

By God, the mighty did not benefit from his might herein

in it, nor has the healthy, secure man escaped unharmed.

Nor did the healthy and safe remain so

وَالمَرءُ يُطِنُها وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

وَالمَرءُ يُطِنُها وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

عَنها إِلى وَطَنٍ سِواها ظاعِنُ

عَنها إِلى وَطَنٍ سِواها ظاعِنُ

And man makes it his home, though he knows that he

And man perceives it and knows that he

will depart from it for a homeland other than it.

Is heading away from it to an abode other than it

يا ساكِنَ الدُنيا أَتَعمُرُ مَسكِناً

يا ساكِنَ الدُنيا أَتَعمُرُ مَسكِناً

لَم يَبقَ فيهِ مَعَ المَنِيَّةِ ساكِنُ

لَم يَبقَ فيهِ مَعَ المَنِيَّةِ ساكِنُ

O dweller in this world, do you build a dwelling

O dweller of the world! Do you build an abode

where no inhabitant has remained in the face of death?

In which, with death, no dweller remains?

المَوتُ شَيءٌ أَنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

المَوتُ شَيءٌ أَنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

حَقٌّ وَأَنتَ بِذِكرِهِ مُتَهاوِنُ

حَقٌّ وَأَنتَ بِذِكرِهِ مُتَهاوِنُ

Death is something you know to be

Death is something you know is true

certain, yet you take its remembrance lightly.

Yet you are heedless in remembering it

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ لا تُؤامِرُ مَن أَتَت

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ لا تُؤامِرُ مَن أَتَت

في نَفسِهِ يَوماً وَلا تَستَأذِنُ

في نَفسِهِ يَوماً وَلا تَستَأذِنُ

Indeed, death does not consult the one it visits

Death does not conspire against whom it comes

about his life, ever, nor does it ask permission.

To one day nor does it ask permission

اِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لا أَبا لَكَ في الَّذي

اِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لا أَبا لَكَ في الَّذي

أَصبَحتَ تَجمَعُهُ لِغَيرِكَ خازِنُ

أَصبَحتَ تَجمَعُهُ لِغَيرِكَ خازِنُ

Know—woe to you—that, of what

Know that you have no power over what

you now amass, you are a keeper for someone else.

You amass except to keep it for others

فَلَقَد رَأَيتَ مَعاشِراً وَعَهِدتَهُم

فَلَقَد رَأَيتَ مَعاشِراً وَعَهِدتَهُم

فَمَضَوا وَأَنتَ مُعايِنٌ ما عايَنوا

فَمَضَوا وَأَنتَ مُعايِنٌ ما عايَنوا

For you have seen groups of people and known them;

You saw many groups and were familiar with them

then they passed away, while you behold what they beheld.

Then they passed and you witnessed what they witnessed

وَرَأَيتُ سُكّانَ القُصورِ وَما لَهُم

وَرَأَيتُ سُكّانَ القُصورِ وَما لَهُم

بَعدَ القُصورِ سِوى القُبورِ مَساكِنُ

بَعدَ القُصورِ سِوى القُبورِ مَساكِنُ

And I have seen the inhabitants of palaces; they have no

And I saw the dwellers of palaces, yet they have

dwellings after palaces except graves.

After palaces only graves as dwellings

جَمَعوا فَما اِنتَفَعوا بِذاكَ وَأَصبَحوا

جَمَعوا فَما اِنتَفَعوا بِذاكَ وَأَصبَحوا

وَهُم بِما اِكتَسَبوا هُناكَ رَهائِنُ

وَهُم بِما اِكتَسَبوا هُناكَ رَهائِنُ

They amassed, but gained nothing from it, and came to be

They gathered but did not benefit from that and woke up

hostages there for what they had earned.

As hostages there for what they had earned

لَو قَد دُفِنتَ غَداً وَأَقبَلَ نافِضاً

لَو قَد دُفِنتَ غَداً وَأَقبَلَ نافِضاً

كَفَّيهِ عَنكَ مِنَ التُرابِ الدافِنُ

كَفَّيهِ عَنكَ مِنَ التُرابِ الدافِنُ

If you were buried tomorrow, and he came away shaking

If tomorrow you were buried and the shrouding dirt

the dust from both his hands (the man who buried you),

Were emptied over you by the gravedigger

لَتَشاغَلَ الوارِثُ بَعدَكَ بِالَّذي

لَتَشاغَلَ الوارِثُ بَعدَكَ بِالَّذي

وَرِثوا وَأَسلَمَكَ الوَلِيُّ الباطِنُ

وَرِثوا وَأَسلَمَكَ الوَلِيُّ الباطِنُ

the heir would be engrossed, once you were gone, in what

The heir would be busy after you with what

they inherited, and your intimate friend would abandon you.

They inherited and the guardian surrendered you

قارِن قَرينَكَ وَاِستَعِدَّ لِبَينِهِ

قارِن قَرينَكَ وَاِستَعِدَّ لِبَينِهِ

إِنَّ القَرينَ مِنَ القَرينِ مُبايِنُ

إِنَّ القَرينَ مِنَ القَرينِ مُبايِنُ

Keep company with your companion, and prepare to part from him;

Compare your companion and prepare to part from him

indeed, one companion will part from another.

The companion parts from the companion, being different

وَاِلبَس أَخاكَ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ أَخٍ تَرى

وَاِلبَس أَخاكَ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ أَخٍ تَرى

فَلَهُ مَساوٍ مَرَّةً وَمَحاسِنُ

فَلَهُ مَساوٍ مَرَّةً وَمَحاسِنُ

And wear your brother as he is, for every brother you see

And clothe your brother for each brother you see

has faults at times, and virtues.

Has equality once and virtues