مَنwhoever يَعِشlives يَكبَرgrows old وَمَنand whoever يَكبَرgrows old يَمُتdies
مَن يَعِش يَكبَر وَمَن يَكبَر يَمُت
وَالمَناياand death's visitations لاnot تُباليthey care ماwhat أَتَتthey bring about
وَالمَنايا لا تُبالي ما أَتَت
Whoever lives grows old, and whoever grows old dies.
Who lives grows old, who grows old dies
And death's visitations care not what they bring.
And death cares not whence she applies
كَمhow many وَكَمand how many قَدalready دَرَجَتhave passed away مِنfrom قَبلِناbefore us
كَم وَكَم قَد دَرَجَت مِن قَبلِنا
مِنof قُرونٍgenerations وَقُرونٍand generations قَدalready مَضَتhave gone by
مِن قُرونٍ وَقُرونٍ قَد مَضَت
How many, how many have passed away before us,
How many like us have trod this path
Of generations upon generations now gone.
Of generations gone before!
أَيُّهاO المَغرورُdeluded one ماwhat هَذاthis الصِباyouthful folly
أَيُّها المَغرورُ ما هَذا الصِبا
لَوif نَهَيتَyou restrained النَفسَthe soul عَنهُfrom it لَاِنتَهَتit would have desisted
لَو نَهَيتَ النَفسَ عَنهُ لَاِنتَهَت
O deluded one, what is this youthful folly?
Deluded soul, what youth is this?
Had you restrained your soul from it, it would have desisted.
Had you but turned from it, you'd desist
أَنَسيتَhave you forgotten? المَوتَdeath جَهلاًin ignorance وَالبِلىand decay
أَنَسيتَ المَوتَ جَهلاً وَالبِلى
فَسَلَتso grew heedless نَفسُكَyour soul عَنهُof it وَلَهَتand amused itself
فَسَلَت نَفسُكَ عَنهُ وَلَهَت
Have you, in ignorance, forgotten death and decay,
Forgetting death in your ignorance
So your soul grew heedless of it and amused itself?
You let your soul to it digress
نَحنُwe فيin دارِan abode بَلاءٍaffliction وَأَذىًand harm
نَحنُ في دارِ بَلاءٍ وَأَذىً
وَشَقاءٍand misery وَعَناءٍand toil وَعَنَتand hardship
وَشَقاءٍ وَعَناءٍ وَعَنَت
We are in an abode of affliction and harm,
We're in an abode of woe and bane
And misery, toil, and hardship.
Of misery, sorrow and pain
مَنزِلٌa dwelling ماnot يَثبُتُremains المَرءُa person بِهِin it
مَنزِلٌ ما يَثبُتُ المَرءُ بِهِ
سالِماًunharmed إِلّاexcept قَليلاًbriefly إِنif ثَبَتhe remains
سالِماً إِلّا قَليلاً إِن ثَبَت
A dwelling where a person does not remain
Where man finds no lasting peace
Unharmed except briefly, if he remains at all.
Save fleetingly, should he find release
بَينَماwhile الإِنسانُa person فيin الدُنياthe world لَهُhe has
بَينَما الإِنسانُ في الدُنيا لَهُ
حَرَكاتٌmovements مُسرِعاتٌswift إِذwhen suddenly خَفَتhe fell silent
حَرَكاتٌ مُسرِعاتٌ إِذ خَفَت
While a person in this world has
While man hustles through this life
Swift movements—suddenly he falls silent.
In haste, his steps are light
أَبَتِrefused الدُنياthe world عَلىupon سُكّانِهاits inhabitants
أَبَتِ الدُنيا عَلى سُكّانِها
فيin البِلىdecay وَالنَقصِand decline إِلّاexcept ماwhat أَتَتit brought about
في البِلى وَالنَقصِ إِلّا ما أَتَت
The world insists, for its inhabitants,
But life keeps its tenants in decay
On nothing but the decay and decline it brings.
However they plead and pray
إِنَّماonly الدُنياthe world مَتاعُprovision بُلغَةٍenough to subsist
إِنَّما الدُنيا مَتاعُ بُلغَةٍ
كَيفَماhowever زَجَّيتَyou passed your time فيin الدُنياthe world زَجَتit passed
كَيفَما زَجَّيتَ في الدُنيا زَجَت
The world is but provision enough to sustain you;
Life is but a joy of brief span
However you spend your time in this world, it passes.
However you try to cling to its caravan
رَحِمَmay have mercy اللَهُGod امرَأًa man أَنصَفَwas fair مِنagainst
رَحِمَ اللَهُ امرَأً أَنصَفَ مِن
نَفسِهِhimself إِذwhen قالَhe spoke خَيراًgood أَوor صَمَتhe kept silent
نَفسِهِ إِذ قالَ خَيراً أَو صَمَت
May God have mercy on a man who was fair, even against
God bless the man who is just to himself
Himself, speaking good or keeping silent.
When he speaks good or simply holds his peace
Sol 6.1