1. أَنساكَ مَحياكَ المَماتا

    فَطَلَبتَ في الدُنيا الثَباتا

    Your life has made you forget death,

    so you sought permanence in this world.

  2. أَوَثِقتَ بِالدُنيا وَأَنـ

    ـتَ تَرى جَماعَتَها شَتاتا

    Have you trusted the world, while you

    see its people scattered?

  3. وَعَزَمتَ مِنكَ عَلى الحَيا

    ةِ وَطولِها عَزماً بَتاتا

    And have you yourself resolved upon life

    and its length with an irrevocable resolve?

  4. يا مَن رَأى أَبَوَيهِ في

    ما قَد رَأى كانا فَماتا

    O you who saw your parents among

    what you have seen: they lived, then died—

  5. هَل فيهِما لَكَ عِبرَةٌ

    أَم خِلتَ أَنَّ لَكَ انفِلاتا

    Is there a lesson for you in them,

    or did you think you could escape?

  6. وَمَنِ الَّذي طَلَبَ التَفَلـ

    ـلُتَ مِن مَنِيَّتِهِ فَفاتا

    And who has sought to break free

    from his appointed death and escaped it?

  7. كُلٌّ تُصَبِّحُهُ المَنِيـ

    ـيَةُ أَو تُبَيِّتُهُ بَياتا

    Everyone is visited in the morning by death,

    or assailed by it in the night.