أَلَحَّت مُقيماتٌ عَلَينا مُلِحّاتُ

أَلَحَّت مُقيماتٌ عَلَينا مُلِحّاتُ

لَيالٍ وَأَيّامٌ بِنا مُستَحَثّاتُ

لَيالٍ وَأَيّامٌ بِنا مُستَحَثّاتُ

Ever-present and relentless, they have pressed upon us:

The nights and days urged us on insistently,

Nights and days, hastened onward with us.

Rushing us from one pleasure of life to another.

نَحِنُّ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى كُلِّ لَذَّةٍ

نَحِنُّ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى كُلِّ لَذَّةٍ

وَلَكِنَّ آفاتِ الزَمانِ كَثيراتُ

وَلَكِنَّ آفاتِ الزَمانِ كَثيراتُ

We yearn for every pleasure of this world,

But the ravages of time are many,

Yet the afflictions of time are many.

And how many kings built and fortified,

وَكَم مِن مُلوكٍ شَيَّدوا وَتَحَصَّنوا

وَكَم مِن مُلوكٍ شَيَّدوا وَتَحَصَّنوا

فَما سَبَقوا الأَيّامَ شَيئاً وَلا فاتوا

فَما سَبَقوا الأَيّامَ شَيئاً وَلا فاتوا

And how many kings built lofty structures and fortified themselves,

Yet outran neither days nor death.

Yet they did not outrun the days at all, nor escape them.

How many people we saw happy,

وَكَم مِن أُناسٍ قَد رَأَينا بِغِبطَةٍ

وَكَم مِن أُناسٍ قَد رَأَينا بِغِبطَةٍ

وَلَكِنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ غِبطَتِهِم ماتوا

وَلَكِنَّهُم مِن بَعدِ غِبطَتِهِم ماتوا

And how many people we have seen in enviable happiness,

Only for them after their joy to die.

Yet after their happiness they died.

The living were heedless, as though

لَقَد أَغفَلَ الأَحياءُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم

لَقَد أَغفَلَ الأَحياءُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم

بِما أَغفَلوا مِن طاعَةِ اللَهِ أَمواتُ

بِما أَغفَلوا مِن طاعَةِ اللَهِ أَمواتُ

The living have indeed grown so heedless that they seem

In their heedlessness of obeying God, dead.

dead through their neglect of obedience to God.

Does not the son of Adam wrongly think

أَلا رُبَّما غَرَّ ابنَ آدَمَ أَنَّهُ

أَلا رُبَّما غَرَّ ابنَ آدَمَ أَنَّهُ

لَهُ مُدَّةٌ تَخفى عَلَيهِ وَميقاتُ

لَهُ مُدَّةٌ تَخفى عَلَيهِ وَميقاتُ

Take heed: what sometimes deceives the son of Adam is that he

He has a term hidden from him and a fate?

has a span hidden from him and an appointed hour.

And all the sons of this life make excuses,

وَكُلُّ بَني الدُنيا يُعَلِّلُ نَفسَهُ

وَكُلُّ بَني الدُنيا يُعَلِّلُ نَفسَهُ

بِمَرِّ شُهورٍ وَهيَ لِلعُمرِ آفاتُ

بِمَرِّ شُهورٍ وَهيَ لِلعُمرِ آفاتُ

And each of this world's sons consoles himself

With the bitterness of months though they impair life.

with passing months, though they are life's afflictions.

O brother, possessions came to ruin

أَخي أَنَّ أَملاكاً تَوافَوا إِلى البِلى

أَخي أَنَّ أَملاكاً تَوافَوا إِلى البِلى

وَكانَت لَهُم في مُدَّةِ العَيشِ آياتُ

وَكانَت لَهُم في مُدَّةِ العَيشِ آياتُ

My brother, know that kings have passed together into decay,

And for their owners in life’s span were signs.

And during their lifetimes they had marvels.

Did you not see when coffins were stacked over them

أَلَم تَرَ إِذ رُصَّت عَلَيهِم جَنادِلٌ

أَلَم تَرَ إِذ رُصَّت عَلَيهِم جَنادِلٌ

لَهُم تَحتَها لُبثٌ طَويلٌ مُقيماتُ

لَهُم تَحتَها لُبثٌ طَويلٌ مُقيماتُ

Have you not seen when boulders were packed over them?

With long sojourning beneath, left to stay?

They have a long stay beneath those abiding stones.

Leave evil and seek good in its settlement,

دَعِ الشَرَ وَاِبغِ الخَيرَ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

دَعِ الشَرَ وَاِبغِ الخَيرَ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

فَلِلخَيرِ عاداتٌ وَلِلشَرِ عاداتُ

فَلِلخَيرِ عاداتٌ وَلِلشَرِ عاداتُ

Forsake evil and seek good in its dwelling place.

For good has habits and for evil habits.

For good has its habits, and evil has its habits.

You have no property counted from this world

وَما لَكَ مِن دُنياكَ مالٌ تَعُدُّهُ

وَما لَكَ مِن دُنياكَ مالٌ تَعُدُّهُ

عَلى غَيرِ ما تُعيهِ مِنها وَتَقتاتُ

عَلى غَيرِ ما تُعيهِ مِنها وَتَقتاتُ

And no wealth of your world is yours to count

Beyond what you know of it and live by.

apart from what you keep of it and live on.