المَرءُa person دُنياworld نَفسِهِhis own self
المَرءُ دُنيا نَفسِهِ
فَإِذاso when انقَضىhe came to an end فَقَدِthen indeed انقَضَتit came to an end
فَإِذا انقَضى فَقَدِ انقَضَت
A man is his own world;
A man's world is his soul;
So when he comes to an end, it has ended.
When his soul perishes, his world too perishes.
تَغتالُهُit slays him unawares فيin غَيِّهِhis waywardness
تَغتالُهُ في غَيِّهِ
وَتَعودُand it returns فيمَنamong those whom خَلَّفَتit left behind
وَتَعودُ فيمَن خَلَّفَت
It slays him unawares in his waywardness,
It lies in wait for him in his heedlessness,
And returns among those it has left behind.
And returns to those he left behind.
ماwhat خَيرُgood مُرضِعَةٍa wet nurse بِكَأwith a cup (word continues)
ما خَيرُ مُرضِعَةٍ بِكَأ
سِcompletion of 'cup' المَوتِdeath تَفطِمُshe weans مَنthose whom غَذَتshe nourished
سِ المَوتِ تَفطِمُ مَن غَذَت
What good is a wet nurse who, with the cup
Of what use is a wet nurse with a breast
of death, weans those she has nourished?
Of death that weans those it fed?
بَيناwhile تَزينُshe adorns صَلاحَهُhis well-being
بَينا تَزينُ صَلاحَهُ
إِذwhen suddenly أَفسَدَتshe ruined ماwhat أَصلَحَتshe set right
إِذ أَفسَدَت ما أَصلَحَت
While she adorns his well-being,
While adorning his merits,
Suddenly she ruins what she has set right.
She corrupted what she had set right.
Sol 6.1