أَياah!; an attention-arresting exclamation لِلمَناياfor death’s visitations وَيحَهاwoe for them; alas for them ماhow—introducing an exclamation أَجَدَّهاhow relentless they are
أَيا لِلمَنايا وَيحَها ما أَجَدَّها
كَأَنَّكَas though you يَوماًone day قَدsurely; already تَوَرَّدتَyou came to drink وِردَهاat their watering place
كَأَنَّكَ يَوماً قَد تَوَرَّدتَ وِردَها
Ah, death’s visitations—woe for them! How relentless they are!
As though one day you will surely come to drink at their watering place.
وَياand ah!—a renewed exclamation لِلمَناياfor death’s visitations ماthere is no لَهاfor them مِنany إِقالَةٍreprieve or rescinding
وَيا لِلمَنايا ما لَها مِن إِقالَةٍ
إِذاonce; when بَلَغَتthey reach or bring to its end مِنof مُدَّةِthe allotted term الحَيِّof the living person حَدَّهاits limit
إِذا بَلَغَت مِن مُدَّةِ الحَيِّ حَدَّها
Ah, death’s visitations! There is no reprieve from them
once they have brought a living person’s allotted term to its limit.
أَلاtake heed; behold ياO—marking direct address أَخاناour brother إِنَّindeed لِلمَوتِdeath indeed has طَلعَةًan advent or sudden appearance
أَلا يا أَخانا إِنَّ لِلمَوتِ طَلعَةً
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you مُذever since صُوِّرتَyou were formed تَقصِدُare heading قَصدَهاstraight toward it
وَإِنَّكَ مُذ صُوِّرتَ تَقصِدُ قَصدَها
Take heed, our brother: death indeed has an advent,
and ever since you were formed, you have been making straight for it.
وَلِلمَرءِand a person has عِندَat the time of المَوتِdeath كَربٌanguish وَغُصَّةٌand a choking pang
وَلِلمَرءِ عِندَ المَوتِ كَربٌ وَغُصَّةٌ
إِذاas; when مَرَّتِpass الساعاتُthe hours قَرَّبنَthey bring near بُعدَهاits distant point; its remoteness
إِذا مَرَّتِ الساعاتُ قَرَّبنَ بُعدَها
At death, a person suffers anguish and a choking pang,
and as the hours pass, they draw that distant moment near.
لَكَmay you have الخَيرُgood أَمّاas for كُلُّevery نَفسٍsoul فَإِنَّهاthen surely it
لَكَ الخَيرُ أَمّا كُلُّ نَفسٍ فَإِنَّها
تَموتُwill die وَإِنeven though حادَتit swerves aside عَنِfrom المَوتِdeath جُهدَهاwith all its might
تَموتُ وَإِن حادَت عَنِ المَوتِ جُهدَها
May good be yours! As for every soul, surely it
will die, though it swerve from death with all its might.
سَتُسلِمُكَwill hand you over السَعاتُthe hours فيduring بَعضِone of مَرِّهاtheir passages
سَتُسلِمُكَ السَعاتُ في بَعضِ مَرِّها
إِلىto ساعَةٍan hour لاno ساعَةٌhour لَكَremains for you بَعدَهاafter it
إِلى ساعَةٍ لا ساعَةٌ لَكَ بَعدَها
The hours, in one of their passages, will hand you over
to an hour after which no hour remains for you.
وَتَحتَand beneath الثَرىthe earth or soil مِنّيbelonging to me وَمِنكَand belonging to you وَدائِعٌtrusts laid in the earth; buried loved ones
وَتَحتَ الثَرى مِنّي وَمِنكَ وَدائِعٌ
قَريبَةُrecent; only lately placed there عَهدٍin acquaintance or time إِنif تَذَكَّرتَyou remember عَهدَهاyour bond or time with them
قَريبَةُ عَهدٍ إِن تَذَكَّرتَ عَهدَها
Beneath the earth lie trusts belonging to me and you,
only recently laid there, if you remember your bond with them.
مَدَدتَthey—the buried ones—stretched المُنىtheir hopes and wishes طولاًlengthwise; far وَعَرضاًand breadthwise; wide وَإِنَّهاand yet indeed they—the buried ones
مَدَدتَ المُنى طولاً وَعَرضاً وَإِنَّها
لَتَدعوكَsurely call or urge you أَنto تَهداbe guided aright وَأَنand to لاnot تَمُدَّهاstretch or prolong them—the hopes
لَتَدعوكَ أَن تَهدا وَأَن لا تَمُدَّها
They once stretched their hopes far and wide, yet they
surely call you to be guided and not to stretch such hopes.
وَمالَتand it has inclined بِكَyou الدُنياthe world إِلىtoward اللَهوِdiversion and amusement وَالصِباand youthful folly
وَمالَت بِكَ الدُنيا إِلى اللَهوِ وَالصِبا
وَمَنand whoever مالَتِis inclined or swayed الدُنياby the world بِهِby it كانَbecomes عَبدَهاits slave
وَمَن مالَتِ الدُنيا بِهِ كانَ عَبدَها
The world has drawn you toward diversion and youthful folly,
and whoever is swayed by the world becomes its slave.
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle reinforcing “when” صَدَقتَyou deal honestly with النَفسَthe soul أَكثَرتَyou heap up ذَمَّهاyour censure of it
إِذا ما صَدَقتَ النَفسَ أَكثَرتَ ذَمَّها
وَأَكثَرتَand you increase شَكواهاyour complaints of it وَأَقلَلتَand you lessen حَمدَهاyour praise of it
وَأَكثَرتَ شَكواها وَأَقلَلتَ حَمدَها
When you deal honestly with the soul, you heap blame upon it,
complain much of it, and praise it little.
بِنَفسِكَto your own soul قَبلَbefore الناسِother people فَاعنَso attend and devote your care فَإِنَّهاfor indeed it—the soul
بِنَفسِكَ قَبلَ الناسِ فَاعنَ فَإِنَّها
تَموتُit—the soul—dies إِذاwhen ماتَتit—the soul—dies وَتُبعَثُand it is raised from death وَحدَهاalone
تَموتُ إِذا ماتَت وَتُبعَثُ وَحدَها
Attend to your own soul before other people, for it
dies when it dies and is raised alone.
وَماand nothing is كُلُّall of ماwhat خُوِّلتَyou have been granted إِلّاanything but وَديعَةًa trust or deposit
وَما كُلُّ ما خُوِّلتَ إِلّا وَديعَةً
وَلَنand will not تَذهَبَpass away الأَيامُthe days حَتّىuntil; before تَرُدَّهاyou return it
وَلَن تَذهَبَ الأَيامُ حَتّى تَرُدَّها
All that you have been granted is merely a trust,
and the days will not pass away before you return it.
إِذاwhenever أَذكَرَتكَreminds you النَفسُthe soul دِنياًof a world دَنِيَّةًlowly and contemptible
إِذا أَذكَرَتكَ النَفسُ دِنياً دَنِيَّةً
فَلاthen do not تَنسَforget رَوضاتيthe gardens الجِنانِof Paradise وَخُلدَهاand their eternity
فَلا تَنسَ رَوضاتي الجِنانِ وَخُلدَها
Whenever the soul reminds you of a lowly world,
do not forget the gardens of Paradise and their eternity.
أَلَستَdo you not تَرىsee الدُنياthe world وَتَنغيصَand its embittering عَيشِهاof its life
أَلَستَ تَرى الدُنيا وَتَنغيصَ عَيشِها
وَأَتعابَهاand its weariness and hardships لِلمُكثِرينَfor those who amass much وَكَدَّهاand its grinding toil
وَأَتعابَها لِلمُكثِرينَ وَكَدَّها
Do you not see the world, how it embitters life,
how it wearies those who amass much, and what grinding toil it brings?
وَأَدنىand the nearest بَنيamong the children الدُنياof this world إِلىto الغَيِّerror and ruin وَالعَمىand blindness
وَأَدنى بَني الدُنيا إِلى الغَيِّ وَالعَمى
لَمَنis surely the one who يَبتَغيseeks مِنهاfrom it سَناهاits radiance وَمَجدَهاand its glory
لَمَن يَبتَغي مِنها سَناها وَمَجدَها
Of all this world’s children, the nearest to error and blindness
is the one who seeks from it its radiance and glory.
وَلَوand if لَمnot تُصِبyou obtained مِنهاfrom it فُضولاًsuperfluities or luxuries أَصَبتَهاyou would have dealt rightly with it
وَلَو لَم تُصِب مِنها فُضولاً أَصَبتَها
إِذاًthen; in that case لَمyou would not تَجِدfind or feel وَالحَمدُand praise لِلَّهِbelongs to God فَقدَهاits loss
إِذاً لَم تَجِد وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ فَقدَها
Had you taken none of its superfluities, you would have dealt rightly with it;
then you would not feel its loss—and praise be to God.
إِذاif النَفسُthe soul لَمdoes not تَصرِفturn itself away عَنِfrom الحِرصِgreed جُهدَهاwith all its might
إِذا النَفسُ لَم تَصرِف عَنِ الحِرصِ جُهدَها
إِذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle reinforcing “whenever” دَعاهاit—greed—calls her أَضرَعَmakes abject and humbles الحِرصُgreed خَدَّهاher cheek
إِذا ما دَعاها أَضرَعَ الحِرصُ خَدَّها
If the soul does not turn from greed with all its might,
whenever greed calls her, it will humble her cheek.
هَوىthe desire or passion النَفسِof the soul فيfor الدُنياthis world إِلىuntil أَنthat تَغولَهاit—the world—destroys her
هَوى النَفسِ في الدُنيا إِلى أَن تَغولَها
كَماjust as غالَتِengulfed and destroyed الدُنياthe world أَباهاher father وَجَدَّهاand her grandfather
كَما غالَتِ الدُنيا أَباها وَجَدَّها
The soul’s desire for this world endures until the world destroys her,
just as the world destroyed her father and grandfather.
Sol 5.6