أَفنىconsumed شَبابَكَyour youth كَرُّrepeated motion الطَرفِthe eye وَالنَفسِand breath
أَفنى شَبابَكَ كَرُّ الطَرفِ وَالنَفسِ
فَالمَوتُfor death مُقتَرِبٌdrawing near وَالدَهرُand time ذوpossessing خُلَسِstealthy thefts
فَالمَوتُ مُقتَرِبٌ وَالدَهرُ ذو خُلَسِ
Blink after blink and breath after breath have consumed your youth;
For death draws near, and time is full of stealthy thefts.
لاdo not تَأمَنِfeel safe from المَوتَdeath فيin طَرفٍa blink وَلاnor نَفَسٍa breath
لا تَأمَنِ المَوتَ في طَرفٍ وَلا نَفَسٍ
وَإِنand even if تَمَنَّعتَyou protect yourself بِالحُجّابِwith doorkeepers وَالحَرَسِand guards
وَإِن تَمَنَّعتَ بِالحُجّابِ وَالحَرَسِ
Do not feel safe from death for a blink or a breath,
Even if you shelter behind doorkeepers and guards.
فَماfor ... not تَزالُcease سِهامُthe arrows of المَوتِdeath نافِذَةًpenetrating
فَما تَزالُ سِهامُ المَوتِ نافِذَةً
فيinto جَنبِthe flank of مُدَّرِعٍone clad in armor مِنهاagainst them وَمُتَّرِسِand one bearing a shield
في جَنبِ مُدَّرِعٍ مِنها وَمُتَّرِسِ
For death's arrows never cease to pierce
The flank of one armored against them and one bearing a shield.
أَراكَI see you لَستَyou are not بِوَقّافٍone who pauses وَلاnor حَذِرٍcautious
أَراكَ لَستَ بِوَقّافٍ وَلا حَذِرٍ
كَالحاطِبِlike the wood-gatherer الخابِطِstriking blindly الأَعوادَthe branches فيin الغَلَسِthe predawn gloom
كَالحاطِبِ الخابِطِ الأَعوادَ في الغَلَسِ
I see you neither pause nor take heed,
Like a wood-gatherer blindly striking branches in the predawn gloom.
تَرجوyou hope for النَجاةَsalvation وَلَمand have not تَسلُكfollow مَسالِكَهاits paths
تَرجو النَجاةَ وَلَم تَسلُك مَسالِكَها
إِنَّindeed السَفينَةَthe ship لاnot تَجريsails عَلىon اليَبَسِdry land
إِنَّ السَفينَةَ لا تَجري عَلى اليَبَسِ
You hope for salvation, yet have not followed its paths;
Indeed, a ship does not sail on dry land.
أَنّىhow لَكَfor you الصَحوُsobriety مِنfrom سُكرٍdrunkenness وَأَنتَwhile you مَتىwhenever
أَنّى لَكَ الصَحوُ مِن سُكرٍ وَأَنتَ مَتى
تَصِحُّyou recover مِنfrom سَكرَةٍa drunken spell تَغشاكَit overtakes you فيin نَكَسِa relapse
تَصِحُّ مِن سَكرَةٍ تَغشاكَ في نَكَسِ
How can you sober up from drunkenness, when every time
You recover from a drunken spell, it overtakes you in a relapse?
ماwhat بالُthe matter with دينِكَyour faith تَرضىyou are content أَنto تُدَنِّسَهُdefile it
ما بالُ دينِكَ تَرضى أَن تُدَنِّسَهُ
وَثَوبُكَwhile your garment الدَهرَalways مَغسولٌwashed مِنَof الدَنَسِfilth
وَثَوبُكَ الدَهرَ مَغسولٌ مِنَ الدَنَسِ
Why are you content to defile your faith,
While your garment is always washed free of filth?
لاdo not تَأمَنِfeel safe from الحَتفَdeath فيماin what تَستَلِذُّyou find delightful وَإِنand even if
لا تَأمَنِ الحَتفَ فيما تَستَلِذُّ وَإِن
لانَتgrew soft مَلامِسَهُits surfaces فيin كَفِّthe palm of مُلتَمِسِa seeker
لانَت مَلامِسَهُ في كَفِّ مُلتَمِسِ
Do not feel safe from death in what delights you, even if
Its surfaces feel soft in the seeker's palm.
الحَمدُpraise لِلَّهِto God شُكراًin gratitude لاno شَريكَpartner لَهُto Him
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ شُكراً لا شَريكَ لَهُ
كَمhow many مِنof حَبيبٍa loved one مِنَamong الأَهلينَkinsfolk مُختَلَسِsnatched away
كَم مِن حَبيبٍ مِنَ الأَهلينَ مُختَلَسِ
Praise and thanks be to God; He has no partner.
How many a loved one among kinsfolk has been snatched away!
Sol 6.1