إِنif كُنتَyou are تَطمَعُyou long فيfor الحَياةِlife فَهاتِthen bring forth
إِن كُنتَ تَطمَعُ في الحَياةِ فَهاتِ
كَمhow many مِنof أَبٍa forefather لَكَof yours صارَbecame فيamong الأَمواتِthe dead
كَم مِن أَبٍ لَكَ صارَ في الأَمواتِ
If you long for life, then tell me:
If you aspire to live, bring forth
how many a forefather of yours has joined the dead!
How many a father has passed away
ماhow أَقرَبَnear الشَيءِthe thing الجَديدَnew مِنَto البِلىdecay
ما أَقرَبَ الشَيءِ الجَديدَ مِنَ البِلى
يَوماًone day وَأَسرَعَand how swift كُلَّall ماthat هُوَit آتِcoming
يَوماً وَأَسرَعَ كُلَّ ما هُوَ آتِ
How near a new thing is to decay
How near is the new thing to decay
one day—and how swift is all that is to come!
One day and swiftest of all to pass away
اللَيلُthe night يَعمَلُworks وَالنَهارُand the day وَنَحنُwhile we عَمof
اللَيلُ يَعمَلُ وَالنَهارُ وَنَحنُ عَم
ماwhat يَعمَلانِthey both do بِأَغفَلِin the deepest الغَفلاتِheedlessness
ما يَعمَلانِ بِأَغفَلِ الغَفلاتِ
Night and day are at work, while we, of
Night works and day while we in heedlessness
what they do, are utterly heedless.
Do what they work in most heedlessness
ياO ذاyou الَّذيwho اِتَّخَذَtook الزَمانَtime مَطِيَّةًa mount
يا ذا الَّذي اِتَّخَذَ الزَمانَ مَطِيَّةً
وَخُطاand the steps الزَمانِof time كَثيرَةُfull of العَثَراتِstumbles
وَخُطا الزَمانِ كَثيرَةُ العَثَراتِ
O you who have taken time as a mount,
O you who made time your steed
yet time's steps are full of stumbles!
And time's terrain full of stumbling-places
ماذاwhat تَقولُwill you say وَلَيسَand there is no عِندَكَat your disposal حُجَّةٌdefense
ماذا تَقولُ وَلَيسَ عِندَكَ حُجَّةٌ
لَوif قَدindeed أَتاكَhas come to you مُنَغِّصُthe spoiler of اللَذّاتِpleasures
لَو قَد أَتاكَ مُنَغِّصُ اللَذّاتِ
What will you say, when you have no defense,
What do you say and you have no argument
should the spoiler of pleasures come to you?
If the spoiler of pleasures came to you
أَوor ماwhat تَقولُwill you say إِذاwhen حَلَلتَyou settle مَحَلَّةًan abode
أَو ما تَقولُ إِذا حَلَلتَ مَحَلَّةً
لَيسَare not الثِقاتُthe trustworthy لَأَهلِهاfor its inhabitants بِثِقاتِtrustworthy
لَيسَ الثِقاتُ لَأَهلِها بِثِقاتِ
Or what will you say when you enter an abode
Or what do you say if you came to dwell
where even the trustworthy cannot be relied on by its people?
In a place not safe for its people
أَوor ماwhat تَقولُwill you say إِذاwhen حَلَلتَyou settle مَحَلَّةًan abode
أَو ما تَقولُ إِذا حَلَلتَ مَحَلَّةً
لَيسَare not الثِقاتُthe trustworthy لِأَهلِهاfor its inhabitants بِثِقاتِtrustworthy
لَيسَ الثِقاتُ لِأَهلِها بِثِقاتِ
Or what will you say when you enter an abode
Or what do you say if you came to dwell
where even the trustworthy cannot be relied on by its people?
In a place not safe for its people
أَوor ماwhat تَقولُwill you say وَلَيسَand is not حُكمُكَyour decree نافِذاًeffective
أَو ما تَقولُ وَلَيسَ حُكمُكَ نافِذاً
فيماconcerning what تُخَلِّفُهُyou leave it behind مِنَof التَرِكاتِthe estates
فيما تُخَلِّفُهُ مِنَ التَرِكاتِ
Or what will you say when your decree has no force
Or what do you say and your rule not enforced
over the estates you leave behind?
In what you leave behind of inheritances
ماnot مَنone who أَحَبَّloved رِضاكَyour favor عَنكَfrom you بِخارِجٍdeparting
ما مَن أَحَبَّ رِضاكَ عَنكَ بِخارِجٍ
حَتّىuntil تَقَطَّعَis torn apart نَفسُهُhis soul حَسَراتِsorrows
حَتّى تَقَطَّعَ نَفسُهُ حَسَراتِ
No one who loved your favor will leave you
None loved your pleasure at the price
until his soul is torn apart with grief.
Of rending his soul with regrets
زُرتَyou visited القُبورَthe graves قُبورَgraves أَهلَpeople of المُلكِsovereignty فيin الـthe
زُرتَ القُبورَ قُبورَ أَهلَ المُلكِ في الـ
ـدُنياworld وَأَهلِand people of الرَتعِreveling فيin الشَهَواتِsensual desires
ـدُنيا وَأَهلِ الرَتعِ في الشَهَواتِ
You visited the graves—graves of those who ruled in the
You visited the graves, the graves of kings
world, and of those who reveled in sensual desires.
Of luxury in the world, and people of dissipation
كانواthey were مُلوكَkings of مَآكِلٍfoods وَمَشارِبٍand drinks
كانوا مُلوكَ مَآكِلٍ وَمَشارِبٍ
وَمَلابِسٍand clothing وَرَوائِحٍand scents عَطِراتِfragrant
وَمَلابِسٍ وَرَوائِحٍ عَطِراتِ
They were kings of food and drink,
They were kings of foods and drinks
and clothing and fragrant scents.
And clothes, perfumes and sweet scents
فَإِذاthen behold بِأَجسادٍbodies عَرينَstripped bare مِنَof الكِساclothing
فَإِذا بِأَجسادٍ عَرينَ مِنَ الكِسا
وَبِأَوجِهٍand faces فيin التُربِthe dust مُنعَفِراتِdust-covered
وَبِأَوجِهٍ في التُربِ مُنعَفِراتِ
Then behold: bodies stripped of clothing,
And lo, bodies bare of clothes
and faces begrimed in the dust.
And faces in the soil disfigured
لَمdid not تُبقِleave مِنهاof them الأَرضُthe earth غَيرَother than جَماجِمٍskulls
لَم تُبقِ مِنها الأَرضُ غَيرَ جَماجِمٍ
بيضٍwhite تَلوحُgleaming وَأَعظُمٍand bones نَخِراتِdecayed
بيضٍ تَلوحُ وَأَعظُمٍ نَخِراتِ
The earth has left nothing of them but skulls,
Earth left of them only skulls
white and gleaming, and decayed bones.
White, gleaming, and bones decayed
إِنَّindeed المَقابِرَthe graveyards ماas far as عَلِمتُI know لِمَنظَرٌsurely a sight
إِنَّ المَقابِرَ ما عَلِمتُ لِمَنظَرٌ
يُهديbrings الشَجاsorrow وَيُهَيِّجُand stirs العَبَراتِtears
يُهدي الشَجا وَيُهَيِّجُ العَبَراتِ
Indeed, graveyards, as I have found, are a sight
Truly the tombs, I knew not are a spectacle
that brings sorrow and stirs tears.
That melts the firm and excites tears
سُبحانَglory be to مَنHim who قَهرَsubdued العِبادَthe servants بِقُدرَةٍwith power
سُبحانَ مَن قَهرَ العِبادَ بِقُدرَةٍ
باريCreator of السُكونِstillness وَناشِرِand spreader of الحَركاتِmotions
باري السُكونِ وَناشِرِ الحَركاتِ
Glory to Him who subdued His servants by His power,
Glory to Him who subdued servants by might
Creator of stillness and spreader of motion.
Maker of stillness, spreader of motions
Sol 6.1