أَياO جامِعيgatherers of الدُنياthe world لِمَنfor whom تَجمَعونَهاyou gather it
أَيا جامِعي الدُنيا لِمَن تَجمَعونَها
وَتَبنونَand you build فيهاin it الدورَthe houses لاnot تَسكُنونَهاyou inhabit them
وَتَبنونَ فيها الدورَ لا تَسكُنونَها
O gatherers of worldly wealth, for whom do you gather it?
And you build houses in this world that you will not inhabit.
وَكَمand how many مِنof مُلوكٍkings قَدindeed رَأَيناwe have seen تَحَصَّنَتthey fortified themselves
وَكَم مِن مُلوكٍ قَد رَأَينا تَحَصَّنَت
فَعَطَّلَتِthen emptied الأَيّامُthe days مِنهاof them حُصونَهاtheir fortresses
فَعَطَّلَتِ الأَيّامُ مِنها حُصونَها
And how many kings we have seen fortify themselves,
Only for the days to leave their fortresses empty of them!
وَكَمand how many مِنof ظُنونٍexpectations لِلنُفوسِbelonging to souls كَثيرَةٍnumerous
وَكَم مِن ظُنونٍ لِلنُفوسِ كَثيرَةٍ
فَكَذَّبَتِthen belied الأَحداثُevents مِنهاof them ظُنونَهاtheir expectations
فَكَذَّبَتِ الأَحداثُ مِنها ظُنونَها
And how many expectations have filled people's souls,
Only for events to prove their expectations false!
وَإِنَّand indeed العُيونَthe eyes قَدmay تَرىsee غَيرَexcept أَنَّهُthat it
وَإِنَّ العُيونَ قَد تَرى غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
كَأَنَّas though القُلوبَthe hearts لَمdid not تُصَدِّقbelieve عُيونَهاtheir eyes
كَأَنَّ القُلوبَ لَم تُصَدِّق عُيونَها
And indeed the eyes may see, yet
It is as though hearts have not believed their eyes.
أَلاbehold رُبَّmany a آمالٍhopes إِذاwhen قيلَit is said قَدalready دَنَتthey have drawn near
أَلا رُبَّ آمالٍ إِذا قيلَ قَد دَنَت
رَأَيتَyou saw صُروفَthe vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime قَدalready حُلنَthey have intervened دونَهاin their way
رَأَيتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ قَد حُلنَ دونَها
Ah, many are the hopes that, when they are said to have drawn near,
You find barred by the vicissitudes of time.
أَياO آمِنَyou who feel safe from الأَيّامِthe days مُستَأنِساًtaking comfort بِهاin them
أَيا آمِنَ الأَيّامِ مُستَأنِساً بِها
كَأَنَّكَas though you قَدalready واجَهتَhave faced مِنهاamong them خُؤونَهاtheir treacherous one
كَأَنَّكَ قَد واجَهتَ مِنها خُؤونَها
O you who trust the days, finding comfort in them,
As though you had already faced the treacherous one among them.
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot تَنفَكُّyou cease تَهديyou escort جَنازَةًa corpse
لَعَمرُكَ ما تَنفَكُّ تَهدي جَنازَةً
إِلىto عَسكَرِthe army of الأَمواتِthe dead حَتّىuntil تَكونَهاyou become it
إِلى عَسكَرِ الأَمواتِ حَتّى تَكونَها
By your life, you never cease to escort a corpse
To the army of the dead, until you become one yourself.
ذَويO possessors of الوُدِّaffection مِنamong أَهلِthe people of القُبورِthe graves عَلَيكُمupon you
ذَوي الوُدِّ مِن أَهلِ القُبورِ عَلَيكُم
سَلامٌpeace أَماis there not مِنany دَعوَةٍcall تَسمَعونَهاyou hear it
سَلامٌ أَما مِن دَعوَةٍ تَسمَعونَها
O beloved ones among the people of the graves, upon you
Be peace! Is there no call that you can hear?
سَكَنتُمyou dwelt ظُهورَthe backs of الأَرضِthe earth حيناًfor a while بِنَضرَةٍin bloom
سَكَنتُم ظُهورَ الأَرضِ حيناً بِنَضرَةٍ
فَماbut not لَبِثَتit lasted حَتّىuntil سَكَنتُمyou dwelt بُطونَهاits bellies
فَما لَبِثَت حَتّى سَكَنتُم بُطونَها
You dwelt on the earth's back awhile, in life's bloom,
But it was not long before you dwelt within its belly.
وَكُنتُمand you were أُناساًpeople مِثلَناlike us فيon سَبيلِناour path
وَكُنتُم أُناساً مِثلَنا في سَبيلِنا
تَضِنّونَyou cling jealously بِالدُنياto the world وَتَستَحسِنونَهاand you find it beautiful
تَضِنّونَ بِالدُنيا وَتَستَحسِنونَها
And you were people like us, upon our path,
Clinging jealously to the world and finding it fair.
وَماand not زالَتِceased to be الدُنياthe world مَحَلَّa place of تَرَحُّلٍdeparture
وَما زالَتِ الدُنيا مَحَلَّ تَرَحُّلٍ
تَجوسُprowl المَناياdeaths سَهلَهاits level ground وَحُزونَهاand its rugged terrain
تَجوسُ المَنايا سَهلَها وَحُزونَها
And the world has always been a place of departure;
Death prowls across its plains and rugged ground.
وَقَدand indeed كانَthere were لِلدُنياfor the world قُرونٌgenerations كَثيرَةٌmany
وَقَد كانَ لِلدُنيا قُرونٌ كَثيرَةٌ
وَلَكِنَّand yet رَيبَthe calamities of الدَهرِtime أَفنىannihilated قُرونَهاits generations
وَلَكِنَّ رَيبَ الدَهرِ أَفنى قُرونَها
And the world has had many generations,
But time's ravages have wiped out its generations.
وَلِلناسِand for people آجالٌlifespans قِصارٌshort سَتَنقَضيwill end
وَلِلناسِ آجالٌ قِصارٌ سَتَنقَضي
وَلِلناسِand for people أَرزاقٌprovisions سَيَستَكمِلونَهاthey will receive them in full
وَلِلناسِ أَرزاقٌ سَيَستَكمِلونَها
And people have short lifespans that will end,
And people have provisions they will receive in full.
Sol 6.1