طالَما اِحلَولى مَعاشي وَطابا

طالَما اِحلَولى مَعاشي وَطابا

طالَما سَحَّبتُ خَلفي الثِيابا

طالَما سَحَّبتُ خَلفي الثِيابا

For so long my life was sweet and pleasant.

For long my living was bliss and joy,

For so long I trailed my garments behind me.

For long I dragged robes behind me.

طالَما طاوَعتُ جَهلي وَلَهوي

طالَما طاوَعتُ جَهلي وَلَهوي

طالَما نازَعتُ صَحبي الشَرابا

طالَما نازَعتُ صَحبي الشَرابا

For so long I obeyed my ignorance and idle pleasures.

For long I obeyed my ignorance and lust,

For so long I shared wine with my companions.

For long with my friends I was given to wine.

طالَما كُنتُ أُحِبُّ التَصابي

طالَما كُنتُ أُحِبُّ التَصابي

فَرَماني سَهمُهُ وَأَصابا

فَرَماني سَهمُهُ وَأَصابا

For so long I loved youthful dalliance.

For long I loved diversion; then it cast me down, smitten.

Then its arrow struck me and hit its mark.

For long have I built lofty palaces,

أَيُّها الباني قُصوراً طِوالاً

أَيُّها الباني قُصوراً طِوالاً

أَينَ تَبغي هَل تُريدُ السَحابا

أَينَ تَبغي هَل تُريدُ السَحابا

O you who build tall palaces,

Where do you seek? Do you wish for the clouds?

Where are you aiming? Do you seek the clouds?

You are but in the valley of death.

إِنَّما أَنتَ بِوادي المَنايا

إِنَّما أَنتَ بِوادي المَنايا

إِن رَماكَ المَوتُ فيهِ أَصابا

إِن رَماكَ المَوتُ فيهِ أَصابا

You are merely in the valley of death;

If death smites you there, it has struck home.

If death shoots at you there, it will hit its mark.

O builder of edifices for the hours to lay low,

أَيُّها الباني لِهَدمِ اللَيالي

أَيُّها الباني لِهَدمِ اللَيالي

إِبنِ ما شِئتَ سَتَلقى خَرابا

إِبنِ ما شِئتَ سَتَلقى خَرابا

O you who build for the nights to tear down,

Build what you will; all shall encounter decay.

Build whatever you wish: you will meet with ruin.

Did you feel secure against death who refuses

أَأَمِنتَ المَوتَ وَالمَوتُ يَأبى

أَأَمِنتَ المَوتَ وَالمَوتُ يَأبى

بِكَ وَالأَيّامُ إِلّا انقِلابا

بِكَ وَالأَيّامُ إِلّا انقِلابا

Have you felt safe from death, though death refuses,

To allow you be?—and against Time with its changes?

Along with the days, to grant you anything but upheaval?

Do you see this world with the eye of insight?

هَل تَرى الدُنيا بِعَينَي بَصيرٍ

هَل تَرى الدُنيا بِعَينَي بَصيرٍ

إِنَّما الدُنيا تُحاكي السَرابا

إِنَّما الدُنيا تُحاكي السَرابا

Do you see the world through a discerning person's eyes?

The world is but a mirage of the desert.

The world merely resembles a mirage.

The world is but a covering that, once lifted, disappears.

إِنَّما الدُنيا كَفَيءٍ تَوَلّى

إِنَّما الدُنيا كَفَيءٍ تَوَلّى

أَو كَما عايَنتَ فيهِ الضَبابا

أَو كَما عايَنتَ فيهِ الضَبابا

The world is only like a shadow that has passed,

Or it is like the errors you note in a fog.

Or like the mist you have beheld within it.

The flame of death among the people glows hot,

نارُ هَذا المَوتِ في الناسِ طُرّاً

نارُ هَذا المَوتِ في الناسِ طُرّاً

كُلَّ يَومٍ قَد تَزيدُ التِهابا

كُلَّ يَومٍ قَد تَزيدُ التِهابا

The fire of this death among people, one and all,

Each day increasing the heat of its blaze.

Burns more fiercely with every passing day.

The world is but trial and deceit,

إِنَّما الدُنيا بَلاءٌ وَكَدٌّ

إِنَّما الدُنيا بَلاءٌ وَكَدٌّ

وَاكتِئابٌ قَد يَسوقُ اِكتِئابا

وَاكتِئابٌ قَد يَسوقُ اِكتِئابا

The world is only affliction and toil,

Sorrow and gloom leading to sorrow again.

And sorrow that may bring yet more sorrow.

No sage continued to relish living in it

ما استَطابَ العَيشَ فيها حَليمٌ

ما استَطابَ العَيشَ فيها حَليمٌ

لا وَلا دامَ لَهُ ما اِستَطابا

لا وَلا دامَ لَهُ ما اِستَطابا

No wise person has found life in it pleasant;

Unless he had in it what he relished.

No, nor has what he found pleasant lasted for him.

O man refusing to leave frivolity and youth in it,

أَيُّها المَرءُ الَّذي قَد أَبى أَن

أَيُّها المَرءُ الَّذي قَد أَبى أَن

يَهجُرَ اللَهوَ بِها وَالشَبابا

يَهجُرَ اللَهوَ بِها وَالشَبابا

O mortal who has refused to

And building lofty mansions and edifices,

Forsake amusement and youth within it,

And structures above structures piled high!

وَبَنى فيها قُصوراً وَدوراً

وَبَنى فيها قُصوراً وَدوراً

وَبَنى بَعدَ القِبابِ القِبابا

وَبَنى بَعدَ القِبابِ القِبابا

And has built palaces and houses within it,

And finding ugly things to be beautiful,

And built dome after dome,

Choosing for sin only to commit it!

وَرَأى كُلَّ قَبيحٍ جَميلاً

وَرَأى كُلَّ قَبيحٍ جَميلاً

وَأَبى لِلغَيِّ إِلّا ارتِكابا

وَأَبى لِلغَيِّ إِلّا ارتِكابا

And has seen every ugly thing as beautiful,

You are in a house with death in it,

And insisted on nothing but committing wrongdoing:

Subduing even the necks of kings.

أَنتَ في دارٍ تَرى المَوتَ فيها

أَنتَ في دارٍ تَرى المَوتَ فيها

مُستَشيطاً قَد أَذَلَّ الرِقابا

مُستَشيطاً قَد أَذَلَّ الرِقابا

You are in an abode where you see death

The world at the end offers only loss

Raging, having brought necks low.

To all who live, except for death.

أَبَتِ الدُنيا عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ

أَبَتِ الدُنيا عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ

آخِرَ الأَيّامِ إِلّا ذَهابا

آخِرَ الأَيّامِ إِلّا ذَهابا

The world insists, for every living being,

Death only negates life; just as old age

At the end of their days, on nothing but departure.

Negates the youth that went before.

إِنَّما تَنفي الحَياةَ المَنايا

إِنَّما تَنفي الحَياةَ المَنايا

مِثلَما يَنفي المَشيبُ الشَبابا

مِثلَما يَنفي المَشيبُ الشَبابا

Death alone banishes life,

I see the world bringing harm and woe

Just as gray hair banishes youth.

To all who live in it, and them it scorches.

ما أَرى الدُنيا عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ

ما أَرى الدُنيا عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ

نالَها إِلّا أَذىً وَعَذابا

نالَها إِلّا أَذىً وَعَذابا

I see the world, for every living being

While man is strong and well, his day

Who attains it, as nothing but harm and torment.

Summons him and he answers.

بَينَما الإِنسانُ حَيٌّ قَويٌّ

بَينَما الإِنسانُ حَيٌّ قَويٌّ

إِذ دَعاهُ يَومُهُ فَأَجابا

إِذ دَعاهُ يَومُهُ فَأَجابا

While a human being is alive and strong,

Yet death is a momentous thing;

Suddenly his day calls him, and he answers.

It empties mansions and leaves them ruined.

غَيرَ أَنَّ المَوتَ شَيءٌ جَليلٌ

غَيرَ أَنَّ المَوتَ شَيءٌ جَليلٌ

يَترُكُ الدورَ يَباباً خَرابا

يَترُكُ الدورَ يَباباً خَرابا

Yet death is a momentous thing:

What life in it, for those who live in it, lasted?

It leaves houses desolate and ruined.

What life in it has not abated?

أَيُّ عَيشٍ دامَ فيها لِحَيٍّ

أَيُّ عَيشٍ دامَ فيها لِحَيٍّ

أَيُّ حَيٍّ ماتَ فيها فَآبا

أَيُّ حَيٍّ ماتَ فيها فَآبا

What life in it has lasted for any living being?

What kingdom was there for a people before us,

What living being has died in it and returned?

That they did not ruin and snatch away?

أَيُّ مُلكٍ كانَ فيها لِقَومٍ

أَيُّ مُلكٍ كانَ فيها لِقَومٍ

قَبلَنا لَم يُسلَبوهُ استِلابا

قَبلَنا لَم يُسلَبوهُ استِلابا

What kingdom did any people have in it

The herald of death cries out,

Before us, that was not utterly wrested from them?

“Pack up and prepare your provisions!”

إِنَّما داعي المَنايا يُنادي

إِنَّما داعي المَنايا يُنادي

إِحمِلوا الزادَ وَشُدّوا الرِكابا

إِحمِلوا الزادَ وَشُدّوا الرِكابا

Death's herald simply calls out:

The Merciful made the lives of all creatures

“Take provisions and saddle the riding camels.”

Among themselves prey for each other.

جَعَلَ الرَحمَنُ بَينَ المَنايا

جَعَلَ الرَحمَنُ بَينَ المَنايا

أَنفُسَ الخَلقِ جَميعاً نِهابا

أَنفُسَ الخَلقِ جَميعاً نِهابا

The Most Merciful has made, among the deaths,

Would that I knew! Will my tongue avail me

The souls of all creation spoils to be plundered.

When I am asked and must make reply?

لَيتَ شِعري عَن لِساني أَيَقوى

لَيتَ شِعري عَن لِساني أَيَقوى

يَومَ عَرضي أَن يَرُدَّ الجَوابا

يَومَ عَرضي أَن يَرُدَّ الجَوابا

Would that I knew: will my tongue be able

Would that I knew if my hand will be given

On the day I am presented, to give an answer?

My book, or if it be on my left!

لَيتَ شِعري بِيَمينِيَ أُعطى

لَيتَ شِعري بِيَمينِيَ أُعطى

أَم شِمالي عِندَ ذاكَ الكِتابا

أَم شِمالي عِندَ ذاكَ الكِتابا

Would that I knew: will I be given, in my right hand,

Forgive the people! For I see them now

Or my left, the book at that moment?

As though they were wolves, all but a few.

سامِحِ الناسَ فَإِنّي أَراهُم

سامِحِ الناسَ فَإِنّي أَراهُم

أَصبَحوا إِلّا قَليلاً ذِئابا

أَصبَحوا إِلّا قَليلاً ذِئابا

Be forgiving toward people, for I see that they

Do good among them, do it abundantly,

Have become wolves, save for a few.

Yet seek no reward from them for doing it.

أَفشِ مَعروفَكَ فيهِم وَأَكثِر

أَفشِ مَعروفَكَ فيهِم وَأَكثِر

ثُمَّ لا تَبغِ عَلَيهِ ثَوابا

ثُمَّ لا تَبغِ عَلَيهِ ثَوابا

Spread your kindness among them, and give more;

And when you fear poverty, then pray

Then seek no reward for it.

To Him who grants gracious gifts abundantly.

وَسَلِ اللَهَ إِذا خِفتَ فَقراً

وَسَلِ اللَهَ إِذا خِفتَ فَقراً

فَهوَ يُعطيكَ العَطايا الرِغابا

فَهوَ يُعطيكَ العَطايا الرِغابا

And ask God when you fear poverty,

For He gives you bountiful gifts.