هُوَ المَوتُ فَاصنَع كُلَّما أَنتَ صانِعُ

هُوَ المَوتُ فَاصنَع كُلَّما أَنتَ صانِعُ

وَأَنتَ لِكَأسِ المَوتِ لا بُدَّ جارِعُ

وَأَنتَ لِكَأسِ المَوتِ لا بُدَّ جارِعُ

It is death—so do whatever you will;

It is death, so do all that you can do

and you must drink from death's cup.

For you must drink the cup of death, inevitably

أَلا أَيُّها المَرءُ المُخادِعُ نَفسَهُ

أَلا أَيُّها المَرءُ المُخادِعُ نَفسَهُ

رُوَيداً أَتَدري مَن أَراكَ تُخادِعُ

رُوَيداً أَتَدري مَن أَراكَ تُخادِعُ

Listen, O man who deceives himself,

O man who deceives himself, gently, gently

Easy now—do you know whom I see you deceiving?

Do you know who it is you are deceiving?

وَياجامِعَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِ بَلاغِهِ

وَياجامِعَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِ بَلاغِهِ

سَتَترُكُها فَانظُر لِمَن أَنتَ جامِعُ

سَتَترُكُها فَانظُر لِمَن أَنتَ جامِعُ

And you who gather worldly wealth beyond your needs,

O gatherer of the world for other than its purpose

you will leave it; consider for whom you are gathering.

You will leave it so see for whom you gather

فَكَم قَد رَأَينا الجامِعينَ قَدَ اِصبَحَت

فَكَم قَد رَأَينا الجامِعينَ قَدَ اِصبَحَت

لَهُم بَينَ أَطباقِ التُرابِ مَضاجِعُ

لَهُم بَينَ أَطباقِ التُرابِ مَضاجِعُ

For we have seen so many hoarders—there are now

How many gatherers we have seen who have become

beds for them between the layers of earth.

Lying between layers of dust upon their couches

لَوَ أَنَّ ذَوي الأَبصارِ يَرعونَ كُلَّ ما

لَوَ أَنَّ ذَوي الأَبصارِ يَرعونَ كُلَّ ما

يَرَونَ لَما جَفَّت لِعَينٍ مَدامِعُ

يَرَونَ لَما جَفَّت لِعَينٍ مَدامِعُ

If those with sight heeded all that

If those with vision watched all that

they see, no eye's tears would ever dry.

They see, no eye would remain dry of tears

طَغى الناسُ مِن بَعدِ النَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

طَغى الناسُ مِن بَعدِ النَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَقَد دَرَسَت بَعدَ النَبِيِّ الشَرائِعُ

فَقَد دَرَسَت بَعدَ النَبِيِّ الشَرائِعُ

The people have transgressed since the Prophet Muhammad;

After Prophet Muhammad, people have transgressed

for after the Prophet, the sacred laws have faded away.

So the laws have been erased after the Prophet

وَصارَت بُطونُ المُرمِلاتِ خَميصَةً

وَصارَت بُطونُ المُرمِلاتِ خَميصَةً

وَأَيتامُها مِنهُم طَريدٌ وَجائِعُ

وَأَيتامُها مِنهُم طَريدٌ وَجائِعُ

And the bellies of destitute women have grown hollow,

The wombs of the abstainers have become empty

and among their orphans are the outcast and the hungry.

While their orphans are exiled and hungry

وَإِنَّ بُطونَ المُكثِراتِ كَأَنَّما

وَإِنَّ بُطونَ المُكثِراتِ كَأَنَّما

يُنَقنِقُ في أَجوافِهِنَّ الضَفادِعُ

يُنَقنِقُ في أَجوافِهِنَّ الضَفادِعُ

And the bellies of wealthy women are as though

As for the wombs of the over-indulgers, they are as if

frogs were croaking in their innards.

Frogs are suffocating in their insides

فَما يَعرِفُ العَطشانُ مَن طالَ رِيُّهُ

فَما يَعرِفُ العَطشانُ مَن طالَ رِيُّهُ

وَما يَعرِفُ الشَبعانُ مَن هُوَ جائِعُ

وَما يَعرِفُ الشَبعانُ مَن هُوَ جائِعُ

So the thirsty do not know one whose thirst has long been quenched,

The quenched one knows not the one whose thirst is prolonged

and the well-fed do not know one who is hungry.

Nor does the sated one know the hungry one

وَتَصريفُ هَذا الخَلقِ لِلَّهِ وَحدَهُ

وَتَصريفُ هَذا الخَلقِ لِلَّهِ وَحدَهُ

وَكُلٌّ إِلَيهِ لا مَحالَةَ راجِعُ

وَكُلٌّ إِلَيهِ لا مَحالَةَ راجِعُ

And the governance of this creation belongs to God alone,

The affairs of these creatures belong to Allah alone

and all will return to Him without fail.

Each will inevitably return to Him

وَلِلَّهِ في الدُنيا أَعاجيبُ جَمَّةً

وَلِلَّهِ في الدُنيا أَعاجيبُ جَمَّةً

تَدُلُّ عَلى تَدبيرِهِ وَبَدائيعُ

تَدُلُّ عَلى تَدبيرِهِ وَبَدائيعُ

And God has abundant wonders in this world,

For Allah there are in the world many wonders

and marvels that bear witness to His design.

That point to His wisdom and ingenuity

وَلِلَّهِ أَسرارُ الأُمورِ وَإِن جَرَت

وَلِلَّهِ أَسرارُ الأُمورِ وَإِن جَرَت

بِها ظاهِراً بَينَ العِبادِ المَنافِعُ

بِها ظاهِراً بَينَ العِبادِ المَنافِعُ

And to God belong the secrets of affairs, though there flow

To Allah belong the mysteries of all matters though

through them, openly among His servants, benefits.

Outwardly the benefits may appear amidst people

وَلِلَّهِ أَحكامُ القَضاءِ بِعِلمِهِ

وَلِلَّهِ أَحكامُ القَضاءِ بِعِلمِهِ

أَلا فَهوَ مُعطٍ مَن يَشاءُ وَمانِعُ

أَلا فَهوَ مُعطٍ مَن يَشاءُ وَمانِعُ

And to God belong the decrees of fate, by His knowledge.

To Allah belong the rulings of destiny, by His knowledge

Behold: He gives to whom He wills, and withholds.

He gives whom He wills, and He withholds

إِذا ضَنَّ مَن تَرجو عَلَيكَ بِنَفعِهِ

إِذا ضَنَّ مَن تَرجو عَلَيكَ بِنَفعِهِ

فَدَعهُ فَإِنَّ الرِزقَ في الأَرضِ واسِعُ

فَدَعهُ فَإِنَّ الرِزقَ في الأَرضِ واسِعُ

If one you look to begrudges you his help,

If one you hope for is stingy with his bounty toward you

then leave him, for sustenance is abundant on earth.

Then leave him, for sustenance in the earth is plentiful

وَمَن كانَتِ الدُنيا هَواهُ وَهَمَّهُ

وَمَن كانَتِ الدُنيا هَواهُ وَهَمَّهُ

سَبَتهُ المُنى وَاستَعبَدَتهُ المَطامِعُ

سَبَتهُ المُنى وَاستَعبَدَتهُ المَطامِعُ

And whoever's passion and concern are this world,

Whoever makes the world his passion and concern

wishes take him captive, and cravings enslave him.

Will be enslaved by death and greedy ambitions

وَمَن عَقَلَ اِستَحيا وَأَكرَمَ نَفسَهُ

وَمَن عَقَلَ اِستَحيا وَأَكرَمَ نَفسَهُ

وَمَن قَنِعَ استَغنى فَهَل أَنتَ قانِعُ

وَمَن قَنِعَ استَغنى فَهَل أَنتَ قانِعُ

And whoever has sense shows modesty and honors himself;

Whoever uses intellect becomes reverent and honors himself

and whoever is content needs no more—so are you content?

Whoever is content becomes self-sufficient - are you content?

لِكُلِّ امرِئٍ رَأيانِ رَأيٌ يَكُفُّهُ

لِكُلِّ امرِئٍ رَأيانِ رَأيٌ يَكُفُّهُ

عَنِ الشَيءِ أَحياناً وَرَأيٌ يُنازِعُ

عَنِ الشَيءِ أَحياناً وَرَأيٌ يُنازِعُ

Every person has two views: one holds him back

For every person there are two opinions: one that

from something at times, while another pulls the other way.

Dissuades him from something, another that disputes