ياO نَفسُsoul أَنّىhow تُؤفَكيناyou are led astray
يا نَفسُ أَنّى تُؤفَكينا
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen لاnot تَرعَويناyou take heed
حَتّى مَتى لا تَرعَوينا
O soul, how are you led astray?
O soul, how long will you misguide me?
How long will you fail to take heed?
How long will you not take care of me?
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen لاnot تَعقِليyou understand (continued)
حَتّى مَتى لا تَعقِلي
نَcompletion of 'you understand' وَتَسمَعينَand you hear وَتُبصِريناand you see
نَ وَتَسمَعينَ وَتُبصِرينا
How long will you not understand,
How long will you not be reasonable?
though you hear and see?
You hear, see, and make me aware
أَصبَحتِyou have become أَطوَلَlongest مَنthose who مَضىpassed away
أَصبَحتِ أَطوَلَ مَن مَضى
أَمَلاًin hope وَأَضعَفَهُمand the weakest of them يَقيناin certainty
أَمَلاً وَأَضعَفَهُم يَقينا
You have come to surpass all who have passed away
You have become more hopeful than those gone by
in far-reaching hope, and are the weakest of them in certainty.
And weaker in conviction than them
وَلِيَأتِيَنَّand will surely come عَلَيكِupon you ماwhat
وَلِيَأتِيَنَّ عَلَيكِ ما
أَفنىdestroyed القُرونَthe generations الأَوَّليناthe earliest ones
أَفنى القُرونَ الأَوَّلينا
And surely there will befall you what
There will come upon you what
destroyed the generations of old.
Destroyed past generations
ياO نَفسُsoul طالَhas lasted long تَمَسُّكيmy clinging
يا نَفسُ طالَ تَمَسُّكي
بِعُرىto the bonds of المُنىwishes حيناًfor a time فَحيناthen for another time
بِعُرى المُنى حيناً فَحينا
O soul, long have I clung
O soul, long have you held on
to the bonds of wishes, time after time.
To the ropes of wishes, at times and at others
ياO نَفسُsoul إِلّاif you do not تَصلُحيbecome righteous
يا نَفسُ إِلّا تَصلُحي
فَتَشَبَّهيthen model yourself بِالصالِحيناon the righteous
فَتَشَبَّهي بِالصالِحينا
O soul, if you do not become righteous,
O soul, unless you reform
then emulate the righteous.
And emulate the righteous
وَتَفَكَّريand reflect فيماon what أَقوI say (continued)
وَتَفَكَّري فيما أَقو
لُcompletion of 'I say' لَعَلَّperhaps قَلبَكِyour heart أَنthat يَليناmay soften
لُ لَعَلَّ قَلبَكِ أَن يَلينا
And reflect on what I
And think upon what I say
say; perhaps your heart may soften.
So that your heart may soften
أَينَwhere الأُلىthose who جَمَعواamassed وَكاand they were (continued)
أَينَ الأُلى جَمَعوا وَكا
نواcompletion of 'they were' لِلحَوادِثِagainst calamities آمِنيناsecure
نوا لِلحَوادِثِ آمِنينا
Where are those who amassed wealth and were
Where are those who gathered and
secure against calamities?
Lived feeling safe from events?
أَفناهُمُdestroyed them الأَجَلُthe appointed end المُطِلthe looming one (continued)
أَفناهُمُ الأَجَلُ المُطِل
لُcompletion of 'looming' عَلىover الخَلائِقِthe creatures أَجمَعيناall of them
لُ عَلى الخَلائِقِ أَجمَعينا
The appointed end destroyed them, looming
Erased by time which is
over all creatures, one and all.
Endless for all creatures
فَإِذاthen behold مَساكِنُهُمtheir dwellings وَماand what
فَإِذا مَساكِنُهُم وَما
جَمَعواthey amassed لِقَومٍfor a people آخَريناother
جَمَعوا لِقَومٍ آخَرينا
Then behold, their dwellings and what
Thus their dwellings and what
they amassed belong to other people.
They gathered belong to others
Sol 6.1