ياO نَفسُsoul إِنَّindeed الحَقَّthe truth دينيmy creed
يا نَفسُ إِنَّ الحَقَّ ديني
فَتَذَلَّليso humble yourself ثُمَّthen استَكينيsubmit
فَتَذَلَّلي ثُمَّ استَكيني
O soul, indeed, truth is my creed.
O soul, verily truth is my religion
So humble yourself, then submit.
So humble yourself and find tranquility
فَإِلىthen until مَتىwhen أَناI غافِلٌheedless
فَإِلى مَتى أَنا غافِلٌ
ياO نَفسُsoul وَيحَكِwoe to you خَبِّرينيtell me
يا نَفسُ وَيحَكِ خَبِّريني
How long, then, shall I remain heedless?
For how long will I remain heedless?
O soul, woe to you—tell me.
O soul, woe to you, tell me
وَإِلىand until مَتىwhen أَناI مُمسِكٌholding on
وَإِلى مَتى أَنا مُمسِكٌ
بُخلاًout of miserliness بِماto what مَلَكَتpossessed يَمينيmy right hand
بُخلاً بِما مَلَكَت يَميني
And how long shall I hold on,
And for how long will I withhold
in miserliness, to what my right hand possesses?
Stingily what my right hand possesses?
ياO نَفسُsoul لاdo not تَتَضايَقيfeel distressed
يا نَفسُ لا تَتَضايَقي
وَثِقيand trust بِرَبِّكِin your Lord وَاستَعينيand seek help
وَثِقي بِرَبِّكِ وَاستَعيني
O soul, do not fret.
O soul, do not feel distressed
And trust in your Lord and seek His help.
And trust in your Lord, and seek help from Him
ياO نَفسُsoul أَنتِyou شَحيحَةٌmiserly
يا نَفسُ أَنتِ شَحيحَةٌ
وَالشُحُّand miserliness مِنfrom ضُعفِweakness of اليَقينِcertainty
وَالشُحُّ مِن ضُعفِ اليَقينِ
O soul, you are miserly,
O soul, you are miserly
and miserliness comes from weakness of conviction.
And miserliness is from weakness of certainty
ياO نَفسُsoul توبيrepent مِنof مُؤاfraternizing (first part)
يا نَفسُ توبي مِن مُؤا
خاةِfraternizing (completion) الأَخِthe brother البَطِرِarrogant البَطينِpotbellied
خاةِ الأَخِ البَطِرِ البَطينِ
O soul, repent of fraternizing
O soul, repent from the wrongdoing
with the arrogant, potbellied brother.
Of betraying the brother with a tender heart
وَتَعَلَّقيand cling بِمَعالِقِto the ties of الthe
وَتَعَلَّقي بِمَعالِقِ ال
مَكروبِafflicted one ذيpossessing القَلبِthe heart الحَزينِsorrowful
مَكروبِ ذي القَلبِ الحَزينِ
And cling to the ties of the
And hold fast to the causes of
afflicted one with the sorrowful heart.
The distressed one with a grieving heart
وَتَفَكَّريand ponder فيon المَوتِdeath أَحsometimes (first part)
وَتَفَكَّري في المَوتِ أَح
ياناًsometimes (completion) لَعَلَّكِperhaps you أَنto تَلينيyou soften
ياناً لَعَلَّكِ أَن تَليني
And ponder death from time
And think of death sometimes
to time; perhaps you will soften.
Perhaps you may become gentle
فَلَتَغشَيَنّيfor it will surely overtake me غَشيَةٌa swoon
فَلَتَغشَيَنّي غَشيَةٌ
يَندىgrows damp لِسَكرَتِهاfrom its agony جَبينيmy brow
يَندى لِسَكرَتِها جَبيني
For a swoon will surely overtake me,
So a swoon will cover me
my brow growing damp from its agony.
For which my forehead glistens from its intoxication
وَلَتُعوِلَنَّand will surely wail المُعوِلاthe wailing women (first part)
وَلَتُعوِلَنَّ المُعوِلا
تُwailing women (completion) هُناكَthere حَوليaround me بِالرَنينِwith ringing cries
تُ هُناكَ حَولي بِالرَنينِ
And the wailing women will surely lament
And the camel drivers will chant their song
there around me with ringing cries.
Around me with echoes
وَلَتَجعَلَنّيand it will surely make me بَعدَafter خَلcreation (first part)
وَلَتَجعَلَنّي بَعدَ خَل
قيmy creation (completion) طينَةًa lump of clay لَحِقَتjoined بِطينِto clay
قي طينَةً لَحِقَت بِطينِ
And it will surely make me, after my
And after my demise make me
creation, a lump of clay joined to clay.
Clay that joins the clay
وَلَيَأتِيَنَّand will surely come عَلَيَّupon me تَحbeneath (first part)
وَلَيَأتِيَنَّ عَلَيَّ تَح
تَbeneath (completion) التُربِthe soil حينٌa span of time بَعدَafter حينِa span of time
تَ التُربِ حينٌ بَعدَ حينِ
And there will surely come upon me, beneath
And there will come upon me beneath the soil
the soil, one span of time after another.
A time after some time
Sol 6.1