ياO نَفسُsoul ماnot هُوَit إِلّاbut صَبرُendurance أَيّامِdays
يا نَفسُ ما هُوَ إِلّا صَبرُ أَيّامِ
كَأَنَّas though لَذَّتَهاtheir pleasure أَضغاثُjumbled fragments أَحلامِdreams
كَأَنَّ لَذَّتَها أَضغاثُ أَحلامِ
O soul, it is but a few days' endurance,
as though their pleasure were a tangle of dreams.
ياO نَفسُsoul ماwhat لِيَwith me لاnot أَنفَكُّI break free مِنfrom طَمَعٍcraving
يا نَفسُ ما لِيَ لا أَنفَكُّ مِن طَمَعٍ
طَرفيmy gaze إِلَيهِtoward it سَريعٌswift طامِحٌaspiring سامِreaching high
طَرفي إِلَيهِ سَريعٌ طامِحٌ سامِ
O soul, why am I never free of craving,
my gaze swift toward it, aspiring and reaching high?
ياO نَفسُsoul كونيbe عَنِfrom الدُنياthis world مُباعِدَةًkeeping away
يا نَفسُ كوني عَنِ الدُنيا مُباعِدَةً
وَخَلِّفيهاand leave it behind فَإِنَّfor indeed الحَقَّthe truth قُدّاميbefore me
وَخَلِّفيها فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ قُدّامي
O soul, keep your distance from this world,
and leave it behind, for the truth lies before me.
ياO نَفسِsoul ماnot الذُخرُthe stored treasure إِلّاbut ماwhat اِنتَفَعتُI benefited بِهِfrom it
يا نَفسِ ما الذُخرُ إِلّا ما اِنتَفَعتُ بِهِ
فيin القَبرِthe grave يَومَthe day يَكونُis الدَفنُburial إِكراميthe honor shown me
في القَبرِ يَومَ يَكونُ الدَفنُ إِكرامي
O soul, the only treasure is what benefits me
in the grave, the day when burial is the honor shown me.
وَلِلزَمانِand time has وَعيدٌa threat فيin تَصَرُّفِهِits changing ways
وَلِلزَمانِ وَعيدٌ في تَصَرُّفِهِ
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime لَذوsurely possesses نَقضٍunraveling وَإِبرامِand binding
إِنَّ الزَمانَ لَذو نَقضٍ وَإِبرامِ
And time bears a threat in its changing ways;
indeed, time both unravels and binds.
أَمّاas for المَشيبُgray hair فَقَدthen indeed أَدّىdelivered نَذارَتَهُits warning
أَمّا المَشيبُ فَقَد أَدّى نَذارَتَهُ
وَقَدand already قَضىfulfilled ماwhat عَلَيهِwas incumbent on it مُنذُsince أَعوامِyears
وَقَد قَضى ما عَلَيهِ مُنذُ أَعوامِ
As for gray hair, it has delivered its warning,
and fulfilled its duty years ago.
إِنّيindeed I لَأَستَكثِرُI certainly make much of الدُنياthis world وَأُعظِمُهاand I revere it
إِنّي لَأَستَكثِرُ الدُنيا وَأُعظِمُها
جَهلاًin ignorance وَلَمand did not أَرَهاI see it أَهلاًworthy لِإِعظامِof reverence
جَهلاً وَلَم أَرَها أَهلاً لِإِعظامِ
Indeed, I make much of this world and revere it,
in ignorance, though I have not found it worthy of reverence.
ياO ذاyou الَّذيwho يَومُهُhis day آتٍcoming بِساعَتِهِat its hour
يا ذا الَّذي يَومُهُ آتٍ بِساعَتِهِ
وَإِنand even if تَأَخَّرَit is delayed عَنfrom عامٍa year إِلىto عامِa year
وَإِن تَأَخَّرَ عَن عامٍ إِلى عامِ
O you whose day will come at its hour,
even if it is delayed from one year to another,
فَلَوthen if عَلاrose بِكَwith you أَقوامٌpeople مَناكِبَهُمtheir shoulders
فَلَو عَلا بِكَ أَقوامٌ مَناكِبَهُم
حَثّواthey hurried بِنَعشِكَwith your bier إِسراعاًin haste بِأَقدامِwith feet
حَثّوا بِنَعشِكَ إِسراعاً بِأَقدامِ
then, were people to lift you onto their shoulders,
they would hurry with your bier, quickening their steps,
فيon يَومِthe day آخِرِthe last تَوديعٍfarewell تُوَدَّعُهُyou are bid it
في يَومِ آخِرِ تَوديعٍ تُوَدَّعُهُ
تُهدىyou are conveyed إِلىto حَيثُwhere لاno فادٍransomer وَلاand no حامِprotector
تُهدى إِلى حَيثُ لا فادٍ وَلا حامِ
on the day of the final farewell bid to you,
you are borne to where none can ransom or protect you.
ماnot الناسُpeople إِلّاbut كَنَفسٍlike one soul فيin تَقارُبِهِمtheir likeness
ما الناسُ إِلّا كَنَفسٍ في تَقارُبِهِم
لَولاwere it not for تَفاوُتُdisparity أَرزاقٍlivelihoods وَأَقسامِand allotted shares
لَولا تَفاوُتُ أَرزاقٍ وَأَقسامِ
People, in their likeness, are but as a single soul,
were it not for differences in livelihoods and allotted shares.
كَمhow much لِاِبنِfor the son of آدَمَAdam مِنof لَهوٍamusement وَمِنand of لَعِبٍplay
كَم لِاِبنِ آدَمَ مِن لَهوٍ وَمِن لَعِبٍ
وَلِلحَوادِثِand for calamities مِنof شَدٍّassault وَإِقدامِand advance
وَلِلحَوادِثِ مِن شَدٍّ وَإِقدامِ
How much amusement and play the son of Adam has,
and how much assault and advance calamities bring!
كَمhow often قَدalready نَعَتannounced the death of لَهُمُto them الدُنياthe world الحُلولَthose dwelling بِهاin it
كَم قَد نَعَت لَهُمُ الدُنيا الحُلولَ بِها
لَوif only أَنَّهُمthat they سَمِعواlistened مِنهاfrom it بِأَفهامِwith understanding
لَو أَنَّهُم سَمِعوا مِنها بِأَفهامِ
How often the world has announced to them the deaths of its dwellers,
if only they listened to it with understanding!
وَكَمand how many تَخَرَّمَتِsnatched away الأَيّامُthe days مِنof بَشَرٍhuman beings
وَكَم تَخَرَّمَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن بَشَرٍ
كانواthey were ذَويpossessors of قُوَّةٍstrength فيهاin it وَأَجسامِand bodies
كانوا ذَوي قُوَّةٍ فيها وَأَجسامِ
And how many people the days have snatched away,
who possessed strength and sturdy bodies in this world!
ياO ساكِنَdweller in الدارَthe abode تَبنيهاyou build it وَتَعمُرُهاand you make it flourish
يا ساكِنَ الدارَ تَبنيها وَتَعمُرُها
وَالدارُand the abode دارُan abode of مَنِيّاتٍdeaths وَأَسقامِand sicknesses
وَالدارُ دارُ مَنِيّاتٍ وَأَسقامِ
O dweller in the abode you build and make flourish,
yet the abode is an abode of deaths and sicknesses.
لاdo not تَلعَبَنَّever toy بِكَwith you الدُنياthe world وَخُدعَتُهاand its deceit
لا تَلعَبَنَّ بِكَ الدُنيا وَخُدعَتُها
فَكَمfor how often تَلاعَبَتِtoyed الدُنياthe world بِأَقوامِwith peoples
فَكَم تَلاعَبَتِ الدُنيا بِأَقوامِ
Never let the world and its deceit toy with you,
for how often the world has toyed with peoples!
ياAh رُبَّmany a مُقتَصِدٍmoderate person عَنfrom غَيرِother than تَجرِبَةٍexperience
يا رُبَّ مُقتَصِدٍ عَن غَيرِ تَجرِبَةٍ
وَمُعتَدٍand a transgressor بَعدَafter تَجريبٍtesting وَإِحكامِand mastery
وَمُعتَدٍ بَعدَ تَجريبٍ وَإِحكامِ
Ah, many a person is moderate without experience,
and many a person transgresses after testing and mastery.
وَرُبَّand many a مُكتَسِبٍone who gains بِالحِلمِthrough forbearance واقِيَةًa shield
وَرُبَّ مُكتَسِبٍ بِالحِلمِ واقِيَةً
وَرُبَّand many a مُستَهدِفٍone exposing himself as a target بِالبَغيِthrough aggression لِلراميfor the archer
وَرُبَّ مُستَهدِفٍ بِالبَغيِ لِلرامي
And many a person gains a shield through forbearance,
and many a person, through aggression, makes himself a target for the archer.
Sol 6.1