ماwhy ليwith me رَأَيتُكَI saw you راكِباًriding لِهَواكاin pursuit of your desire
ما لي رَأَيتُكَ راكِباً لِهَواكا
أَظَنَنتَdid you think أَنَّthat اللَهَGod لَيسَnot يَراكاsees you
أَظَنَنتَ أَنَّ اللَهَ لَيسَ يَراكا
Why do I see you riding in pursuit of your desire?
I've never seen you riding your whims,
Did you think that God does not see you?
Thinking God does not see you.
اِنظُرlook لِنَفسِكَto yourself فَالمَنِيَّةُfor death حَيثُwhere ماever
اِنظُر لِنَفسِكَ فَالمَنِيَّةُ حَيثُ ما
وَجَّهتَyou turn واقِفَةٌstanding هُناكَthere حِذاكاbeside you
وَجَّهتَ واقِفَةٌ هُناكَ حِذاكا
Look to yourself, for Death, wherever
Look out for yourself, death wherever you turn
You turn, stands there beside you.
Is standing there waiting for you.
خُذtake مِنfrom حَراكِكَyour movement لِلسُكونِfor stillness بِحَظِّهِwith its allotted share
خُذ مِن حَراكِكَ لِلسُكونِ بِحَظِّهِ
مِنfrom قَبلِbefore أَنthat لاnot تَستَطيعَyou can حَراكاmovement
مِن قَبلِ أَن لا تَستَطيعَ حَراكا
Take from your movement the share that belongs to stillness,
Take time for tranquility out of your hustle and bustle
Before you can no longer move.
Before you can no longer move.
لِلمَوتِfor death داعٍa herald مُزعِجٌalarming وَكَأَنَّهُand as though he
لِلمَوتِ داعٍ مُزعِجٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ
قَدalready قامَhas stood بَينَbetween يَدَيكَyour hands ثُمَّthen دَعاكاcalled you
قَد قامَ بَينَ يَدَيكَ ثُمَّ دَعاكا
Death has an alarming herald, and it is as though he
Death has an insistent caller, as if
Has stood before you and then called you.
He stood before you then called you.
وَلِيَومِand for the day of فَقرِكَyour poverty عُدَّةٌprovision ضَيَّعتَهاyou squandered it
وَلِيَومِ فَقرِكَ عُدَّةٌ ضَيَّعتَها
وَالمَرءُand a person أَفقَرُpoorest ماwhen يَكونُhe is هُناكاthere
وَالمَرءُ أَفقَرُ ما يَكونُ هُناكا
And you have squandered the provision for your day of need,
And for your day of poverty you had provisions you squandered,
And a person is at his poorest there.
And man is poorest when he gets there.
لَتُجهَزَنَّyou will surely be prepared جِهازَthe outfitting of مُنقَطِعِone drained of القُوىstrength
لَتُجهَزَنَّ جِهازَ مُنقَطِعِ القُوى
وَلَتَشحِطَنَّand will surely grow distant عَنِfrom القَريبِthose near نَواكاyour separation
وَلَتَشحِطَنَّ عَنِ القَريبِ نَواكا
You will surely be prepared as one whose strength is spent,
You will be shrouded in the garb of one impotent,
And your separation will surely take you far from those near.
And your dear ones will shriek over you.
وَلَيُسلِمَنَّكَand will surely abandon you كُلُّevery ذيpossessor of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness وَإِنand even if
وَلَيُسلِمَنَّكَ كُلُّ ذي ثِقَةٍ وَإِن
ناداكَcalled you بِاِسمِكَby your name ساعَةًfor a while وَبَكاكاand wept for you
ناداكَ بِاِسمِكَ ساعَةً وَبَكاكا
And everyone you trust will surely abandon you, even if
And every confidant will leave you even if
He calls you by your name awhile and weeps for you.
He called you brother just an hour before and wept over you.
وَإِلىand toward مَدىًan end تَجريyou run وَتِلكَand that هِيَit الَّتيwhich
وَإِلى مَدىً تَجري وَتِلكَ هِيَ الَّتي
لاnot تُستَقالُcan be revoked إِذاwhen بَلَغتَyou reach مَداكاyour end
لا تُستَقالُ إِذا بَلَغتَ مَداكا
You run toward an end, and that is the fate
And to what extent do you run? That one which
That cannot be undone once you reach your end.
Cannot be escaped when you reach your goal.
ياoh لَيتَنيif only I أَدريI knew بِأَيِّby what وَثيقَةٍguarantee
يا لَيتَني أَدري بِأَيِّ وَثيقَةٍ
تَرجوyou hope for الخُلودَimmortality وَماand not خُلِقتَyou were created لِذاكاfor that
تَرجو الخُلودَ وَما خُلِقتَ لِذاكا
Oh, if only I knew by what guarantee
Oh would that I know by what pact
You hope for immortality, though you were not created for that.
You hope for immortality when you weren’t created for that!
ياO جاهِلاًignorant بِالمَوتِof death مُرتَهَناًheld in pledge بِهِto it
يا جاهِلاً بِالمَوتِ مُرتَهَناً بِهِ
أَحَسِبتَdid you think أَنَّthat لِمَنfor whoever يَموتُdies فَكاكاrelease
أَحَسِبتَ أَنَّ لِمَن يَموتُ فَكاكا
O you ignorant of death, held in pledge to it,
Oh ignorant of death, hostage to it!
Did you think that anyone who dies can find release?
Did you reckon that he who dies has any escape?
لاdo not تَكذِبَنَّever lie فَلَوfor if قَدِalready اِحتُفِرَwere hollowed out الحَشاthe entrails
لا تَكذِبَنَّ فَلَو قَدِ اِحتُفِرَ الحَشا
بَطَلَbecame futile اِحتِيالُكَyour cunning عِندَهُbefore it وَرُقاكاand your healing charms
بَطَلَ اِحتِيالُكَ عِندَهُ وَرُقاكا
Do not lie: for if the entrails were hollowed out,
Do not lie! If the grave were opened
Your stratagems and healing charms would then prove useless.
Your tricks would cease and your leaves fall away.
حاوَلتَyou pursued رِزقَكَyour livelihood دونَrather than دينِكَyour faith مُلحِفاًinsistently
حاوَلتَ رِزقَكَ دونَ دينِكَ مُلحِفاً
وَالرِزقُand livelihood لَوif لَمnot تَبغِهِyou sought it لَبَغاكاit would surely seek you
وَالرِزقُ لَو لَم تَبغِهِ لَبَغاكا
You pursued your livelihood insistently, neglecting your faith,
You pursued your daily bread neglecting your religion
Yet, had you not sought it, your livelihood would have sought you.
And your daily bread would have pursued you.
وَجَعَلتَand you made عِرضَكَyour honor لِلمَطامِعِfor greedy desires بِذلَةًsomething expendable
وَجَعَلتَ عِرضَكَ لِلمَطامِعِ بِذلَةً
وَكَفىand it suffices بِذَلِكَwith that فِتنَةًas a trial وَهَلاكاand ruin
وَكَفى بِذَلِكَ فِتنَةً وَهَلاكا
And you made your honor expendable for greed,
You made your honor the cheapest thing for greedy men,
And that is trial and ruin enough.
And that is enough as a temptation and perdition.
وَأَراكَand I see you تَلتَمِسُseeking الغِنىwealth لِتَنالَهُto obtain it
وَأَراكَ تَلتَمِسُ الغِنى لِتَنالَهُ
وَإِذاand if قَنِعتَyou are content فَقَدthen indeed بَلَغتَyou have attained غِناكاyour wealth
وَإِذا قَنِعتَ فَقَد بَلَغتَ غِناكا
And I see you seeking wealth so that you may gain it,
And I see you seeking riches to attain it,
Yet if you are content, you have already attained your wealth.
And if you were content you would have attained your richness.
وَلَقَدand indeed مَضىdeparted أَبَواكَyour parents عَمّاfrom what خَلَّفاthey left behind
وَلَقَد مَضى أَبَواكَ عَمّا خَلَّفا
وَلَتَمضِيَنَّand you will surely depart كَماjust as مَضىdeparted أَبَواكاyour parents
وَلَتَمضِيَنَّ كَما مَضى أَبَواكا
Your parents have indeed departed from what they left behind,
Your parents have passed away from what they amassed,
And you will surely depart as your parents did.
And you will pass away just as your parents passed away.
لَوif كُنتَyou were مُعتَبِراًtaking warning بِعُظمِfrom the magnitude of مُصيبَةٍa calamity
لَو كُنتَ مُعتَبِراً بِعُظمِ مُصيبَةٍ
لَجَعَلتَyou would have made أُمَّكَyour mother عِبرَةًa lesson وَأَباكاand your father
لَجَعَلتَ أُمَّكَ عِبرَةً وَأَباكا
If you took warning from the magnitude of a calamity,
Had you taken the gravity of calamity as a lesson
You would have taken your mother and your father as a lesson.
You would have made your mother a lesson and your father.
ماnot زِلتَyou have ceased توعَظُbeing admonished كَيso that تُفيقَyou awaken مِنَfrom الصِباyouthful folly
ما زِلتَ توعَظُ كَي تُفيقَ مِنَ الصِبا
وَكَأَنَّماand as though يُعنىis meant بِذاكَby that سِواكاsomeone other than you
وَكَأَنَّما يُعنى بِذاكَ سِواكا
You are still admonished to awaken from youthful folly,
You keep preaching so the youth awakes
Yet it is as though someone other than you were meant by that.
As if none cares for that but you!
قَدindeed نِلتَyou have enjoyed مِنof شَرخِthe prime of الشَبابِyouth وَسُكرِهِand its intoxication
قَد نِلتَ مِن شَرخِ الشَبابِ وَسُكرِهِ
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأَيتَyou have seen الشَيبَgray hair كَيفَhow نَعاكاit announced your death
وَلَقَد رَأَيتَ الشَيبَ كَيفَ نَعاكا
You have had your share of youth's prime and its intoxication,
You got your fill of youth’s hotheadedness and drunkenness
And you have seen how gray hair announced your death.
And you saw how old age weakened you.
لَنwill not تَستَريحَyou rest مِنَfrom التَعَبُّدِservitude لِلمُنىto wishes
لَن تَستَريحَ مِنَ التَعَبُّدِ لِلمُنى
حَتّىuntil تُقَطِّعَyou sever بِالعَزاءِthrough resignation مُناكاyour wishes
حَتّى تُقَطِّعَ بِالعَزاءِ مُناكا
You will find no rest from servitude to wishes
You will not rest from worshipping hopes
Until, through resignation, you sever your wishes.
Until you cut short your hopes with acceptance.
وَبَّختَyou rebuked عَبدَكَyour slave بِالعَمىfor blindness فَأَفَدتَهُand so gave him
وَبَّختَ عَبدَكَ بِالعَمى فَأَفَدتَهُ
بَصَراًsight وَأَنتَwhile you مُحَسَّنٌmaking seem fair لِعَماكاyour own blindness
بَصَراً وَأَنتَ مُحَسَّنٌ لِعَماكا
You rebuked your slave for blindness, and so gave him
You scolded your servant for blindness but enlightened him
Sight, while you make your own blindness seem fair.
With vision while beautifying your own blindness!
كَفَتيلَةِlike the wick of المِصباحِthe lamp تَحرُقُburns نَفسَهاitself
كَفَتيلَةِ المِصباحِ تَحرُقُ نَفسَها
وَتُنيرُand illuminates واقِدَهاthe one who lights it وَأَنتَand you كَذاكاlike that
وَتُنيرُ واقِدَها وَأَنتَ كَذاكا
Like the wick of a lamp, which burns itself
Like the wick of a lamp burning itself
And gives light to the one who kindles it—you are like that.
To give light to the one who lit it, so are you!
وَمِنَand part of السَعادَةِhappiness أَنthat تَعِفَّyou abstain عَنِfrom الخَناobscenity
وَمِنَ السَعادَةِ أَن تَعِفَّ عَنِ الخَنا
وَتُنيلَand you bestow خَيرَكَyour goodness أَوor تَكُفَّyou withhold أَذاكاyour harm
وَتُنيلَ خَيرَكَ أَو تَكُفَّ أَذاكا
And part of happiness is to abstain from obscenity
And of good fortune is that you pardon backbiting
And to bestow your goodness, or withhold your harm.
And attain your goodness or restrain your pain.
دَهرٌtime يُؤَمِّنُناassures us safety from الخُطوبَcalamities وَقَدthough indeed نَرىwe see
دَهرٌ يُؤَمِّنُنا الخُطوبَ وَقَد نَرى
فيin كُلِّevery ناحِيَةٍquarter لَهُنَّbelonging to them شِباكاsnares
في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ لَهُنَّ شِباكا
Time assures us safety from calamities, though we see
Time makes us feel secure from calamities yet we see
Their snares in every quarter.
For it in every direction traps set.
ياO دَهرُTime قَدindeed أَعظَمتَyou have magnified عِبرَتَناour lesson بِمَنthrough those who
يا دَهرُ قَد أَعظَمتَ عِبرَتَنا بِمَن
دارَتturned عَلَيهِupon him مِنَof القُرونِgenerations رَحاكاyour millstone
دارَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ القُرونِ رَحاكا
O Time, you have given us a great lesson through those
Oh Time! You have increased our lessons with one
Of past generations upon whom your millstone turned.
Whom the centuries turned in his grave!
Sol 6.1