لاnot تَفرُغُis free النَفسُthe soul مِنfrom شُغلٍpreoccupation بِدُنياهاwith its worldly life
لا تَفرُغُ النَفسُ مِن شُغلٍ بِدُنياها
رَأَيتُهاI saw it لَمdid not يَنَلهاattain it مَنwhoever تَمَنّاهاlonged for it
رَأَيتُها لَم يَنَلها مَن تَمَنّاها
The soul is never free of preoccupation with its worldly life.
The soul is never free from worldly cares,
The soul is never free from toil for its world,
I have seen that no one who longed for it attained it.
I've seen that none attain what they desire.
I have seen that he who covets it never truly attains it.
إِنّاindeed we لَنَنفَسُwe surely covet فيin دُنياa world مُوَلِّيَةٍpassing away
إِنّا لَنَنفَسُ في دُنيا مُوَلِّيَةٍ
وَنَحنُand we قَدmay نَكتَفيwe are content مِنهاfrom it بِأَدناهاwith its least
وَنَحنُ قَد نَكتَفي مِنها بِأَدناها
Indeed, we covet a world that is passing away,
We breath in a fickle, changing world,
We compete breathlessly for a world that turns to flee,
Yet we could be content with the least of it.
Content with getting its least from it.
When truly, the very least of it would suffice us.
حَذَّرتُكَI warned you الكِبرَpride لاlet not يَعلَقكَcling to you ميصَمُهُits brand
حَذَّرتُكَ الكِبرَ لا يَعلَقكَ ميصَمُهُ
فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it مَلبَسٌa garment نازَعتُهُI contended over it اللَهَGod
فَإِنَّهُ مَلبَسٌ نازَعتُهُ اللَهَ
I warned you against pride: let not its brand cling to you.
I warn you of arrogance, let not its garb cling to you,
I warn you against Pride—let not its talons ensnare you,
For it is a garment over which I have contended with God.
It's a garment God contests.
For it is a garment over which you have contended with God.
ياO بُؤسَwretchedness جِلدٍskin عَلىover عَظمٍbone مُخَرَّقَةٍriddled with holes
يا بُؤسَ جِلدٍ عَلى عَظمٍ مُخَرَّقَةٍ
فيهِin it الخُروقُthe holes إِذاwhen كَلَّمتَهُyou speak to him تاهاhe grows haughty
فيهِ الخُروقُ إِذا كَلَّمتَهُ تاها
Alas for skin over bone, riddled with holes!
Woe to cracked skin on broken bone,
O misery of skin stretched over crumbling bone,
There are holes in it, yet when you speak to him, he grows haughty.
Its cracks speak when addressed.
Riddled with flaws, yet when spoken to, he struts in vanity.
يَرىhe sees عَلَيكَover you بِهِthrough it فَضلاًsuperiority يُبينُhe stands apart بِهِby it
يَرى عَلَيكَ بِهِ فَضلاً يُبينُ بِهِ
إِنif نالَhe gains فيin العاجِلِthe present life السُلطانَpower وَالجاهاand prestige
إِن نالَ في العاجِلِ السُلطانَ وَالجاها
He sees it as giving him superiority over you, setting him apart,
It sees your merit in what transient power you hold,
He sees in himself a superiority over you,
If he gains power and prestige in this life.
If you gain status and renown in this fleeting life.
Should he gain authority and rank in this fleeting life.
مُثنٍpraising عَلىof نَفسِهِhimself راضٍpleased بِسيرَتِهاwith its conduct
مُثنٍ عَلى نَفسِهِ راضٍ بِسيرَتِها
كَذَبتَyou lied ياO خادِمَservant of الدُنياthe world وَمَولاهاand its master
كَذَبتَ يا خادِمَ الدُنيا وَمَولاها
Praising himself, pleased with his own conduct—
Singing his own praises, pleased with his conduct,
Heaping praise upon himself, satisfied with his ways—
You have lied, O servant of the world and its master!
You lie, o slave of this world and its master.
You lie, O servant of the world and its devotee!
إِنّيindeed I لَأَمقُتُI surely loathe نَفسيmy soul عِندَat نَخوَتِهاits pride
إِنّي لَأَمقُتُ نَفسي عِندَ نَخوَتِها
فَكَيفَso how آمَنُI feel safe from مَقتَloathing اللَهِGod إِيّاهاit
فَكَيفَ آمَنُ مَقتَ اللَهِ إِيّاها
Indeed, I loathe my soul when it grows proud;
I loathe my soul for its vanity,
Verily, I loathe my own soul when it swells with arrogance;
How, then, can I feel safe from God's loathing of it?
So how can I feel safe from God's hatred of it?
How then can I be safe from God loathing it too?
أَنتَyou اللَئيمُthe base man الَّذيwho لَمdid not تَعدُgo beyond هِمَّتُهُhis ambition
أَنتَ اللَئيمُ الَّذي لَم تَعدُ هِمَّتُهُ
إيثارَpreferring دُنياworldly life إِذاwhen نادَتهُit calls him لَبّاهاhe answers it
إيثارَ دُنيا إِذا نادَتهُ لَبّاها
You are the base man whose ambition has not gone beyond
You wretch whose ambition faltered,
You are the base one, whose ambition never transcended
Preferring the world—when it calls him, he answers it.
Preferring the world when it beckoned.
Preferring the world—answering whenever it called.
ياO راكِبَrider of الذَنبِsin قَدalready شابَتhave turned gray مَفارِقُهُhis hair partings
يا راكِبَ الذَنبِ قَد شابَت مَفارِقُهُ
أَماdo you not تَخافُfear مِنَfrom الأَيّامِthe days عُقباهاtheir final outcome
أَما تَخافُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ عُقباها
O rider of sin, whose hair partings have already turned gray,
O rider of sin, your separation has greyed,
O rider of sin, whose temples have turned gray with age,
Do you not fear what the days will bring in the end?
Do you not fear what comes after?
Do you not fear the consequence that the days will bring?
Sol 6.1