أَلِلعُمرِ في الدُنيا تُجِدُّ وَتَعمُرُ

أَلِلعُمرِ في الدُنيا تُجِدُّ وَتَعمُرُ

وَأَنتَ غَداً فيها تَموتُ وَتُقبَرُ

وَأَنتَ غَداً فيها تَموتُ وَتُقبَرُ

Is it for life in this world that you strive and build,

For life in this world you find and develop

though tomorrow you will die in it and be buried?

Yet tomorrow in it you die and are buried

تُلَقِّحُ آمالاً وَتَرجو نَتاجَها

تُلَقِّحُ آمالاً وَتَرجو نَتاجَها

وَعُمرُكَ مِمّا قَد تُرَجّيهِ أَقصَرُ

وَعُمرُكَ مِمّا قَد تُرَجّيهِ أَقصَرُ

You fertilize hopes and hope for their offspring,

You nurture hopes and await their yield

yet your lifespan is shorter than what you may hope for.

While your life is shorter than what you wish for

وَهَذا صَباحُ اليَومِ يَنعاكَ ضَوؤُهُ

وَهَذا صَباحُ اليَومِ يَنعاكَ ضَوؤُهُ

وَلَيلَتُهُ تَنعاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَشعُرُ

وَلَيلَتُهُ تَنعاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَشعُرُ

And the light of this day's morning announces your death,

The light of this morn warns you with its glare

and its night announces your death, if you are aware.

And its night warns you if you are aware

تَحومُ عَلى إِدراكِ ما قَد كُفيتَهُ

تَحومُ عَلى إِدراكِ ما قَد كُفيتَهُ

وَتُقبِلُ بِالآمالِ فيهِ وَتُدبِرُ

وَتُقبِلُ بِالآمالِ فيهِ وَتُدبِرُ

You circle in pursuit of what has already been secured for you,

You hover to attain what you've been endowed

and you come and go with hopes of it.

And face the future with hopes, arranging, maneuvering

وَرِزقُكَ لا يَعدوكَ إِمّا مُعَجَّلٌ

وَرِزقُكَ لا يَعدوكَ إِمّا مُعَجَّلٌ

عَلى حالَةٍ يَوماً وَإِمّا مُؤَخَّرُ

عَلى حالَةٍ يَوماً وَإِمّا مُؤَخَّرُ

And your sustenance will not pass you by, whether hastened

Your provision comes not beyond you, either hastened

one day, in some circumstance, or else delayed.

In a state one day, or delayed, deterred

وَلا حَولُ مَحتالٍ وَلا وَجهُ مَذهَبٍ

وَلا حَولُ مَحتالٍ وَلا وَجهُ مَذهَبٍ

وَلا قَدَرٌ يُزجيهِ إِلّا المُقَدِّرُ

وَلا قَدَرٌ يُزجيهِ إِلّا المُقَدِّرُ

Neither a contriver's power nor any course of action,

No resourceful person's way, no means

nor any fate brings it forth—only the Ordainer.

No destined course, but by the Ordainer

لَقَد قَدَّرَ الأَرزاقَ مَن لَيسَ عادِلاً

لَقَد قَدَّرَ الأَرزاقَ مَن لَيسَ عادِلاً

عَنِ العَدلِ بَينَ الناسِ فيما يُقَدِّرُ

عَنِ العَدلِ بَينَ الناسِ فيما يُقَدِّرُ

Indeed, livelihoods were apportioned by One who never swerves

He ordained provisions who is not just

from justice among people in what He apportions.

In what He ordains between people

فَلا تَأمَنِ الدُنيا إِذا هِيَ أَقبَلَت

فَلا تَأمَنِ الدُنيا إِذا هِيَ أَقبَلَت

عَلَيكَ فَما زالَت تَخونُ وَتُدبِرُ

عَلَيكَ فَما زالَت تَخونُ وَتُدبِرُ

So do not trust this world when it turns

So do not feel safe from the world when it comes to you

toward you, for it has never ceased to betray and turn away.

It keeps betraying and scheming

فَما تَمَّ فيها الصَفوُ يَوماً لِأَهلِهِ

فَما تَمَّ فيها الصَفوُ يَوماً لِأَهلِهِ

وَلا الرِفقُ إِلّا رَيثَما يَتَغَيَّرُ

وَلا الرِفقُ إِلّا رَيثَما يَتَغَيَّرُ

For never has happiness been complete in it for those enjoying it, even for a day,

Good will in it doesn't last for its people

nor gentleness, save for the brief time before it changes.

Nor kindness, but for a while before it changes

وَما لاحَ نَجمٌ لا وَلا ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

وَما لاحَ نَجمٌ لا وَلا ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

عَلى الخَلقِ إِلّا حَبلُ عُمرِكَ يَقصُرُ

عَلى الخَلقِ إِلّا حَبلُ عُمرِكَ يَقصُرُ

And no star has shone—no, nor has a rising sun appeared

No star has risen or shine started

over creation, without the cord of your life growing shorter.

Over people, but your lifetime is shortened

تَطَهَّر وَأَلحِق ذَنبَكَ اليَومَ تَوبَةً

تَطَهَّر وَأَلحِق ذَنبَكَ اليَومَ تَوبَةً

لَعَلَّكَ مِنهُ إِن تَطَهَّرتَ تَطهُرُ

لَعَلَّكَ مِنهُ إِن تَطَهَّرتَ تَطهُرُ

Purify yourself, and today follow your sin with repentance,

Purify yourself and repent your sin today

perhaps you will be cleansed of it, if you purify yourself.

That you may, if you purify, be purified

وَشَمِّر فَقَد أَبدى لَكَ المَوتُ وَجهَهُ

وَشَمِّر فَقَد أَبدى لَكَ المَوتُ وَجهَهُ

وَلَيسَ يَنالُ الفَوزَ إِلّا المُشَمِّرُ

وَلَيسَ يَنالُ الفَوزَ إِلّا المُشَمِّرُ

And gird yourself, for death has shown you its face,

Roll up your sleeves, death has shown its face

and none attains success but the one who girds himself.

None attains success but the industrious

فَهَذي اللَيالي مُؤذِناتُكَ بِالبِلى

فَهَذي اللَيالي مُؤذِناتُكَ بِالبِلى

تَروحُ وَأَيّامٌ بِذَلِكَ تَبكُرُ

تَروحُ وَأَيّامٌ بِذَلِكَ تَبكُرُ

For these nights warn you of decay,

These nights are your warners with ruin

coming at evening, while days bring the same warning at dawn.

Passing while days with that quicken

وَأَخلِص بِذا لِلَّهِ صَدراً وَنِيَّةً

وَأَخلِص بِذا لِلَّهِ صَدراً وَنِيَّةً

فَإِنَّ الَّذي تُخفيهِ يَوماً سَيَظهَرُ

فَإِنَّ الَّذي تُخفيهِ يَوماً سَيَظهَرُ

And in this, be sincere to God in heart and intention,

Be true with this, to God, in heart and intention

for what you conceal will one day appear.

What you hide one day will appear

وَقَد يَستُرُ الإِنسانُ بِاللَفظِ فِعلَهُ

وَقَد يَستُرُ الإِنسانُ بِاللَفظِ فِعلَهُ

فَيُظهِرُ مِنهُ الطَرفُ ما كانَ يَستُرُ

فَيُظهِرُ مِنهُ الطَرفُ ما كانَ يَستُرُ

And a person may conceal his deed with speech,

A person may hide his deed with words

then his gaze reveals what he was concealing.

Then his glance reveals what he hid

تَذَكَّر وَفَكِّر في الَّذي أَنتَ صائِرٌ

تَذَكَّر وَفَكِّر في الَّذي أَنتَ صائِرٌ

إِلَيهِ غَداً إِن كُنتَ مِمَّن يُفَكِّرُ

إِلَيهِ غَداً إِن كُنتَ مِمَّن يُفَكِّرُ

Remember, and reflect on what you are heading

Remember and ponder what you will come to

toward tomorrow, if you are among those who reflect.

Tomorrow, if you are one who ponders

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تَصيرَ لِحُفرَةٍ

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تَصيرَ لِحُفرَةٍ

بِأَثنائِها تُطوى إِلى يَومِ تُنشَرُ

بِأَثنائِها تُطوى إِلى يَومِ تُنشَرُ

For one day you must come to a pit,

One day you must come to a hole

in whose depths you will be folded away until the day you are unfolded.

In between, folded till resurrection day