أينَwhere اسْتقرّsettled السَّلَفُthe forebears الأولُthe earliest
أينَ اسْتقرّ السَّلَفُ الأولُ
عَمَّاin قَريبٍa short while بِهمُwith them نَنْزلُwe shall settle
عَمَّا قَريبٍ بِهمُ نَنْزلُ
Where have the earliest forebears settled?
Where did the first ancestors settle,
Soon we shall come to rest with them.
Far from us, where we now dwell?
مَرّواthey passed سِراعاًswiftly نحْوtoward دَارِthe abode of البَقاeternity
مَرّوا سِراعاً نحْو دَارِ البَقا
ونحنُand we فيin آثارَهمtheir footsteps نرحْلwe journey
ونحنُ في آثارَهم نرحْل
They passed swiftly toward the abode of eternity,
They passed quickly to the abode of eternity,
and we journey in their footsteps.
While we follow in their tracks.
ماnot هذهthis الدُّنياworld لَنَاfor us مَنْزِلاًa dwelling
ما هذه الدُّنيا لَنَا مَنْزِلاً
وإنماand only الآخرةthe Hereafter المنزلُthe dwelling
وإنما الآخرة المنزلُ
This world is no dwelling for us;
This world was never a home for us;
the Hereafter alone is our dwelling.
The hereafter is the home.
قَدْindeed حذّرَتْناit has warned us مِنof تَصاريفهاits vicissitudes
قَدْ حذّرَتْنا مِن تَصاريفها
لوif only أنّناthat we نَسمعُwe listen أوor نَعْقلُwe use reason
لو أنّنا نَسمعُ أو نَعْقلُ
It has warned us of its vicissitudes,
It has warned us of its twists and turns
if only we would listen or use our reason.
If only we would listen or understand.
يُطيلُprolongs فيهاin it المرءُthe man آمَالَهُhis hopes
يُطيلُ فيها المرءُ آمَالَهُ
والموْتُand death منfrom دُونِshort of الذيwhat يأملُhe hopes for
والموْتُ من دُونِ الذي يأملُ
A man prolongs his hopes in it,
One lengthens his hopes in it,
but death stands between him and what he hopes for.
While death comes to the hopeful unawares.
حَلاَtasted sweet لَهُto him ماwhat مَرَّwas bitter مِنْof عيشِهاits life
حَلاَ لَهُ ما مَرَّ مِنْ عيشِها
ودونَهand less bitter than it لوif عقَلَhe understood الحنظَلُcolocynth (bitter gourd)
ودونَه لو عقَلَ الحنظَلُ
What is bitter in worldly life tastes sweet to him;
The pleasures that passed brought delusion,
yet colocynth is less bitter than it—if he had sense.
Had the horseflies been reasonable.
أَلْهَتْهُit distracted him عَنْfrom طاعةِobedience to خلاّقِهhis Creator
أَلْهَتْهُ عَنْ طاعةِ خلاّقِه
واللهُand God لاnot يلْهُوis distracted ولاnor يَغْفُلُis heedless
واللهُ لا يلْهُو ولا يَغْفُلُ
It has distracted him from obedience to his Creator,
It distracted him from obeying his Creator,
and God is neither distracted nor heedless.
While God neither falters nor neglects.
يُدْبِرُrecedes هَمُّthe worry of المرْءِthe man إنif أَدبَرتْit recedes
يُدْبِرُ هَمُّ المرْءِ إن أَدبَرتْ
ويُقْبِلُand approaches الهمُّزworry (apparently intended) إذاwhen تُقبِلُit approaches
ويُقْبِلُ الهمُّز إذا تُقبِلُ
A man's worry recedes when the world recedes,
He manages the worries of man if they disappear,
and worry draws near when the world draws near.
And accepts the anxious when he returns.
ياO صَاحfriend ماwhat لذّةُpleasure of عَيشٍlife بهَاin it
يا صَاح ما لذّةُ عَيشٍ بهَا
والموتُand death لاnot نَدْريwe know مَتَىwhen يَنْزِلُdescends
والموتُ لا نَدْري مَتَى يَنْزِلُ
O friend, what pleasure does life in it hold,
Oh friend! What pleasure is there in a life
while we do not know when death will descend?
When we know not when death will befall?
يدْعواit summons إلىto الأحبابthe loved ones منthose who are بَيْنِناamong us
يدْعوا إلى الأحباب من بَيْنِنا
يجيبُهُanswers it الأَوّلُthe first فالأوّلُthen the next
يجيبُهُ الأَوّلُ فالأوّلُ
It summons those among us to their loved ones;
It calls the loved ones from among us;
one after another answers it.
The first answers, then the next.
ياO كادِحاًtoiler يَجْهُدُstrives فيin كَسْبِهاacquiring it
يا كادِحاً يَجْهُدُ في كَسْبِها
أغرَّكَhas it deceived you? المشربُdrink والمأكلُand food
أغرَّكَ المشربُ والمأكلُ
O toiler, striving to gain it,
Oh struggling one, exerting yourself in pursuit of it!
have drink and food deceived you?
Has drink and food deceived you?
وياand O أخَاbrother of الحِرصِgreed علىfor جَمْعِهاamassing it
ويا أخَا الحِرصِ على جَمْعِها
مَهْلاًslow down فَعَنْهاfor, about it فيin غَدٍtomorrow تُسْأَلُyou will be questioned
مَهْلاً فَعَنْها في غَدٍ تُسْأَلُ
And O brother of greed, bent on amassing it,
Oh greedy one, desiring to accumulate it!
slow down, for tomorrow you will be questioned about it.
Wait! For tomorrow, you will be asked about it.
لاdo not تَتْعَبَنْwear yourself out فيهاin it ولاَnor تأسَفَنْgrieve
لا تَتْعَبَنْ فيها ولاَ تأسَفَنْ
لِمَاover what مَضَىhas passed فالأمرُfor the matter مُسْتَقْبَلْyet to come
لِمَا مَضَى فالأمرُ مُسْتَقْبَلْ
Do not wear yourself out in it, nor grieve
Do not weary yourself in it or grieve
over what has passed, for the matter is yet to come.
For what is past, for the matter is still ahead.
مَاwhat قولُناour words بَيْنَbetween يدَيْthe two hands of حاكِمٍa judge
مَا قولُنا بَيْنَ يدَيْ حاكِمٍ
يَعْدِلُacts justly فيin الحُكمِjudgment ولاand does not يَعْدِلdeviate
يَعْدِلُ في الحُكمِ ولا يَعْدِل
What shall we say before a judge
What can we say before a Judge
who is just in judgment and never deviates?
Who judges justly and does not act unjustly?
ماwhat قولناour words للهِto God فيin مَوقِفٍa place of standing
ما قولنا للهِ في مَوقِفٍ
يخرسُfalls mute فيهin it اللَّسِنُthe eloquent المِقْوَلُthe fluent speaker
يخرسُ فيه اللَّسِنُ المِقْوَلُ
What shall we say to God as we stand
What can we say to God at a station
where the eloquent, fluent speaker falls mute,
Where tongues are silenced and speech fails?
إذاwhen سُؤِلْناwe are questioned فيهِin it عَنْabout كلِّall مَاthat which
إذا سُؤِلْنا فيهِ عَنْ كلِّ مَا
نَقُولwe say فيin الدُّنياthis world وماand what نَفعَلُwe do
نَقُول في الدُّنيا وما نَفعَلُ
when we are questioned there about all that
When we are asked there about all
we say in this world and what we do?
We say and do in this life?
ماnot الْفَوزُsuccess لِلْعالِمِfor the scholar فيin عِلمِهِhis knowledge
ما الْفَوزُ لِلْعالِمِ في عِلمِهِ
وإنّماand only الفَوزُsuccess لِمَنْfor whoever يَعْمَلُacts
وإنّما الفَوزُ لِمَنْ يَعْمَلُ
Success for a scholar does not lie in his knowledge;
What value is knowledge to the scholar
but success belongs only to those who act.
When triumph is only for the doer?
Sol 6.1