لَقَد خابَ مِن غرَّتهُ دُنيا دنِيَّة

لَقَد خابَ مِن غرَّتهُ دُنيا دنِيَّة

وَما هِي وإِن غَرَت قروناً بِباطِلِ

وَما هِي وإِن غَرَت قروناً بِباطِلِ

Truly, he whom a base world has beguiled has failed.

The fleeting world has failed all who dreamed,

He has truly failed who is deluded by a base and lowly world,

And what is it, though it has beguiled generations with falsehood?

Though with illusion long she fascinated fools.

And what is it—though it has deceived generations with falsehood?

أَتَتنا عَلى زِيِّ العَروسِ بُثَينَةٌ

أَتَتنا عَلى زِيِّ العَروسِ بُثَينَةٌ

وَزينَتُها في مِثلِ تِلكَ الشَمايلِ

وَزينَتُها في مِثلِ تِلكَ الشَمايلِ

Buthayna came to us in the guise of a bride,

She came to me in wedding garments dressed,

It came to us in the guise of a bride, a fair Buthayna,

and her adornment lay in graces such as those.

Adorned as brides of old in rich apparel.

With her adornments displayed in such alluring ways.

فَقُلتُ لَها غُرِّي سِوايِ فَإِنَّني

فَقُلتُ لَها غُرِّي سِوايِ فَإِنَّني

عَزوفٌ عَنِ الدُنيا وَلَستُ بِجاهِلِ

عَزوفٌ عَنِ الدُنيا وَلَستُ بِجاهِلِ

So I said to her: Beguile someone else, for I

I said, “Turn from me, I have no desire for you,

So I said to her: "Deceive someone other than me, for I

am averse to the world, and I am not ignorant.

I am not ignorant, though disdainful.

Have turned away from the world, and I am not ignorant."

وَما أَنا وَالدُنيا وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً

وَما أَنا وَالدُنيا وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً

رَهينٌ بَقَفرٍ بَينَ تِلكَ الجَنادِلِ

رَهينٌ بَقَفرٍ بَينَ تِلكَ الجَنادِلِ

And what have I to do with the world, when Muhammad

I want no part of you or worldly stuff,

What have I to do with the world, when even Muhammad

lies captive in a barren waste among those boulders?

While my beloved lies imprisoned in a cell.”

Is held pledge in a barren land, amidst those stones?

وَهَبها أَتَتني بِالكُنوزِ وَدُرِّها

وَهَبها أَتَتني بِالكُنوزِ وَدُرِّها

وَأَموال قارونَ وَمُلك القَبايِلِ

وَأَموال قارونَ وَمُلك القَبايِلِ

And suppose she came to me with treasures and her pearls,

She offered me treasures and finery,

Suppose it brought me treasures and its pearls,

and the wealth of Qarun and the dominion of the tribes—

And Qarun’s wealth, and powers of tribes and kings.

And the wealth of Qarun, and the dominion over tribes,

أَلَيسَ جَميعاً لِلفناءِ مَصيرُنا

أَلَيسَ جَميعاً لِلفناءِ مَصيرُنا

وَيُطلَبُ مِن خُزّانِها بِالطوايلِ

وَيُطلَبُ مِن خُزّانِها بِالطوايلِ

are we not all destined to perish?

But all things pass, as we too shall pass,

Is not the destiny of us all towards annihilation?

And claims for redress are pressed against its treasurers.

And from her storehouses all debts are called.

And it is demanded back from its keepers with heavy reckoning.

فَغُرّي سِواي إِنَّني غَيرُ راغِبٍ

فَغُرّي سِواي إِنَّني غَيرُ راغِبٍ

لَما فيكِ مِن عَزٍ وَمُلكٍ ونايلِ

لَما فيكِ مِن عَزٍ وَمُلكٍ ونايلِ

So beguile someone else; I have no desire

“Turn from me, I have no wish for rank or rule,

So deceive another, for I have no desire

for the glory, dominion, and bounty within you.

Or all the power and glory you can give.”

For the glory, sovereignty, and gifts you hold.

وَقَد قَنِعَت نَفسي بِما قَد رُزِقتُهُ

وَقَد قَنِعَت نَفسي بِما قَد رُزِقتُهُ

فَشَأنُكِ يا دُنيا وَأَهلُ الغَوايلِ

فَشَأنُكِ يا دُنيا وَأَهلُ الغَوايلِ

And my soul is content with what I have been given.

My soul is satisfied with what I have been given,

My soul has found contentment in the provision granted to me,

So go your own way, O world, with the people of treachery.

So go your way, O world, and tempt others.

So go your way, O World, to the people of treachery.

فَإِنّي أَخافُ اللَهَ يَومَ لِقائِهِ

فَإِنّي أَخافُ اللَهَ يَومَ لِقائِهِ

وَأَخشى عَذاباً دائِماً غَيرَ زايلِ

وَأَخشى عَذاباً دائِماً غَيرَ زايلِ

For I fear God on the day I meet Him,

I fear God on the day we meet Him,

For indeed I fear Allah on the Day of meeting Him,

and dread a lasting torment that never passes away.

And dread unending torment, anguish never-ending.

And I dread a punishment that is eternal, never fading.