وَجَدتُ المَوتَ لِلحَيوانِ داءً

وَجَدتُ المَوتَ لِلحَيوانِ داءً

وَكَيفَ أُعالِجُ الداءَ القَديما

وَكَيفَ أُعالِجُ الداءَ القَديما

I have found death a malady afflicting every living being,

I have found death to be an ailment for living creatures,

and how can I treat that age-old disease?

And how can I treat the age-old ailment?

وَما دُنياكَ إِلّا دارُ سوءٍ

وَما دُنياكَ إِلّا دارُ سوءٍ

وَلَستَ عَلى إِساءَتِها مُقيما

وَلَستَ عَلى إِساءَتِها مُقيما

Your world is nothing but an abode of evil,

And your world is nothing but an abode of evil,

yet you will not remain forever beneath its cruelty.

And you will not remain amid its ill-treatment.

أَرى وَلَدَ الفَتى عِبئاً عَلَيهِ

أَرى وَلَدَ الفَتى عِبئاً عَلَيهِ

لَقَد سَعِدَ الَّذي أَمسى عَقيما

لَقَد سَعِدَ الَّذي أَمسى عَقيما

I see a young man’s child as a burden upon him;

I see a young man's child as a burden upon him;

fortunate indeed is he who enters evening childless.

Indeed, fortunate is he who has become barren.

أَما شاهَدتَ كُلَّ أَبي وَليدٍ

أَما شاهَدتَ كُلَّ أَبي وَليدٍ

يَؤُمُ طَريقَ حَتفٍ مُستَقيما

يَؤُمُ طَريقَ حَتفٍ مُستَقيما

Have you not seen every father of a newborn

Have you not seen every father of a newborn child

set out straight along the road to his death?

Heading straight along a path to death?

فَإِمّا أَن يُرَيِّبَهُ عَدُوّاً

فَإِمّا أَن يُرَيِّبَهُ عَدُوّاً

وَإِمّا أَن يُخَلِّفَهُ يَتيما

وَإِمّا أَن يُخَلِّفَهُ يَتيما

Either the child will make him wary, as an enemy,

So either he makes him a distrustful enemy,

or he will leave the child an orphan.

Or else he leaves him behind an orphan.