بَقائِيَ الطَويلُ وَغِيِّ البَسيطُ

بَقائِيَ الطَويلُ وَغِيِّ البَسيطُ

وَأَصبَحتُ مُضطَرِباً كَالرَجَزِ

وَأَصبَحتُ مُضطَرِباً كَالرَجَزِ

My life is long, and my waywardness far-reaching;

My long survival and melancholy of Basīṭ,

And I have become unsteady, like the Rajaz meter.

And I have become restless like Rajaz.

وَلي نَفَسٌ لَم يَزَل دائِباً

وَلي نَفَسٌ لَم يَزَل دائِباً

يُنَجِّزُ وَقتِيَ حَتّى نَجَز

يُنَجِّزُ وَقتِيَ حَتّى نَجَز

And I have a breath that never ceases its toil,

And I have a soul that has not ceased to be diligent,

Bringing my time to its end, until it is spent.

Finishing my time until it is finished.

فَإِثنِ عَلى اللَهِ تُعطَ الثَوابَ

فَإِثنِ عَلى اللَهِ تُعطَ الثَوابَ

وَإِلّا فَكَم مادِحٍ لَم يُجَز

وَإِلّا فَكَم مادِحٍ لَم يُجَز

So praise God, and you shall be given the reward;

So praise Allah and you will be rewarded,

Otherwise, how many a praiser has gone unrewarded!

Otherwise, how many praisers have not been rewarded?

وَما اِنفَكَّ سَعيُ الفَتى لِلضَلالِ

وَما اِنفَكَّ سَعيُ الفَتى لِلضَلالِ

إِلى أَن ثَوى أَو إِلى أَن عَجَز

إِلى أَن ثَوى أَو إِلى أَن عَجَز

And a young man's striving is ever toward error,

And the striving of the youth for misguidance did not cease

Until he lies dead, or until he grows powerless.

Until he became senile or until he was incapable.

فَهَل أَنتَ مُحتَجِزٌ إِنَّهُ

فَهَل أَنتَ مُحتَجِزٌ إِنَّهُ

لِيَومِ الحِمامِ تُشَدُّ الحُجَز

لِيَومِ الحِمامِ تُشَدُّ الحُجَز

So are you girded? Indeed, it is

So are you detaining? Indeed,

For the day of death that girdles are drawn tight.

On the day of trouble, the fortifications are tightened.