غَلِطَ القائِلُ إِنّا خالِدونَ

غَلِطَ القائِلُ إِنّا خالِدونَ

كُلُّنا بَعدَ الرَدى هَيُّ اِبنُ بَي

كُلُّنا بَعدَ الرَدى هَيُّ اِبنُ بَي

He who said we are immortal was mistaken.

The one who said we are immortal was wrong

Wrong is the one who says we are immortal,

After death, we are all Hayy son of Bayy—nameless nobodies.

After decay, we are all gone

We are all, after death, nothing born of nothing.

لَو عَرَفنا ما الَّذي قَبلَ الوُجود

لَو عَرَفنا ما الَّذي قَبلَ الوُجود

لَعَرَفنا ما الَّذي بَعدَ الفَناء

لَعَرَفنا ما الَّذي بَعدَ الفَناء

If we knew what came before existence,

If we knew what was before existence

If we knew what came before existence,

we would know what comes after annihilation.

We'd know what's after annihilation

We would know what comes after annihilation.

نَحنُ لَو كُنّا كَما قالوا نَعود

نَحنُ لَو كُنّا كَما قالوا نَعود

لَم تَخَف أَنفُسُنا رَيبَ القَضاء

لَم تَخَف أَنفُسُنا رَيبَ القَضاء

If we were to return, as they claimed,

If we were, as they claim, to return

If we were to return, as they claim,

our souls would not fear the vicissitudes of fate.

Our souls wouldn't fear the decree of fate

Our souls would not fear the uncertainty of fate.

إِنَّما القَولُ بِأَنّا لِلخُلود

إِنَّما القَولُ بِأَنّا لِلخُلود

فِكرَةٌ أَوجَدَها حُبُّ البَقاء

فِكرَةٌ أَوجَدَها حُبُّ البَقاء

The claim that we are destined for immortality is merely

Saying we're eternal

The assertion that we are meant for eternity

an idea born of the love of survival.

Is an idea born of the love of permanence

Is but an idea born of the love of survival.

نَعشَقُ البُقيا لِأَنّا زائِلون

نَعشَقُ البُقيا لِأَنّا زائِلون

وَالأَماني حَيَّةٌ في كُلِّ حَي

وَالأَماني حَيَّةٌ في كُلِّ حَي

We yearn to endure because we are perishable,

We love survival because we fade

We cherish remaining because we are fleeting,

and hopes are alive in every living being.

And hopes live in every living being

And hopes are alive in every living thing.

زَعَموا الأَرواحَ تَبقى سَرمَدا

زَعَموا الأَرواحَ تَبقى سَرمَدا

خَدعونا نَحنُ وَالشَمعُ سَواء

خَدعونا نَحنُ وَالشَمعُ سَواء

They claimed that souls endure forever;

They claimed souls last forever

They claimed that souls endure eternally;

they deceived us: we and candle wax are alike.

Deceiving us and the candle alike

They deceived us; we and the candle are alike.

يَلبَثُ النورُ بِها مُتَّقِدا

يَلبَثُ النورُ بِها مُتَّقِدا

فَإِذا ما اِحتَرَقَت بادَ الضِياء

فَإِذا ما اِحتَرَقَت بادَ الضِياء

The light remains burning within it,

Light lingers in it, kindled

The light remains within it, burning bright,

but when it burns away, the radiance perishes.

But when it's burnt out, radiance fades

But once it burns out, the radiance perishes.

أَينَ كانَ النورُ أَنّى وُجِدا

أَينَ كانَ النورُ أَنّى وُجِدا

كَيفَ وَلّى عِندَما زالَ البِناء

كَيفَ وَلّى عِندَما زالَ البِناء

Where was the light? Whence did it come?

Where was the light, how did it exist

Where was the light? From whence was it found?

How did it depart when the structure vanished?

How did it disappear when the structure fell?

How did it flee when the structure dissolved?

شَمعَتي فيها لِطُلّابِ اليَقين

شَمعَتي فيها لِطُلّابِ اليَقين

أَيَةٌ تَدفَعُ عَنهُم كُلَّ غَي

أَيَةٌ تَدفَعُ عَنهُم كُلَّ غَي

My candle holds, for seekers of certainty,

My two candles are a sign for seekers of certainty

In my candle, for those seeking certainty,

a sign that banishes all their error.

A lesson that drives away their confusion

Is a sign that wards off all delusion.

لَيسَتِ الروحُ سِوى هَذا الجَسَد

لَيسَتِ الروحُ سِوى هَذا الجَسَد

مَعَهُ جاءَت وَمَعَهُ تَرجِعُ

مَعَهُ جاءَت وَمَعَهُ تَرجِعُ

The soul is nothing other than this body:

The soul is only this body

The soul is nothing but this body;

with it the soul came, and with it it returns.

With it she came, with it she returns

With it, it came, and with it, it returns.

لَم تَكُن مَوجودَةً قَبلَ وُجِد

لَم تَكُن مَوجودَةً قَبلَ وُجِد

وَلِهَذا حينَ يَمضي تَتبَعُ

وَلِهَذا حينَ يَمضي تَتبَعُ

It did not exist before the body came into being,

She didn't exist before it existed

It did not exist before he existed,

and so, when the body passes away, it follows.

And so when it goes, she follows

And thus, when he passes, it follows.

فَمَنِ الزورِ المُوَشّى وَالفَنَد

فَمَنِ الزورِ المُوَشّى وَالفَنَد

قَولَنا الأَرواحُ لَيسَت تُصرَعُ

قَولَنا الأَرواحُ لَيسَت تُصرَعُ

Thus, among embroidered falsehoods and folly is

So lies and nonsense

It is embellished falsehood and folly

our claim that souls are not struck down.

Are our claims souls cannot die

To say that souls are not destroyed.

تَلبَثُ الأَفياءُ ما دامَ الغُصون

تَلبَثُ الأَفياءُ ما دامَ الغُصون

فَإِذا ما ذَهَبَت لا يَبقَ في

فَإِذا ما ذَهَبَت لا يَبقَ في

Shadows linger as long as the branches remain,

Passion remains while branches thrive

Shadows remain only as long as the boughs,

and when they are gone, no shade remains.

When they're gone, nothing remains in them

But when they depart, no shadow remains.

لَو تَكونُ الروحُ ما لا يَضمَحِل

لَو تَكونُ الروحُ ما لا يَضمَحِل

جَزِعنا كُلَّما جِسمٌ هَمَد

جَزِعنا كُلَّما جِسمٌ هَمَد

If the soul were something that never perishes,

If the soul cannot decay

If the soul were something that does not decay,

we would grieve whenever a body fell still.

We'd grieve whenever a body perishes

Why would we panic whenever a body lies still?

لَو تَكونُ الروحُ جِسماً مُستَقِل

لَو تَكونُ الروحُ جِسماً مُستَقِل

لَرَآها مَن يَرى هَذا الجَسَد

لَرَآها مَن يَرى هَذا الجَسَد

If the soul were a separate body,

If the soul were an independent being

If the soul were an independent entity,

whoever sees this body would see it.

Whoever can see this body could see it

Whoever sees this body would see it too.

كُلُّ ما في الأَرضِ مِن عَينٍ وَظِل

كُلُّ ما في الأَرضِ مِن عَينٍ وَظِل

سَوفَ يَنحَلُّ كَما اِنحَلَّ الزَبَد

سَوفَ يَنحَلُّ كَما اِنحَلَّ الزَبَد

Everything on earth, substance and shadow alike,

All that on earth, of essence and shadow

All that is on earth, of essence and shadow,

will dissolve as the foam dissolved.

Will dissolve as the foam disintegrated

Will dissolve just as foam dissolves.

وَلَئِن صَحَّ بِأَنّا مُنشَرون

وَلَئِن صَحَّ بِأَنّا مُنشَرون

جازَ أَن يَعقُبَ ذاكَ النَشرَ طَي

جازَ أَن يَعقُبَ ذاكَ النَشرَ طَي

And even if it is true that we shall be resurrected,

And if true we'll be resurrected

And even if it were true that we are resurrected,

a folding away may follow that resurrection.

It's possible that resurrection will be followed by death

It is possible that a folding follows that unfolding.

لَيتَ مَن قالوا بِأَنّا كَالزُهور

لَيتَ مَن قالوا بِأَنّا كَالزُهور

خَبَّرونا اينَ تَمضي الرائِحَه

خَبَّرونا اينَ تَمضي الرائِحَه

If only those who said we are like flowers

If only those who likened us to flowers

I wish those who said we are like flowers

would tell us where the fragrance goes!

Would tell us where the scent goes

Would tell us where the fragrance goes.

أَتُرى تَبقى كَأَلحانِ الدُهور

أَتُرى تَبقى كَأَلحانِ الدُهور

أَم تَلاشى مِثلَ صَوتِ النائِحَه

أَم تَلاشى مِثلَ صَوتِ النائِحَه

Do you think it lingers like the melodies of the ages,

Does it last like songs of ages?

Do you think it remains like the melodies of the ages,

or fades away like a mourning woman's voice?

Or fade like cries of mourning?

Or does it vanish like the wailing woman's cry?

لَيتَ شِعري أَيُّ خُلدٍ لِلبُذورُ

لَيتَ شِعري أَيُّ خُلدٍ لِلبُذورُ

بَعدَ أَن تُلقى بِنارٍ لافِحَه

بَعدَ أَن تُلقى بِنارٍ لافِحَه

Would that I knew what immortality seeds have

I wonder what eternity seeds have

I wish I knew what eternity awaits the seeds

after they are cast into a scorching fire.

When cast into raging fires

After they are cast into a scorching fire.

قُل لِمَن يَخبِطُ في لَيلِ الظُنون

قُل لِمَن يَخبِطُ في لَيلِ الظُنون

لَيسَ بَعدَ المَوتِ لِلظامِءِ رِي

لَيسَ بَعدَ المَوتِ لِلظامِءِ رِي

Tell whoever stumbles in the night of conjecture:

Say to those lost in the night of conjectures

Say to him who stumbles in the night of conjecture:

after death, there is no quenching the thirsty one's thirst.

There's no quenching thirst after death

There is no quenching for the thirsty after death.

مِثلَما يَذهَبُ لَونُ الوَرَقَه

مِثلَما يَذهَبُ لَونُ الوَرَقَه

عِندَما تَيبَسُ في الأَرضِ الأُصول

عِندَما تَيبَسُ في الأَرضِ الأُصول

Just as a leaf's color fades

As color leaves the leaf

Just as the color of the leaf departs

when its roots dry up in the earth,

When its roots wither in the earth

When the roots wither within the earth,

مِثلَما يُفقَدُ نورُ الهَدَقَه

مِثلَما يُفقَدُ نورُ الهَدَقَه

حينَ أَقضي هَكَذا نَفسي تَزول

حينَ أَقضي هَكَذا نَفسي تَزول

just as the light of the pupil is lost,

As pupils lose their light

Just as the light of the pupil is lost—

so, when I die, my soul vanishes.

When this life of mine expires

When I die, so too does my soul vanish.

كَتَلاشي الشَمعَةِ المُحتَرِقَه

كَتَلاشي الشَمعَةِ المُحتَرِقَه

تَتَلاشى بَينَ ضِحكٍ وَعَويل

تَتَلاشى بَينَ ضِحكٍ وَعَويل

Like the fading of a burning candle,

It will fade like a burning candle

Like the fading of a burning candle,

it fades away amid laughter and wailing.

Vanishing between laughs and wails

It fades away between laughter and wailing.

أَنا بَعدَ المَوتِ شَيئاً لا أَكون

أَنا بَعدَ المَوتِ شَيئاً لا أَكون

حَيثُ أَنّي لَم أَكُن مِن قَبلُ شَيء

حَيثُ أَنّي لَم أَكُن مِن قَبلُ شَيء

After death I shall be nothing,

After death, I'll be nothing

After death, I become nothing,

since I was nothing before.

Since I wasn't anything before

Since I was nothing before.

إيهِ أَبناءَ الثَرى نَسلَ القُرود

إيهِ أَبناءَ الثَرى نَسلَ القُرود

عَلِّلوا أَنفُسَكُم بِالتُرَّهات

عَلِّلوا أَنفُسَكُم بِالتُرَّهات

Go on, children of dust, offspring of apes:

Hey children of the earth, race of apes

Go on, sons of dust, offspring of apes,

console yourselves with absurdities;

Justify yourselves with nonsense

Distract yourselves with superstitions.

اِلبِسوا في صَحوِكُم ثَوبَ الجُمود

اِلبِسوا في صَحوِكُم ثَوبَ الجُمود

وَاِحلَموا في نَومِكُم بِالمُعجِزات

وَاِحلَموا في نَومِكُم بِالمُعجِزات

in your waking hours, put on the garment of rigidity,

Cloak your consciousness with rigidity

Wear the robe of stagnation in your waking hours,

and in your sleep, dream of miracles.

And dream miracles in your sleep

And dream in your sleep of miracles.

فَسَيَأتي زَمَنٌ غَيرُ بَعيد

فَسَيَأتي زَمَنٌ غَيرُ بَعيد

تَتَهادى بَينَكُم فيهِ أَياه

تَتَهادى بَينَكُم فيهِ أَياه

For a time will come, not far away,

For a time unlike the present will come

For a time not far off will come,

when [signs?] will glide among you,

When truths will crumble around you

When a sign shall sway gently among you,

وَيَحِلُّ اللَهُ في ماءٍ وَطين

وَيَحِلُّ اللَهُ في ماءٍ وَطين

فَيَراهُ الشَيخُ و الشابُ الأَحيَء

فَيَراهُ الشَيخُ و الشابُ الأَحيَء

and God will dwell in water and clay,

And God will dissolve in water and clay

And God shall settle in water and clay,

and the old man and the [living?] youth will see Him.

To be seen by the living young and old

And the elder and the living youth shall see Him.