بِأَنْفُسِناwith our souls للمَوْتِfor death شُغْلٌoccupation وَقَبْضِهاand seizing them
بِأَنْفُسِنا للمَوْتِ شُغْلٌ وَقَبْضِها
فَفِيمَso why انْبِساطٌease خادِعٌdeceptive وفَراغُand leisure
فَفِيمَ انْبِساطٌ خادِعٌ وفَراغُ
Death has business with our very souls—the taking of them;
Death is busy with our souls and with seizing them;
so why this delusive ease, this idle leisure?
so why this deceptive ease and leisure?
أَمَاis there not لِلمَناياfor death والأَمانيُّwhile hopes ضِلَّةٌdelusion
أَمَا لِلمَنايا والأَمانيُّ ضِلَّةٌ
مَغارٌa raid مُبِيدٌannihilating ليْسَis not مِنهُfrom it مَرَاغُan escape
مَغارٌ مُبِيدٌ ليْسَ مِنهُ مَرَاغُ
Is there not, amid deaths and desires, a bewildering delusion—
Does not death—while hopes are delusion—
a devastating onslaught from which there is no escape?
launch a devastating raid from which there is no escape?
يُصاغُare fashioned بَنوsons of الدُّنياthis world لتَجريعِto be made to swallow حَرِّهاits heat
يُصاغُ بَنو الدُّنيا لتَجريعِ حَرِّها
فَيَاthen, oh عَجَباًwonder لِلعَذْبِat sweet water كَيْفَhow يُساغُcan be swallowed
فَيَا عَجَباً لِلعَذْبِ كَيْفَ يُساغُ
The children of this world are fashioned to be force-fed its searing heat;
The sons of this world are fashioned to swallow its heat;
how strange, then, that sweetness can still be swallowed!
how astonishing, then, that sweet water can be swallowed!
تَبَلَّغْmake do بقُوتِwith the sustenance of اليَوْمِtoday فالعُمْرُfor life خُلْسَةٌa stolen moment
تَبَلَّغْ بقُوتِ اليَوْمِ فالعُمْرُ خُلْسَةٌ
وقَدِّمْand send ahead جَمِيلاًa good deed فالحَيَاةُfor life بَلاغُa means of passage
وقَدِّمْ جَمِيلاً فالحَيَاةُ بَلاغُ
Make do with today’s provision, for life is a moment snatched away;
Make do with today's sustenance, for life is a stolen moment;
and send good deeds ahead, for life is but provision for the journey.
and send good deeds ahead, for life is a means of passage.
وَلاand do not تَتَّبِعْfollow فيin الغَيِّerror آثارَthe footsteps of مَعْشَرٍa group
وَلا تَتَّبِعْ في الغَيِّ آثارَ مَعْشَرٍ
ذَوِيpossessed of الشَّرِّevil كَمhow often لاحَshone الرَّشادُright guidance فَرَاغُواyet they turned aside
ذَوِي الشَّرِّ كَم لاحَ الرَّشادُ فَرَاغُوا
Do not follow, into error, the footsteps of a people
And do not follow in error the footsteps of people
possessed of evil; how often guidance gleamed, yet they turned away.
given to evil: how often right guidance shone, yet they turned aside!
يَزِيغونَthey stray جَهْلاًin ignorance لاnot يريعونَthey return لِلْحِجَىto reason
يَزِيغونَ جَهْلاً لا يريعونَ لِلْحِجَى
وَإنْand even if سُدِّدُواthey are directed aright نَحْوَtoward الطَّريقَةِthe right path زاغواthey stray
وَإنْ سُدِّدُوا نَحْوَ الطَّريقَةِ زاغوا
They stray in ignorance, paying no heed to reason;
They stray in ignorance, never returning to reason;
even when directed toward the path, they veer away.
and even if directed toward the right path, they stray.
وفِيand in الباقِيَاتِthe enduring الصَّالِحَاتِgood deeds لوِif only اقْتَنَوْاthey acquired
وفِي الباقِيَاتِ الصَّالِحَاتِ لوِ اقْتَنَوْا
مَتَاعٌbenefit فَمَاso why للفَانِيَاتِfor perishable things تُرَاغُare sought
مَتَاعٌ فَمَا للفَانِيَاتِ تُرَاغُ
In deeds that endure—the righteous deeds, if only they would acquire them—
And in enduring good deeds—if only they would acquire them—
lies true enjoyment; why, then, pursue what perishes?
there is benefit; why, then, are perishable things sought?
Sol 6.1