إنّ تقوى اللّه نعمَ الملجأ

إنّ تقوى اللّه نعمَ الملجأ

ورجاءُ الناس بئس النبأ

ورجاءُ الناس بئس النبأ

Truly, reverence for God is an excellent refuge,

Indeed, fearing God is the best refuge,

and hope placed in people is wretched news.

And hope in people is evil news.

قلّما يبرَأ منهوك الحجا

قلّما يبرَأ منهوك الحجا

عن هداه بعماه يربَأ

عن هداه بعماه يربَأ

Seldom does one whose reason is enfeebled recover,

Rarely does one overwhelmed with sorrow

who, in his blindness, scorns the guidance meant for him.

Be cured of it by his blindness and ignorance.

عسكرُ الموت يعي دائبا

عسكرُ الموت يعي دائبا

وهو من جهل به لا يعبَأ

وهو من جهل به لا يعبَأ

Death’s army is ceaselessly alert,

The army of death is ever wakeful,

while he, ignorant of it, pays it no heed.

And cares not for one's ignorance of it.

طاول التوبة مغرورا بما

طاول التوبة مغرورا بما

يترجّى أتراه يرجأ

يترجّى أتراه يرجأ

He has delayed repentance, deluded by what

He who delays repentance, deluded

he hopes for—do you think he will be reprieved?

By the hope of reprieve—will he be granted it?

عجبا منه تناسى عجبه

عجبا منه تناسى عجبه

وتناهى منتماهُ الحمأ

وتناهى منتماهُ الحمأ

How strange of him: he has forgotten his tailbone,

Wondrous is one who forgets his own wondrousness,

and his ancestry traces back to dark mud.

And whom passions have carried to excess.

ثم لا يشغل بالا بالتقى

ثم لا يشغل بالا بالتقى

حيث منقود الردى لا يكلأ

حيث منقود الردى لا يكلأ

Yet he gives no thought to piety,

He occupies himself with nothing

though no one bitten by death is protected.

But devotion, for calamity admits no jesting.

وكفاه آية موقظة

وكفاه آية موقظة

من سبات هو فيه سبا

من سبات هو فيه سبا

And one sign would suffice to awaken him

And sufficient is a rousing sign

from the slumber in which he lies captive.

From slumber which immerses him.

ما له واصل حبّا للدّنا

ما له واصل حبّا للدّنا

وبها صارمَ قيلاً حبأ

وبها صارمَ قيلاً حبأ

Why has he maintained love for worldly things,

Why does one who loves the world

and for their sake forsaken a king who bestowed gifts?

Become embroiled in it, ensnared?

هازئاً يمسي ويضحي زاهياً

هازئاً يمسي ويضحي زاهياً

كيف يزهى بائدٌ أو يهزأ

كيف يزهى بائدٌ أو يهزأ

He meets the evening mocking, and the morning proud.

Mockingly he retires at night and rises cheerfully—

How can one doomed to perish be proud or mock?

How can one fading away jest or mock?

بادر المهلة يا عبد المنى

بادر المهلة يا عبد المنى

واحذر الصرعةَ ممّا يفجأ

واحذر الصرعةَ ممّا يفجأ

Seize the respite, O slave of vain hopes,

Seize the respite, O servant of wishes,

and beware being felled by what strikes without warning.

And beware of sudden calamity.

وادّكر عقبى أناس درجوا

وادّكر عقبى أناس درجوا

أنت في أعقابهم لا تنسأ

أنت في أعقابهم لا تنسأ

And remember the fate of people who passed away:

And recall the fate of past peoples

you follow in their wake; you will not be reprieved.

Whose footsteps you now follow.