1. أَمِنَ المَوتِ أَجزَعُ

    وَهوَ لا بُدَّ يَفجَعُ

    Do I recoil in fear from death,

    though it must inevitably bring grief,

  2. وَفي الخُلدِ أَطمَعُ

    وَعلى القُربِ أَقلَعُ

    and hope for everlasting life,

    though I shall soon depart?

  3. البَقا غَيرَ حاصِلٍ

    وَالفَنا لَيسَ يَدفَعُ

    Lasting life cannot be had,

    and passing away cannot be averted.

  4. ما مِنَ المَوتِ مَهرَبٌ

    لا وَلا الحَذَرُ يَنجَعُ

    There is no escape from death,

    no, nor does caution avail.

  5. إِنَّ كَأسَ مَنِيَّتي

    مُرُّهُ سَوفَ أَجرَعُ

    Surely the cup of my death—

    I shall drink its bitterness.

  6. وَأَموتُ وَأَنقَضي

    وَعلى النَعشِ أَرفَعُ

    And I shall die and pass away,

    and be lifted upon the bier.

  7. وَأَصيرُ بِمَدفَنٍ

    لِلمَخوفاتِ مَجمَعُ

    And I shall come to lie in a grave,

    a gathering place of terrors.

  8. وَهوَ لِلمَرءِ رَوضَةٌ

    أَو مَضيقٌ وَبَلقَعُ

    For a person it is a garden,

    or a narrow place and barren waste.

  9. فَإِذا لا مَحيصَ عَن

    هَذِهِ كَيفَ أَفزَعُ

    So, if there is no escape from

    this, why should I fear?

  10. قُل لِمَن كانَ عُمرُهُ

    بِالدَنا يَتَمَتَّعُ

    Say to him who spends his life

    enjoying this world,

  11. يَكتسي ليناتُها

    وَعَلى القُطنِ يَضجَعُ

    clothing himself in its soft garments

    and reclining on cotton,

  12. يَستَقي طيباتِها

    وَهوَ يَلهو وَيَرتَعُ

    drinking its choice delights,

    while he plays and revels,

  13. غارِقاً في نَعيمِها

    أَفي الخُلدِ تَطمَعُ

    immersed in its bliss:

    Do you hope to live forever?

  14. فَكَأَنّي بِروحِهِ

    في السِياقِ تَقَعقَعُ

    It is as though I see his soul

    rattling in death's throes,

  15. وَبِالأَطفالِ بَيتُهُ

    وَالنِساءُ تَصَعصَعُ

    and his house, with its children

    and women, is shaken.

  16. ثُمَّ يَكسي بِخَرقِهِ

    وَلِقَبرٍ يَشيعُ

    Then he is clothed in his rags

    and escorted to a grave,

  17. مُظلِمٌ ضَيِّقُ الفَنا

    وَيلَهُ كَيفَ يَصنَعُ

    dark and cramped in its confines.

    Woe to him! What can he do?

  18. فيهِ يُبلي جَمالَهُ

    وَالمَفاصِلُ تَقطَعُ

    There his beauty wastes away,

    and his joints are severed.

  19. وَيَصيرُ كَجيفَةٍ

    بَل أَخسَ وَأَبشَعُ

    And he becomes like a carcass,

    indeed, baser and more hideous.

  20. ثُمَّ يَبلى وَيَمحي

    وَإِلى الأَصلِ يَرجِعُ

    Then he decays and is effaced,

    and returns to his origin.

  21. وَهوَ لَم يَبقَ هَكَذا

    كانَ أَجدى وَأَنفَعُ

    Yet he does not remain so—

    that would have been better and more beneficial.

  22. لَكِنَّ البَعثَ بَعدَهُ

    يَومَ كُلِّ يُرَوِّعُ

    But resurrection follows it,

    a day that terrifies everyone;

  23. يَومَ يَنفُخُ نَفخَةً

    لِلبَرِيَّةِ تَجمَعُ

    the day a blast is blown,

    gathering all creation;

  24. يَومَ نُشِرَ وَحُشِرَ

    وَوُقوفٌ وَمَجمَعُ

    the day they are raised and gathered,

    with standing and assembly;

  25. يَومَ يُبرِزُ رَبَّنا

    لِلحِسابِ وَنَخضَعُ

    the day our Lord brings us forth

    for reckoning, and we submit.

  26. مَوقِفٌ ما أَمَرَهُ

    آهٍ ما كانَ أَفظَعُ

    A standing-place—how bitter it is!

    Ah, how dreadful it is!

  27. فيهِ كَشفٌ غِطاءٌ

    وَالمَوازينُ توضَعُ

    There the covering is removed,

    and the scales are set up.

  28. وَتَرى مكُلَّ مُرضِعٍ

    تَنسَ ما كانَ تَرضَعُ

    And you see every nursing mother

    forget what she was nursing.

  29. وَالجَزا كُلَّ عامِلٍ

    يَلقى ما كانَ يَصنَعُ

    And every doer, in recompense,

    will meet what he used to do.

  30. فَجَزا كُلُّ مُؤمِنٍ

    لِلهَوى كانَ يَقمَعُ

    So the reward of every believer

    who would subdue desire,

  31. طائِعاً لِمَليكٍ

    وَمِنَ الرِزقِ يَقنَعُ

    obedient to the Sovereign

    and content with his provision,

  32. جَنَّةً عِندَ رَبِّهِ

    أَبَداً يَتَمَتَّعُ

    is a garden with his Lord,

    where he delights forever.

  33. وَجَزا كُلَّ مُعرِضٍ

    ظَلَّ لِلمالِ يَجمَعُ

    And the recompense of everyone who turned away,

    who kept amassing wealth,

  34. وَعَنِ الإِثمِ وَالخَنا

    لَم يَكُن يَتَوَرَّعُ

    and from sin and obscenity

    would not refrain,

  35. لَيسَ إِلّا جَهَنَّمَ

    وَهيَ أَدهى وَأَفظَعُ

    is nothing but Hell,

    more calamitous and more dreadful.

  36. بِالحَديدِ مُثقَلٌ

    وَالمَقامِعُ تَقمَعُ

    He is weighed down with iron,

    and maces beat him down.

  37. الصَديدُ شَرابُهُ

    وَالعَقارِبُ تَلسَعُ

    Pus is his drink,

    and scorpions sting him.

  38. يا إِلَهي وَسَيِّدي

    إِنَّني لَكَ أَضرَعُ

    O my God and my Master,

    indeed, I humbly beseech You.

  39. وَإِلى بابِكَ أَلجَأُ

    وَهوَ لِكُلِّ مَفزَعُ

    And to Your door I seek refuge,

    for it is a refuge for all.

  40. اَحيِني لَكَ مُسلِماً

    مِنكَ أَخشى وَأَخضَعُ

    Let me live in submission to You,

    fearing You and bowing in submission.

  41. وَعَلى بَزلَتي

    سَيِّدي لا تَشنَعُ

    And concerning my lapse,

    my Master, do not reproach me.

  42. وَأَمَّتني عَلى الهُدى

    دينٌ مَن هُوَ مَنبَعُ

    And let me die upon right guidance,

    the faith of him who is the source

  43. لِلفَضائِلِ كُلِّها

    وَهوَ لِلكُلِّ يَشفَعُ

    of all virtues,

    and who intercedes for all:

  44. أَحمَدُ الهادي الَّذي

    كانَ بِالحَقِّ يَصدَعُ

    Ahmad, the guide who

    openly proclaimed the truth.

  45. صَلِّ رَبِّ عَلَيهِ ما

    باتَتِ الوَرَقُ تَسجَعُ

    Bless him, my Lord, as long as

    the doves spend their nights cooing.