ألاTake heed ياO نفسُsoul لاdo not تعصيyou disobey
ألا يا نفسُ لا تعصي
وقدْand already صدَّقْتِyou have believed بالنصِّin the sacred text
وقدْ صدَّقْتِ بالنصِّ
Take heed, O soul: do not disobey,
O soul, do not disobey
Since you have already believed the sacred text.
When you have believed the text
ألاTake heed ياO نفسُsoul ماwhat عذريmy excuse
ألا يا نفسُ ما عذري
إذاwhen همْthey غيَّبواthey hid away شخصيmy body
إذا همْ غيَّبوا شخصي
Take heed, O soul: what excuse have I
O soul, what is my excuse
When they hide my body away?
If they take away my personality
ألاTake heed ياO نفسُsoul هلْis there عزمٌresolve
ألا يا نفسُ هلْ عزمٌ
لأسعىso that I may strive سعيَthe striving of مختَصِّone wholly devoted
لأسعى سعيَ مختَصِّ
Take heed, O soul: is there resolve
O soul, is there determination
That I may strive as one wholly devoted,
To strive towards specialization
وأتركُand I abandon لينَthe softness of ملبوسيmy clothing
وأتركُ لينَ ملبوسي
إلىin favor of الترقيعِpatching فيin قُمْصيmy shirts
إلى الترقيعِ في قُمْصي
And abandon the softness of my clothing
And I leave my smooth clothing
For patchwork on my shirts,
For patching up my shirt
وأنسىand I forget منزلاًa dwelling رحباًspacious
وأنسى منزلاً رحباً
بزاويةٍfor a corner منَof الخصِّthe reed hut
بزاويةٍ منَ الخصِّ
And forget a spacious dwelling
And I forget a spacious house
For a corner of a reed hut,
With a corner of privacy
وأهجرُand I forsake طيبَthe tastiness of مأكوليmy food
وأهجرُ طيبَ مأكولي
بأكليby my eating يابسَdry القرصِthe round loaf
بأكلي يابسَ القرصِ
And forsake the delights of my food
And I abandon the goodness of my food
By eating a dry round of bread,
With my eating dry crusts
وأجهدُand I exert myself فيfor رضىthe pleasure of ربيmy Lord
وأجهدُ في رضى ربي
وأستبريand I seek to be blameless وأستقصيand I scrutinize thoroughly
وأستبري وأستقصي
And labor for my Lord's pleasure,
And I work hard for the sake of my Lord
And seek to be blameless and scrutinize thoroughly,
And I examine and investigate
وأخشىand I fear فتنةَthe temptation of الدنياthe world
وأخشى فتنةَ الدنيا
كماjust as أخشىI fear منَfrom اللصِّthe thief
كما أخشى منَ اللصِّ
And fear the world's temptation
And I fear the sedition of the world
Just as I fear a thief,
As I fear the thief
وأفنىand I become effaced عَنْfrom فناthe effacement of نفسيmy soul
وأفنى عَنْ فنا نفسي
حذارَfor fear of قصاصِthe retribution of مقتصِّone who exacts retribution
حذارَ قصاصِ مقتصِّ
And be effaced even from my soul's effacement,
And I forget about the perishing of my soul
For fear of an avenger's retribution?
Beware of the punishment of the avenger
فعكسيfor my reversal فيهin it إصلاحيmy reform
فعكسي فيه إصلاحي
كعكسِlike the reversal of النقشِthe engraving فيon الفصِّthe signet stone
كعكسِ النقشِ في الفصِّ
For in my reversal lies my reform,
So my reform is in it
Like reversed engraving on a signet stone.
Like the inscription on the ring
عدويmy enemy أنتِyou ياO نفسيmy soul
عدوي أنتِ يا نفسي
فكمْso much سعيٍstriving وكمand so much حرصِeagerness
فكمْ سعيٍ وكم حرصِ
You are my enemy, O my soul!
You are my enemy, O my soul
So much striving, and so much eagerness!
So how much effort and care
ذنوبيmy sins فيin زياداتٍincreases
ذنوبي في زياداتٍ
وعمريand my lifespan لجَّhas persisted فيin النقصِdecline
وعمري لجَّ في النقصِ
My sins are on the increase,
My sins are in increases
While my lifespan keeps dwindling.
And my life has decreased
أناI فيin غمرتيmy stupor ساهٍheedless
أنا في غمرتي ساهٍ
وأعماليand my deeds لهاfor them مُحْصِone who keeps count
وأعمالي لها مُحْصِ
I am heedless in my stupor,
I was neglectful in my ignorance
Yet my deeds have a reckoner.
And my deeds have been counted
Sol 6.1