نفوسsouls المناياdeaths بالمناياby deaths تشعبare scattered
نفوس المنايا بالمنايا تشعب
وكلand each person لهfor him منfrom مذهبthe path الموتof death مذهبa path
وكل له من مذهب الموت مذهب
The souls of death are scattered by death;
The souls yearn for death with yearning
And each has a path along death’s path.
And each has a way to death from doctrine
نُراعُwe are alarmed لذكرِat the mention of الموتِdeath ساعةَat the moment of ذِكرِهِits mention
نُراعُ لذكرِ الموتِ ساعةَ ذِكرِهِ
وتعترضُand intrudes الدنياthe world فلنهُوso we amuse ourselves ونلعبُand we play
وتعترضُ الدنيا فلنهُو ونلعبُ
We are alarmed at death’s mention, the moment it is mentioned,
We heed the remembrance of death an hour of remembrance
And the world intrudes, so we amuse ourselves and play.
And the life distracts, so let's ignore it and play
وآجالُناand our appointed ends فيin كلِevery يومٍday وليلةٍand night
وآجالُنا في كلِ يومٍ وليلةٍ
اليناtoward us علىduring غِرّاتِناour heedless moments تتقَرَّبُdraw nearer
الينا على غِرّاتِنا تتقَرَّبُ
And our appointed ends, every day and night,
And our terms approach us day after day
Draw nearer to us in our moments of heedlessness.
On our ignorance they come closer
أأيقنَhas he become certain? أنَّthat الشيبَgray hair ينعىannounces the death of حياتَهhis life
أأيقنَ أنَّ الشيبَ ينعى حياتَه
مُدِرٌّcausing milk to flow لأخلافِfor the teats of الحطيئةِal-Hutay’ah مُذنِبُa sinner
مُدِرٌّ لأخلافِ الحطيئةِ مُذنِبُ
Has he become certain that gray hair heralds his life’s end—
Did the gray hair perceive that it elegizes its life
A sinner who makes al-Hutay’ah’s teats flow with milk?
Regretful of the sins of the guilty, sinful
يقينٌa certainty كأنَّas though الشكَّdoubt أغلبُthe predominant part of أمرِهِits character
يقينٌ كأنَّ الشكَّ أغلبُ أمرِهِ
عليهfor him وعرفانٌand knowledge الىto الجهلِignorance يُنسَبُis attributed
عليه وعرفانٌ الى الجهلِ يُنسَبُ
A certainty, as though doubt were its prevailing character
A certainty as if doubt has overcome its matter
For him, and knowledge ascribed to ignorance.
Upon it, and a knowledge to ignorance is attributed
وقدand indeed ذَمّتِhas disparaged الدنياthe world اليّto me نعيمَهاits delights
وقد ذَمّتِ الدنيا اليّ نعيمَها
وخاطبنيand addressed me أعجامُهاits wordlessness وهوwhile it was مُعرِبُspeaking clearly
وخاطبني أعجامُها وهو مُعرِبُ
And the world has spoken ill of its delights to me,
The life has blamed me for its luxuries
And its wordlessness addressed me, eloquent all the while.
And its foreignness has addressed me and it is arabized
ولكنَّنيbut I منهاfrom it خُلِقتwas created لغَيرهاfor something other than it
ولكنَّني منها خُلِقت لغَيرها
وماand that which كنتُI was منهfrom it فهوthen it is عنديto me مُحَبّبُdear
وما كنتُ منه فهو عندي مُحَبّبُ
But I was created from it for something other than it,
But I was created for other than it
And that from which I came is dear to me.
And what was not for it, is beloved to me
Sol 6.1