قَدِّمَoffer in advance لأهوالfor the terrors of المآبthe final return مَتَابَاrepentance
قَدِّمَ لأهوال المآب مَتَابَا
واعمَلْand act فماfor ... is not التسويفprocrastination منكon your part صواباright
واعمَلْ فما التسويف منك صوابا
Offer repentance in advance for the terrors of the final return.
Present yourself to the terrors of fate, repentant,
And act, for procrastination on your part is not right.
And act, for procrastination is not right for you.
فإلىthen until متىwhen والعُمْرُwhile life لَمْحَةُa flash of بَارِقٍlightning
فإلى متى والعُمْرُ لَمْحَةُ بَارِقٍ
تلهوyou idle ويُوعِظُكَand admonishes you النّصيحُthe sincere adviser فتأبىyet you refuse
تلهو ويُوعِظُكَ النّصيحُ فتأبى
How long, then—when life is but a flash of lightning—
For how long will you play, while life is but a flashing moment,
will you idle while the sincere adviser admonishes you, yet you refuse?
And the adviser admonishes you, yet you refuse?
القَبرُthe grave حَسْبُكَenough for you لَوْif تُوَفَّقُyou are granted guidance وَاعِظاًas an admonisher
القَبرُ حَسْبُكَ لَوْ تُوَفَّقُ وَاعِظاً
والموتُand death يكفيsuffices لَوْif عَلِمْتَyou knew مُصَابَاas a calamity
والموتُ يكفي لَوْ عَلِمْتَ مُصَابَا
The grave suffices as your admonisher, if you are granted guidance,
The grave is enough for you, if only you were guided by the preacher,
and death is calamity enough, if you but knew.
And death suffices, if only you knew affliction.
وإذاand when غفِلْتَyou grow heedless فإنّهfor indeed it لكfor you مُوتِرٌstringing
وإذا غفِلْتَ فإنّه لك مُوتِرٌ
قَوْساًa bow متىwhenever تَدْعُyou summon الفناءَannihilation أجاباit answers
قَوْساً متى تَدْعُ الفناءَ أجابا
And when you grow heedless, it strings for you
And if you are heedless, then he is a tester for you,
a bow; whenever you summon annihilation, it answers.
Drawing his bow - how long will you put off answering the call of mortality?
عمَّencompassed الخَلاَئِقَall creatures حُكمُهُits sway يَاoh لَيْتَهُwould that it
عمَّ الخَلاَئِقَ حُكمُهُ يَا لَيْتَهُ
لوif كانit were يَمْنَعُprotecting بالبقاءwith continued life جناباa noble person
لو كان يَمْنَعُ بالبقاء جنابا
Its sway encompasses all creatures—oh, would that it
His decree rules all creatures - oh, if only
could shield a noble person with continued life,
He could prevent the passage of all with life!
كجَنابِlike the person of أحمدٍAhmad السُهَيْلِيِّal-Suhayli الذيwho
كجَنابِ أحمدٍ السُهَيْلِيِّ الذي
لَبِسَhe wore المحامدَpraiseworthy qualities فيamong الورىhumankind أثواباas garments
لَبِسَ المحامدَ في الورى أثوابا
such as Ahmad al-Suhayli, who
Like the passage of Ahmed Al-Suheili, who
wore praiseworthy qualities as garments among humankind.
Wore garments of praise in the world.
وَهُوَand he الذيwho إِذْwhen خافَhe feared فتنةَthe allure of وجهِهhis face
وَهُوَ الذي إِذْ خافَ فتنةَ وجهِه
ضربَhe cast الحياءَmodesty علىover الجمالbeauty نِقاباas a veil
ضربَ الحياءَ على الجمال نِقابا
And he was the one who, fearing his face's allure,
He who, fearing the allure of his face,
cast modesty over his beauty as a veil.
Covered his beauty with the veil of modesty.
خَلْقٌa physical form يَوَدّlongs for البدرُthe full moon نَيْلَattaining تَمَامِهِits perfection
خَلْقٌ يَوَدّ البدرُ نَيْلَ تَمَامِهِ
وخَلاَئِقٌand character traits تَسْبِيcaptivate العقولَminds عُجَاباwondrous
وخَلاَئِقٌ تَسْبِي العقولَ عُجَابا
A form whose perfection the full moon longs to attain,
A being whose perfection the full moon wished to attain,
and wondrous virtues that captivate minds.
And whose wonders dazzled all minds.
غَارَتْgrew jealous منof الدّنياthe world عليهover him مَنِيَّةٌdeath
غَارَتْ من الدّنيا عليه مَنِيَّةٌ
شَوْقاًout of longing لهُfor him فاستعجَلَتْهُso it hurried him away شباباin his youth
شَوْقاً لهُ فاستعجَلَتْهُ شبابا
Death grew jealous of the world over him;
Mortality envied him in the world,
longing for him, it hurried him away in his youth.
So it hurried to seize his youth.
ياO رَبِّmy Lord منthe one who وافاكhas come to You أَحْوَجُmost needy بائسa wretched soul
يا رَبِّ من وافاك أَحْوَجُ بائس
ولِغَيْرِand to other than بَابِكَYour door لاnot يسوقhe drives رِكَابَاriding camels
ولِغَيْرِ بَابِكَ لا يسوق رِكَابَا
O my Lord, he who has come to You is a most needy, wretched soul,
O Lord! The most wretched in need of meeting You
and drives his riding camels to no door but Yours.
Has no other door to knock upon.
فَاجْعَلْso grant لهto him منfrom فَيْضِthe overflow of عَفْوِكYour pardon مَوْرِداًa watering-place
فَاجْعَلْ له من فَيْضِ عَفْوِك مَوْرِداً
أشْهىmore delightful منthan العَذْبfresh water الفُرَاتِpleasantly sweet شراباas a drink
أشْهى من العَذْب الفُرَاتِ شرابا
So grant him, from the overflow of Your pardon, a fount
So make for him a spring from the overflowing of Your pardon,
whose drink is more delightful than sweet, fresh water.
Sweeter to drink than the sweet Euphrates.
واقْبَلْand accept مقالةَthe words of منone who دعاكcalled upon You مُؤَرِّخاrecording the date
واقْبَلْ مقالةَ من دعاك مُؤَرِّخا
نَوِّلْهُgrant him فيin أعلىthe highest reaches of الفسيحthe vast expanse ثواباa reward
نَوِّلْهُ في أعلى الفسيح ثوابا
And accept the words of one who has called upon You, recording the date:
And accept the words of one who called upon You as a chronicler.
Grant him a reward in the highest reaches of the vast expanse.
Grant him the highest rewards in the most spacious paradise.
Sol 6.1