وجود ناسه عجبٌ

وجود ناسه عجبٌ

فأشباهٌ وأشتات

فأشباهٌ وأشتات

Existence—its people are a wonder:

The existence of people is strange

For they are alike and disparate.

There are similar and scattered groups

جماعاتٌ على الحسنى

جماعاتٌ على الحسنى

وفي السوءى جماعات

وفي السوءى جماعات

Groups devoted to goodness,

Communities upon righteousness

And groups devoted to evil.

And communities upon evil

وقالوا أرضنا كرةٌ

وقالوا أرضنا كرةٌ

تحيط بها السموات

تحيط بها السموات

And they said our earth is a sphere,

They said our land is a sphere

Encircled by the heavens.

Surrounded by the heavens

فبعد سمائهم ماذا

فبعد سمائهم ماذا

أهدى أم مضلات

أهدى أم مضلات

So what lies beyond their sky—

So beyond their skies, what is there?

Guidance, or things that lead astray?

Guidance or misguidance?

وبعد الشي هل شيء

وبعد الشي هل شيء

أم انتهت المسافات

أم انتهت المسافات

And beyond the thing, is there anything,

And beyond things, is there anything?

Or have the distances come to an end?

Or have distances come to an end?

وهل يتلو نهايتها

وهل يتلو نهايتها

هناك اللانهايات

هناك اللانهايات

And is their end followed

And does their end continue

By infinities out there?

Into the endless eternities?

كلا القولين تنكره

كلا القولين تنكره

من العقل البديهات

من العقل البديهات

Both claims are rejected

Both views are rejected

By reason's self-evident truths.

By intuitive reason

بني الإنسان لا تهنوا

بني الإنسان لا تهنوا

فكم في الغيب آيات

فكم في الغيب آيات

Children of humankind, do not lose heart;

O people do not despair

For how many signs there are in the unseen!

For there are many signs in the unseen

وكم للَه من سر

وكم للَه من سر

تغطيه الجهالات

تغطيه الجهالات

And how many a secret belongs to God,

And God has many secrets

Concealed by ignorance!

Covered by ignorance

فعيشوا في عبادته

فعيشوا في عبادته

وفوتوا مثل من فاتوا

وفوتوا مثل من فاتوا

So live in worship of Him,

So live in His worship

And pass away like those who have passed.

And miss opportunity like those who missed it

قفوا بالعقل عن بحث

قفوا بالعقل عن بحث

عقيم فهو يفتات

عقيم فهو يفتات

Hold reason back from an inquiry

Stop searching fruitlessly

That is fruitless, for it oversteps.

With the intellect, for it fragments

كلوا وارعوا إلى أجل

كلوا وارعوا إلى أجل

فواجبكم عبادات

فواجبكم عبادات

Eat and graze until an appointed time;

Eat, be pious until your term

For your duty is worship

For worship is your duty

وأعمال ستنفعكم

وأعمال ستنفعكم

فدنياكم سياحات

فدنياكم سياحات

And deeds that will benefit you;

And deeds that will benefit you

For your worldly life consists of journeys.

For your worldly life is temporary

زرافات تعمرها

زرافات تعمرها

وتهجرها زرافات

وتهجرها زرافات

Groups inhabit it,

Giraffes inhabit it

And groups abandon it.

And giraffes abandon it

يروح الكل ما انتفعوا

يروح الكل ما انتفعوا

بما لبسوا وما اقتاتوا

بما لبسوا وما اقتاتوا

All depart, having gained no benefit

All depart without benefitting

From what they wore and what they ate.

From what they wore and consumed

أرى الأحياء في جهل

أرى الأحياء في جهل

دعاواهم خرافات

دعاواهم خرافات

I see the living in ignorance;

I see the living in ignorance

Their claims are superstitions.

Their claims are myths

وكل السر يكشفه

وكل السر يكشفه

غداة الموت من ماتوا

غداة الموت من ماتوا

And the whole secret is uncovered

And every secret is uncovered

On death's morning by those who have died.

The morning after death takes them