إِن يُدرِكَكَ مَوتٌ أَو مَشيبٌ

إِن يُدرِكَكَ مَوتٌ أَو مَشيبٌ

فَقَبلَكَ ماتَ أَقوامٌ وَشابوا

فَقَبلَكَ ماتَ أَقوامٌ وَشابوا

If death or gray hair overtakes you,

Whether death or old age overtakes you

For before you, people have died and grown gray.

Before you died, people died and grew old

تَلَبَّثنا وَفَرَّطنا رِجالاً

تَلَبَّثنا وَفَرَّطنا رِجالاً

دُعوا وَإِذا الأَنامُ دُعوا أَجابوا

دُعوا وَإِذا الأَنامُ دُعوا أَجابوا

We have lingered and sent men ahead;

We procrastinated and neglected men

They were called—and when mortals are called, they answer.

They were called and when people were called, they responded

وَإِنَّ سَبيلَنا لَسَبيلُ قَومٍ

وَإِنَّ سَبيلَنا لَسَبيلُ قَومٍ

شَهِدنا الأَمرَ بَعدَهُمُ وَغابوا

شَهِدنا الأَمرَ بَعدَهُمُ وَغابوا

And indeed our path is surely the path of a people:

And indeed our path is the path of a people

We witnessed events after them, while they were gone.

We witnessed the matter after them and they passed away

فَلا تَسأَلَ سَتَثكَلُ كُلُّ أُمٍّ

فَلا تَسأَلَ سَتَثكَلُ كُلُّ أُمٍّ

إِذا ما إِخوَةٌ كَثُروا وَطابوا

إِذا ما إِخوَةٌ كَثُروا وَطابوا

So do not ask: every mother will be bereaved

So do not ask, every mother will be burdened

When brothers have grown numerous and fine.

When many brothers were around and then passed away