هي الأعمار نقص في ازدياد

هي الأعمار نقص في ازدياد

فنحن من الولادة في نفاد

فنحن من الولادة في نفاد

Lifespans are a dwindling that keeps increasing;

Ages are but a decrease in increase

For from birth we are running out.

For we are fading since we are born

وما الأرواح إلا كهرباء

وما الأرواح إلا كهرباء

مسخرة لتحريك الجساد

مسخرة لتحريك الجساد

And souls are nothing but electricity,

Souls are but electricity

Harnessed to set bodies in motion.

Compelled to move the bodies

وما النفس المردد غير سير

وما النفس المردد غير سير

قطعت به الحياة إلى المعاد

قطعت به الحياة إلى المعاد

And the recurring breath is nothing but a journey

And the pensive soul is but a journey

By which life has traveled toward the final return.

With which life moves towards the return

وما الكرة التي نمشي عليها

وما الكرة التي نمشي عليها

سوى المنبث من جسد العباد

سوى المنبث من جسد العباد

And the globe on which we walk

And the sphere we walk upon

Is only what has dispersed from the body of humankind.

Is but the dispersed from the bodies of worshippers

فمنها الخلق كون وهي منهم

فمنها الخلق كون وهي منهم

فبعض مختف والبعض باد

فبعض مختف والبعض باد

From it humankind was formed, and it is made of them;

So from it the creation was made and it is from them

Some lie hidden, while others are visible.

Some has vanished and some has decayed

وما سوق برائجة سواها

وما سوق برائجة سواها

وما سلع سوانا في كساد

وما سلع سوانا في كساد

And no market flourishes except this earth,

And it is none but the market of delusions

And no goods but ourselves go unsold.

With no goods but those in recession

وكم جر الغرور لها غبيّا

وكم جر الغرور لها غبيّا

وما ذاك الغرور سوى اعتيادي

وما ذاك الغرور سوى اعتيادي

How many fools has delusion dragged to her!

And how much has illusion fooled

And that delusion is nothing but my habit.

And that illusion is nothing but habit

بنا سخرت ونحن بها نشاوى

بنا سخرت ونحن بها نشاوى

سواء ملحد أو ذو اعتقاد

سواء ملحد أو ذو اعتقاد

She has mocked us, while we are drunk with her,

It has mocked us and we live blithely with it

Whether atheists or people of faith.

Whether atheist or believer

تخادعنا وآخرها المنايا

تخادعنا وآخرها المنايا

فلا كانت بها تلك الأيادي

فلا كانت بها تلك الأيادي

She deceives us, and her end is death;

It deceives us but its end is death

So may those favors of hers never have been!

So it had no power over those hands

تساوى في الفنا كل ولولا أنت

تساوى في الفنا كل ولولا أنت

ساوي كنت منصدع الفؤاد

ساوي كنت منصدع الفؤاد

All are equal in extinction; were it not for you—

All are equal in oblivion, and if not for You

[Unclear: 'make equal']—I would be brokenhearted.

My heart would have cracked from grief

فلولا الدين يثرنا بأخرى

فلولا الدين يثرنا بأخرى

لكان الحظ منها في سواد

لكان الحظ منها في سواد

For were religion not to enrich us with another life,

And if not for religion that consoles us with another life

Our lot from this one would be darkness.

We would have been consumed in darkness

عجبت لراغب فيها ويدري

عجبت لراغب فيها ويدري

بأنه للتراب من المهاد

بأنه للتراب من المهاد

I marvel at one who desires her yet knows

I wonder at one who desires it yet knows

That, from the cradle, he is bound for the dust.

That he is for dust from the cradle

أريد له الهدى ويريد مني

أريد له الهدى ويريد مني

هداه وليس غير الله هادي

هداه وليس غير الله هادي

I wish him guidance, while he wants from me

I want guidance for him but he wants

His guidance; yet none but God can guide.

To guide me while none guides but Allah

قضت بتناقض الآراء فيها

قضت بتناقض الآراء فيها

إرادته فكل ذو اجتهاد

إرادته فكل ذو اجتهاد

Conflicting views concerning her were decreed

His desires have decreed by contradiction of opinions in it

By His will; so each has a judgment of his own.

While each deduces by his own efforts

فريقٌ بالظواهر ذو اكتفاء

فريقٌ بالظواهر ذو اكتفاء

مع الأهواء يركض كالجواد

مع الأهواء يركض كالجواد

One group is content with outward appearances,

A group is satisfied by appearances

Racing with their desires like a steed;

Racing with whims like a steed

وشق صدق الوحي الالهي

وشق صدق الوحي الالهي

فلم يسلك سوى طرق اعتقاد

فلم يسلك سوى طرق اعتقاد

Another has believed in divine revelation,

And avoided the true divine revelation

And has followed only the paths of faith.

Not taking a path but that of faith

فما للفيلسوف إذا ترقّى

فما للفيلسوف إذا ترقّى

بلا جدوى إلى السبع الشداد

بلا جدوى إلى السبع الشداد

What, then, does the philosopher gain when he ascends

Of what use is the philosopher if he rises

Fruitlessly to the seven mighty heavens?

Futilely to the most stubborn

وكل عنده أمل وحرص

وكل عنده أمل وحرص

وما هو غير زرع في حصاد

وما هو غير زرع في حصاد

And everyone has hope and craving,

Each has a hope and greed

Yet he is nothing but a crop being reaped.

But it is not but crops at harvest

وما يجدي ادكار الموت نفعا

وما يجدي ادكار الموت نفعا

كأن الخلق عنه في سهدا

كأن الخلق عنه في سهدا

And recalling death brings no benefit,

And denying death benefits not

As though humankind lay sleepless over it.

As if people forget it in slumber

فيصدق عنهمو بيتا قريض

فيصدق عنهمو بيتا قريض

قد اشتهرا وشاعا في النوادي

قد اشتهرا وشاعا في النوادي

So two verses of poetry hold true of them,

So it makes true two verses of poetry

Already renowned and spread through gatherings:

Famed and circulated in gatherings

لقد أسمعت لو ناديت حيا

لقد أسمعت لو ناديت حيا

ولكن لا حياة لمن تنادي

ولكن لا حياة لمن تنادي

You would have made yourself heard, had you called someone alive,

I heard that if the living were called

But those you call have no life.

They would answer, but those called are not alive

ولو نارا نفخت بها أضاءت

ولو نارا نفخت بها أضاءت

ولكن أنت تنفخ في رماد

ولكن أنت تنفخ في رماد

And had you blown upon a fire, it would have blazed,

And if the dormant fire were blown

But you are blowing into ashes.

It would ignite, but you blow in ashes