دعي يا نفسي لهواً فيك طالحْ

ولا تطغي فإن اللَهَ صالحْ

My soul, leave your vain desires,

Do not transgress, for God is the Bestower of success.

وإسعي سعي من بالخير راغبْ

وأجري الدمع عن عينيك غاربْ

Strive with the effort of one who hopes for good,

Let the tears flow down from your eyes.

فإن تسعي ظفرت بأجر راهب

غدا عن عالم الشهوات هارب

If you strive you will gain the reward of an ascetic,

Tomorrow fleeing from the world of passions.

ويطوي الليل سهراناً ونائحْ

على آثامه وبهن بائحْ

The night passes in wakefulness and lamentation

Over its sins - it is remorseful and regretful.

رأيت العالم الغرّار فينا

عدوّا قد حوى داءً دفينا

I saw this fleeting world as an enemy to us,

Bearing hidden malice.

يعدْنا بالسرور ولا يفينا

ولما أن رآنا قد شفينا

It promises us joy but does not fulfill us,

And when it saw we were cured,

يجردُ شره وبه يكافح

فيردي بالهلاك لمن يصافح

It bared its evil and attacked us with it,

Casting into perdition those who befriend it.

غدا متهدداً فعدا وهددْ

وشد بظلمه القاسي وشددْ

Tomorrow it threatens us, so flee from it,

Strengthen its harsh injustice and severity.

ورد سروره منا وردد

عزائم خير أنفسنا وبدد

It has repulsed our joy and driven it away,

Scattered the resolves for good in our souls and destroyed them.

ذخائر خيرنا والعمر رائح

وهدَّ بِشرِّه مَلِكاً وسائح

It has squandered the treasures of our goodness while life is fleeting,

And destroyed kings and wanderers with its evil.

فأين ملوك أهل الأرض طرّا

وأين الجاعلون الخير شرّا

Where are the kings of earth yesterday,

And where are those who made good into evil?

وأين الحالبون أسىً وضرّا

وأين مجرِّعون الناس مُرّا

Where are those who milked sorrow and harm,

And where are those who embittered people?

غدوا تحت الثرى والحال واضح

وحرُّ جهم النيران فاضح

They lie under the earth, and the matter is clear,

The heat of Hellfire burns and exposes them.

فكأس الموت طاف بهم وحيّا

فما أبقى بهم في الحي حيا

The cup of death came around to them and greeted them,

Leaving no life for them here.

وأخلى منهم ربعاً وحيا

وكان السمُّ في تلك الحميا

It emptied the places and the lives,

And the poison in that oblivion corrupted souls and limbs.

فأفسد بالنفوس وبالجوارح

وقد نشبت بهم أيدٍ جوارح

Destructive hands were embedded in them.

My God, protect us from those sins

إلهي وقِّنا تلك الرزايا

وأسعدنا على تلك البلايا

And make us fortunate over those tribulations,

That we may attain the wishes in our deaths,

لنحظى بالمنى عند المنايا

لأنك خير من يهب العطايا

For You are the best granter of gifts.

For the sanctity of Mary, forgive and pardon,

بحرمة مريمٍ فاغفر وسامح

وغُضَّ الطرف عنا يا مسامح

And turn away from us, O Most Forgiving.