أَلا نَحنُ في دارٍ قَليلٍ بَقائُها

سَريعٍ تَدانيها وَشيكٍ فَنائُها

Are we not in an abode, short is its duration,

Swiftly drawing near is its annihilation.

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا التُقى وَالنُهى فَقَد

تَنَكَّرَتِ الدُنيا وَحانَ انقِضاؤُها

Take provision of piety and prohibition from the world, for

The world has turned unfaithful and its termination has drawn near.

غَداً تَخرَبُ الدُنيا وَيَذهَبُ أَهلُها

جَميعاً وَتُطوى أَرضُها وَسَماؤُها

Tomorrow the world will be ruined and its people will perish,

All together, and its earth and sky will be folded.

وَمَن كَلَّفَتهُ النَفسُ فَوقَ كَفافِها

فَما يَنقَضي حَتّى المَماتِ عَناؤُها

And whoever the self has burdened beyond its capacity,

Its hardship will not end until death.

تَرَقَّ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى أَيِّ غايَةٍ

سَمَوتَ إِلَيها فَالمَنايا وَراؤُها

To what end have you risen high in the world?

For death lies behind it wherever you ascend.