يا نَفسُ أَنّى تُؤفَكينا

حَتّى مَتى لا تَرعَوينا

O soul, how long will you misguide me?

How long will you not take care of me?

حَتّى مَتى لا تَعقِلي

نَ وَتَسمَعينَ وَتُبصِرينا

How long will you not be reasonable?

You hear, see, and make me aware

أَصبَحتِ أَطوَلَ مَن مَضى

أَمَلاً وَأَضعَفَهُم يَقينا

You have become more hopeful than those gone by

And weaker in conviction than them

وَلِيَأتِيَنَّ عَلَيكِ ما

أَفنى القُرونَ الأَوَّلينا

There will come upon you what

Destroyed past generations

يا نَفسُ طالَ تَمَسُّكي

بِعُرى المُنى حيناً فَحينا

O soul, long have you held on

To the ropes of wishes, at times and at others

يا نَفسُ إِلّا تَصلُحي

فَتَشَبَّهي بِالصالِحينا

O soul, unless you reform

And emulate the righteous

وَتَفَكَّري فيما أَقو

لُ لَعَلَّ قَلبَكِ أَن يَلينا

And think upon what I say

So that your heart may soften

أَينَ الأُلى جَمَعوا وَكا

نوا لِلحَوادِثِ آمِنينا

Where are those who gathered and

Lived feeling safe from events?

أَفناهُمُ الأَجَلُ المُطِل

لُ عَلى الخَلائِقِ أَجمَعينا

Erased by time which is

Endless for all creatures

فَإِذا مَساكِنُهُم وَما

جَمَعوا لِقَومٍ آخَرينا

Thus their dwellings and what

They gathered belong to others