قَد سَمِعنا الوَعظَ لَويَنفَعُنا

وَقَرَأنا جُلَّ آياتِ الكُتُب

We've heard the sermons, if only they'd help us,

And we've read so many verses in books.

كُلُّ نَفسٍ سَتُوَفّى سَعيَها

وَلَها ميقاتُ يَومٍ قَد وَجَب

Every soul will reap what it has sown,

And for it a fixed day is prescribed.

جَفَّتِ الأَقلامُ مِن قَبلُ بِما

خَتَمَ اللَهُ عَلَينا وَكَتَب

The pens have dried from recording

What God sealed for us and ordained.

كَم رَأَينا مِن مُلوكٍ سادَةٍ

رَجَعَ الدَهرُ عَلَيهِم فَاِنقَلَب

How many eminent kings we've seen

Whose rule time reversed and changed.

وَعَبيدٍ خُوِّلوا ساداتِهِم

فَاِستَقَرَّ المُلكُ فيهِم وَرَسَب

And slaves who assumed their masters' thrones,

So kingship settled and remained with them.

لا تَقولَنَّ لِشَيءٍ قَد مَضى

لَيتَهُ لَم يَكُ بِالأَمسِ ذَهَب

Say not of what's past, "If only

It had not been yesterday."

وَاِسعَ لِليَومِ وَدَع هَمَّ غَدٍ

كُلُّ يَومٍ لَكَ فيهِ مُضطَرَب

Make room for today, leave tomorrow's worries,

For each day brings you trouble enough.

يَهرُبُ المَرءُ مِنَ المَوتِ وَهَل

يَنفَعُ المَرءَ مِنَ المَوتِ الهَرَب

One flees from death yet can one

Flee from death by fleeing?

كُلُّ نَفسٍ سَتُقاسي مَرَّةً

كُرَبَ المَوتِ فَلِلمَوتِ كُرَب

Every soul will taste death once;

For death there is no cure.

أَيُّها الناسِ ما حَلَّ بِكُم

عَجَباً مِن سَهوِكُم كُلَّ العَجَب

O people, how strange is your heedlessness!

What astonishment at your neglect!

أَسَقامٌ ثُمَّ مَوتٌ نازِلٌ

ثُمَّ قَبرٌ وَنُشورٌ وَجَلَب

Ailments, then death descending,

Then grave, resurrection, and reckoning.

وَحِسابٌ وَكِتابٌ حافِظٌ

وَمَوازينُ وَنارٌ تَلتَهِب

Reckoning, recording book,

Scales and fire aflame.

وَصِراطٌ مَن يَزُل عَن حَدِّهِ

فَإِلى خِزيٍ طَويلٍ وَنَصَب

A path - he who veers off it

Will suffer prolonged disgrace and toil.

حَسبِيَ اللَهُ إِلَهاً واحِداً

لا لَعَمرُ اللَهِ ما ذا بِلَعِب

God alone suffices me as God,

No, by God's life, this is no game.