أَراني مَعَ الأَحياءِ حَيّاً وَأَكثَري

عَلى الدَهرِ مَيتٌ قَد تَخَرَّمَهُ الدَهرُ

I see myself alive amongst the living, though

I see myself alive among the living, yet the greater part of me

Most of me is dead, worn by the passage of time.

Is dead to time, by Time's own hand destroyed.

فَما لَم يَمُت مِنّي بِما ماتَ ناهِضٌ

فَبَعضي لِبَعضي دونَ قَبرِ البِلى قَبرُ

So whatever part of me did not die with what died

That of me which has not died cannot uplift the dead;

Becomes a grave for the other, not in the earth's soil.

So part of me becomes a grave for part, before the tomb of decay.

فَيا رَبَّ قَد أَحسَنتَ عَوداً وَبِدأَةً

إِلَيَّ فَلَم يَنهَض بِإِحسانِكَ الشُكرُ

My Lord, You were gracious in Your giving and renewing,

O Lord, You have been gracious in the beginning and the return

Yet gratitude did not rise for Your kindness.

Unto me, yet my gratitude failed to rise to meet Your grace.

فَمَن كانَ ذا عُذرٍ لَدَيكَ وَحُجَّةٍ

فَعُذرِيَ إِقراري بِأَن لَيسَ لي عُذرُ

Whoever has an excuse or plea before You,

So whoever possesses a plea or argument before You,

Then my excuse is confessing I have no excuse.

My excuse is my confession that I have no excuse.