يا ويلَ مَن أَغفَلَ ذِكرَ المَنُون
واغترَّ بالكائنِ عَمَّا يَكُون
Oh woe to those who neglect death's memory
And are deluded by the present from what is to come
الموتُ حَقٌّ ما لهُ جاحدٌ
فانتبِهوا يا أَيُّها الغافلون
Death is the truth, it has no denier
So be alert, O you who are heedless
كما يَمُرُّ اليومُ ياتي غَدٌ
كذلكَ الأَشهُرُ ثُمَّ السِنُون
As the day passes another comes
And so the months, then the years
والمَرءُ في الدُنيا كحرفِ الهِجا
ما بينَ تحريكٍ لهُ أو سُكُون
And man in life is like a letter
Between being vocalized or still
ما فازَ بالأُخرَى سِوَى زاهدٍ
مَصاعبُ الموتِ لديهِ تَهُون
None has succeeded in the hereafter except the ascetic
For him death's difficulties are easy
ما مَضَّهُ يومَ المَنا لَذَّةٌ
يَعدَمُها او ثَروةٌ او بَنُون
No pleasure he had on death's day
Be it wealth, sons or delight
يَذُمُّ ذي الدُنيا أَحِبَّاؤُها
لكنَّهم ليسَ لها يَترُكُون
Those who love this life curse it
But they cannot leave it
وقلَّ مَن أَبعَدَ عنها وما
تَحرَّكَت منهُ اليها الشُجُون
And few have shunned it though desires
For it stirred not their passions
يَرُوقُهم غَضُّ جَناها وكَم
جَنَوا جِناياتٍ بما يَجتَنُون
Its forbidden fruit tempts them, and how much
Evil they harvest from what they covet
يَخالُها عُشَّاقُها طِفلةً
وإِنَّني عاينتُها حَيزَبُون
Its lovers think it an infant
Yet I have seen it as a hag
يا أَيُّها القَومُ الذينَ امتَطَوا
خيلَ المَساوِي وهُمُ راكضون
O people who rode the steeds of plains
While they galloped
هَلَّا اعتبرتُم بالقُرُونِ الأُولى
مَرَّت وها نحنُ لها ذاكرون
Why not take heed from past generations
Long gone, though we recall them
لم يَعشَقِ الدُنيا سِوَى مُومِسٍ
مُشتَّتِ المعقولِ فيهِ جُنون
None loved the world save the immoral
Insanity in reason makes havoc
يَرَونَ ما فيها ويَهوَونَها
كأَنَّهم من حُبِّها في دُجون
They see the evil in it yet desire it
As if imprisoned by love of it
لم يَعلَموا ما الخيرُ جهلاً بهِ
لكنَّهم للشرّ فيهم فُنون
They knew not good through ignorance of it
But in evil they are well-versed
ان يَصمُتوا فالخُبثُ في طَيِّهم
وان رَوَوا يوماً فهم آفِكُون
If silent, malice cloaks their core
And when they speak, they spread pollution
قد يُنكِرونَ الشِركَ لكنهم
في حُبِّ دُنياهم هُمُ المُشرِكُون
They may deny polytheism, but they
Are idolaters in love of their world
وليسَ يَخشَونَ قَضا رَبِّهِم
وأَمرُهُ ما بينَ كافٍ ونُون
Fearing not their Lord's decree
His command between kaf and noon
يَرُدُّ عبدٌ طاعَ رَبَّ العُلَى
قَرنَ الضُحَى مثل يشوعَ بنِ نُون
A servant who obeyed the Lord Most High
Like Yusha ibn Noon at dawn
لم تُؤلَفِ التقوَى بربِّ الهَوَى
بينهما بَونٌ كضَبٍّ ونُون
Righteousness is not found in love of lust
Between them a gulf like dab and noon
