النفسُthe soul تَكلَفُis enamored بالدنياof this world وقدthough already عَلِمَتit has learned
النفسُ تَكلَفُ بالدنيا وقد عَلِمَت
أنthat السَّلامةَsafety منهاfrom it تَركُleaving ماwhat فيهَاis in it
أن السَّلامةَ منها تَركُ ما فيهَا
The soul is enamored of this world, though it has learned
that safety from it lies in leaving what it holds.
واللَّهِby God ماnot قَنَعَتwas content نَفسِيmy soul بماwith what رُزِقَتit was granted
واللَّهِ ما قَنَعَت نَفسِي بما رُزِقَت
منof المَعيشَةlivelihood إلاexcept سوفَwill يكفيهاsuffice it
من المَعيشَة إلا سوفَ يكفيها
By God, my soul has never been content with what it was granted
of livelihood, save what will suffice it.
أموالُناour wealth لِذَويfor those entitled to المِيراثِinheritance نَجمَعُهاwe gather it
أموالُنا لِذَوي المِيراثِ نَجمَعُها
ودُورُناand our homes لِخَرَابِfor ruin الدَّهرِtime نَبنيهاwe build them
ودُورُنا لِخَرَابِ الدَّهرِ نَبنيها
Our wealth we gather for those who will inherit it,
and our homes we build for time to ruin.
قِسgauge بالتجاربِby experience أحدَاثَvicissitudes الزَّمَانِtime كماjust as
قِس بالتجاربِ أحدَاثَ الزَّمَانِ كما
تَقِيسُyou measure نَعلاa sandal بِنَعلٍagainst a sandal حينwhen تَحذُوهاyou cut it to shape
تَقِيسُ نَعلا بِنَعلٍ حين تَحذُوها
Gauge time's vicissitudes by experience, just as
you measure one sandal against another when you cut it to shape.
واللَّهِby God ماnot غَبَرتhas remained فيon الأرضِthe earth ناظِرةٌa seeing eye
واللَّهِ ما غَبَرت في الأرضِ ناظِرةٌ
إلاexcept that ومرُّand the passing اللياليthe nights سَوفwill يَفنِيهاdestroy it
إلا ومرُّ الليالي سَوف يَفنِيها
By God, no seeing eye remains on earth
but the passing of the nights will destroy it.
أينَwhere المُلُوكُthe kings التيwho عنof خَطبِهاits peril غَفَلَتwere heedless
أينَ المُلُوكُ التي عن خَطبِها غَفَلَت
حتىuntil سَقَاهاhe made them drink بكأسِfrom the cup of المَوتِdeath ساقيهاtheir cupbearer
حتى سَقَاها بكأسِ المَوتِ ساقيها
Where are the kings who were heedless of the world's peril,
until their cupbearer made them drink from death's cup?
غَرَّتit deceived زَماناfor a time بِمُلكٍwith dominion لاno دوامَpermanence لهfor it
غَرَّت زَمانا بِمُلكٍ لا دوامَ له
جَهلاout of ignorance كَماjust as غَرَّdeceived نفساa soul منone who يُمَنِّيهاfeeds it hopes
جَهلا كَما غَرَّ نفسا من يُمَنِّيها
It beguiled them for a time with dominion that cannot last,
in their ignorance, as one who feeds a soul with hopes beguiles it.
وصبَّحتand it attacked at dawn قومَthe people of عادٍʿAd فيin ديارِهمُtheir homes
وصبَّحت قومَ عادٍ في ديارِهمُ
بمقطعٍwith a deathblow يوماone day عادتهُمassailed them عَواديهاits calamities
بمقطعٍ يوما عادتهُم عَواديها
And it struck the people of ʿAd at dawn in their homes,
with a deathblow one day, when its calamities assailed them.
وتُبَّعاand Tubbaʿ وثمودَThamud الحِجرal-Hijr غادرهُمleft them
وتُبَّعا وثمودَ الحِجر غادرهُم
ريبُvicissitudes of المَنونdeath رَميماas crumbling remains فيin مَغَانِيهاtheir dwelling places
ريبُ المَنون رَميما في مَغَانِيها
And Tubbaʿ and Thamud of al-Hijr were left
by death's vicissitudes as crumbling remains in their dwellings.
فكيفَhow then يَبقَىsurvives علىdespite الأَحدَاثِcalamities غَابِرُناthose of us remaining
فكيفَ يَبقَى على الأَحدَاثِ غَابِرُنا
كأنَّناas though we قدalready أظَلَّتنَاhave overshadowed us دَواهِيهاits disasters
كأنَّنا قد أظَلَّتنَا دَواهِيها
How, then, can those of us still here survive calamities?
It is as though its disasters have already overshadowed us.
نلهُوwe amuse ourselves ونأمُلand we hope for أيَّاماdays نُعَدُّwe are counted لناfor us
نلهُو ونأمُل أيَّاما نُعَدُّ لنا
سريعةَswift المرِّpassing تَطويناthey fold us away ونَطويهاand we fold them away
سريعةَ المرِّ تَطوينا ونَطويها
We amuse ourselves and hope for days counted out for us,
swift in passing: they fold us away, and we fold them away.
كمhow many منof عزيزٍa mighty man سيَلقَىwill meet بعدafter عِزَّتِهhis glory
كم من عزيزٍ سيَلقَى بعد عِزَّتِه
ذُلاًhumiliation وضاحكةٍand a laughing woman يوماone day ستَبكِيهاyou will mourn her
ذُلاً وضاحكةٍ يوما ستَبكِيها
How many a mighty man, after his glory, will meet
humiliation—and many a laughing woman you will one day mourn!
وللحُتُوفِand for death تُربِّيrears كلُّevery مُرضِعَةٍnursing mother
وللحُتُوفِ تُربِّي كلُّ مُرضِعَةٍ
وللحِسَابِand for the reckoning بَرَىfashioned الأروَاحَthe souls باريهاtheir Maker
وللحِسَابِ بَرَى الأروَاحَ باريها
And for death every nursing mother rears her child,
and for the reckoning their Maker fashioned souls.
لاnot تَبرَحُceases النفسُthe soul تُنعَىhas its death announced وهيwhile it is سالمةٌunharmed
لا تَبرَحُ النفسُ تُنعَى وهي سالمةٌ
حتىuntil يقومَrises بناديin the assembly of القَومthe people ناعيهاthe herald of its death
حتى يقومَ بنادي القَوم ناعيها
The soul's death is continually announced while it is still unharmed,
until the herald of its death rises in the people's assembly.
ولنand will not تزالَcease طوَالَthroughout الدَّهرِtime ظاعِنةًjourneying
ولن تزالَ طوَالَ الدَّهرِ ظاعِنةً
حتَّىuntil تُقيمَit settles بِوَادٍin a valley غَيرِother than واديهاits own valley
حتَّى تُقيمَ بِوَادٍ غَيرِ واديها
And it will keep journeying throughout time,
until it settles in a valley other than its own.
Sol 6.1