يا مَن تَغَيَّبَ عَنّا

يا مَن تَغَيَّبَ عَنّا

ماذا التَفَزُّعُ مِنّا

ماذا التَفَزُّعُ مِنّا

O you who have stayed away from us,

O you who have been absent from us

why this fear of us?

Why this panic from us?

أَما تَرى الرَوضَ فيهِ

أَما تَرى الرَوضَ فيهِ

لَناظِرٍ ما تَمَنّى

لَناظِرٍ ما تَمَنّى

Do you not see the garden, where

Do you not see the meadow in it

a beholder has all he could wish for,

For a spectator what he wished

وَالريحَ في جانِبَيهِ

وَالريحَ في جانِبَيهِ

تَهُزُّ غُصناً فَغُصنا

تَهُزُّ غُصناً فَغُصنا

and the wind on either side of it

And the wind on both its sides

shaking branch after branch,

Shakes a branch, then a branch

وَالجَوَّ يَنشُرُ بيضاً

وَالجَوَّ يَنشُرُ بيضاً

مِنَ الغُيومِ وَدُكنا

مِنَ الغُيومِ وَدُكنا

and the sky spreading white

And the air spreads white

clouds and dark ones?

From the clouds and dusk

فَلا تَدَعنا لِكَسبٍ

فَلا تَدَعنا لِكَسبٍ

فَالكَسبُ يَفنى وَنَفنى

فَالكَسبُ يَفنى وَنَفنى

So do not leave us for gain,

So do not leave us for earnings

for gain passes away, and so do we.

For earnings perish and we perish

فَإِن تَكُن رُمتَ رِبحاً

فَإِن تَكُن رُمتَ رِبحاً

فَإِنَّما رُمتَ غِبنا

فَإِنَّما رُمتَ غِبنا

For if you have sought profit,

If you have aimed for profit

then you have sought only loss.

You have only aimed for loss

عاوِد إِلى اللَهوِ وَاِنعَم

عاوِد إِلى اللَهوِ وَاِنعَم

ما دامَ عودُكَ لَدنا

ما دامَ عودُكَ لَدنا

Return to pleasure and enjoy yourself,

Return to play and enjoyment

as long as your bough remains supple.

As long as your return is with us

فَإِنَّما العُمرُ بَيتٌ

فَإِنَّما العُمرُ بَيتٌ

يَنهَدُّ رُكناً فَرُكنا

يَنهَدُّ رُكناً فَرُكنا

For life is but a house

For life is but a house

that crumbles, corner by corner.

That collapses part by part