فَكَيفَ يُرَجّي المَرءُ دَهراً مُخَلَّداً

فَكَيفَ يُرَجّي المَرءُ دَهراً مُخَلَّداً

وَأَعمالُهُ عَمّا قَليلٍ تُحاسِبُه

وَأَعمالُهُ عَمّا قَليلٍ تُحاسِبُه

How, then, can a man hope for an everlasting lifetime,

How can one hope for an eternal life

when his deeds will soon call him to account?

When his deeds for the little are brought to account

أَلَم تَرَ لُقمانَ بنَ عادٍ تَتابَعَت

أَلَم تَرَ لُقمانَ بنَ عادٍ تَتابَعَت

عَلَيهِ النُسورُ ثُمَّ غابَت كَواكِبُه

عَلَيهِ النُسورُ ثُمَّ غابَت كَواكِبُه

Have you not seen Luqman, son of ʿAd? One after another,

Have you not seen Luqman the son of Aad

the vultures came to him; then his stars vanished.

As the eagles gathered over him then faded were his stars

وَلِلصَعبِ أَسبابٌ تَجُلُّ خُطوبُها

وَلِلصَعبِ أَسبابٌ تَجُلُّ خُطوبُها

أَقامَ زَماناً ثُمَّ بانَت مَطالِبُه

أَقامَ زَماناً ثُمَّ بانَت مَطالِبُه

And al-Saʿb had means whose perils were immense;

And for the difficult there are reasons that unfold its calamities

he lived for a time, then his aims vanished.

He stayed for a time then appeared his demands

إِذا الصَعبُ ذو القَرنَينِ أَرخى لِوائَهُ

إِذا الصَعبُ ذو القَرنَينِ أَرخى لِوائَهُ

إِلى مالِكٍ ساماهُ قامَت نَوادِبُه

إِلى مالِكٍ ساماهُ قامَت نَوادِبُه

Whenever al-Saʿb, the Two-Horned, lowered his banner

When the difficult two-horned let down his flags

toward a king who rivaled him, that king's mourners rose.

To a possessor he named, rose his mourning parties

يَسيرُ بِوَجهِ الحَتفِ وَالعَيشُ جَمعُهُ

يَسيرُ بِوَجهِ الحَتفِ وَالعَيشُ جَمعُهُ

وَتَمضي عَلى وَجهِ البِلادِ كَتائِبُه

وَتَمضي عَلى وَجهِ البِلادِ كَتائِبُه

He marches with death's face, while life is his host,

He walks with resolute face and living is his assembly

and his battalions advance across the face of the land.

And over the face of the land go his troops