يا نَفسُ مالَكِ دونَ اللَهِ مِن واقِ

يا نَفسُ مالَكِ دونَ اللَهِ مِن واقِ

وَما عَلى حَدَثانِ الدَهرِ مِن باقِ

وَما عَلى حَدَثانِ الدَهرِ مِن باقِ

O soul, you have no protector besides God.

O soul, what thoughts distract you from God

And none endures the vicissitudes of time.

In this fleeting world that will not last?

وَتَنزَلي في ذَرَى دارٍ مُعَمَّدَةٍ

وَتَنزَلي في ذَرَى دارٍ مُعَمَّدَةٍ

لِلعُرفِ عُمدَ تِجارٍ أَمِّ أَسواقِ

لِلعُرفِ عُمدَ تِجارٍ أَمِّ أَسواقِ

And you dwell in the heights of a pillared house,

You dwell in a lofty home well constructed

For hospitality, with merchants’ pillars—a mother of markets.

With pillars of status or profit you hold fast