النّاسُ كالطّيرِ والدّنيا شِباكُهُمُ

النّاسُ كالطّيرِ والدّنيا شِباكُهُمُ

وهُمْ بها بَيْنَ ركَّاضٍ ومُخْتَبِطِ

وهُمْ بها بَيْنَ ركَّاضٍ ومُخْتَبِطِ

People are like birds, and the world their nets;

People are like birds, and this world is their net,

and in it they either flutter frantically or flounder.

Among them are those trained and those untamed.

والموتُ قَنّاصُهُم يأتي على مَهَلٍ

والموتُ قَنّاصُهُم يأتي على مَهَلٍ

لِهُلْكِهِم بَيْنَ مَذْبوحٍ ومُعْتَبِطِ

لِهُلْكِهِم بَيْنَ مَذْبوحٍ ومُعْتَبِطِ

And death, their hunter, comes at its leisure

And death is their hunter, coming unhurried,

to destroy them: some slaughtered, others struck down untimely.

To take them while distracted or unprepared.

وقد شُغِلْنا بدُنيانا وزُخْرِفها

وقد شُغِلْنا بدُنيانا وزُخْرِفها

فالخلقُ ما بين مَحزونٍ ومُغتبِطِ

فالخلقُ ما بين مَحزونٍ ومُغتبِطِ

And we have been absorbed in our world and its finery;

We have busied ourselves with this world and its vanities,

so people are either sorrowful or delighted.

Among people are those who rejoice and those who grieve.

هذا يُسرُّ بحالٍ لا تَدومُ وذا

هذا يُسرُّ بحالٍ لا تَدومُ وذا

يبكي على الفَوتِ من دنياهُ والفَرَطِ

يبكي على الفَوتِ من دنياهُ والفَرَطِ

This one rejoices in a state that will not last, while that one

One is overjoyed at a state that will not last,

weeps over what he has missed in his worldly life and what has slipped away.

While another cries over what he missed and neglected.

ولَيس يَسوى الذي نالَ الملوكُ من الدْ

ولَيس يَسوى الذي نالَ الملوكُ من الدْ

دُنيا فدَعْ غيرَهُم كفّاً من العَبَطِ

دُنيا فدَعْ غيرَهُم كفّاً من العَبَطِ

Nor is what kings have gained of the—

What kings attain of this lowly life is not equal,

world—let alone others—worth a handful of fresh blood.

So leave off the rest, for they are foolish and confused.