أَلاAh ياO نَفسُsoul ماwhat أَرجوI hope for بِدارِin an abode
أَلا يا نَفسُ ما أَرجو بِدارِ
أَرىI see مَنwhoever حَلَّهاdwells in it قَلِقَunsettled القَرارِthe repose
أَرى مَن حَلَّها قَلِقَ القَرارِ
Ah, my soul, what can I hope for in an abode
Ah, my soul, what do I hope for in an abode
when I see all who dwell there restless, unable to settle?
where I see whoever dwells there restless in his stay?
بِدارِin an abode إِنَّماonly اللَذّاتُthe pleasures فيهاin it
بِدارِ إِنَّما اللَذّاتُ فيها
مُعَلَّقَةٌbound بِأَيّامٍto days قِصارِbrief
مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِأَيّامٍ قِصارِ
In an abode whose pleasures are only
In an abode where pleasures are only
hung upon days that are brief.
bound to brief days.
نَرىwe see الأَموالَthe riches أَرباباًmasters عَلَيناover us
نَرى الأَموالَ أَرباباً عَلَينا
وَماand not هِيَthey بَينَناamong us إِلّاexcept عِوارِloans
وَما هِيَ بَينَنا إِلّا عِوارِ
We see riches as lords set over us,
We see riches as masters over us,
though among us they are only things on loan.
yet among us they are nothing but loans.
كَأَنّيas though I قَدalready أَخَذتُI have taken مِنَfrom المَناياthe deaths
كَأَنّي قَد أَخَذتُ مِنَ المَنايا
أَماناًa guarantee of safety فيin رَواحيmy evening journeys وَاِبتِكاريand my early-morning journeys
أَماناً في رَواحي وَاِبتِكاري
As though I had received from Death itself
As though I had secured from death
a pledge of safety whenever I set out, evening or dawn.
a guarantee of safety on my evening and early-morning journeys.
إِذاif ماemphatic particle المَرءُthe person لَمnot يَقنَعis content بِعَيشٍwith a livelihood
إِذا ما المَرءُ لَم يَقنَع بِعَيشٍ
تَقَنَّعَhe veils himself بِالمَذَلَّةِin humiliation وَالصِغارِand abasement
تَقَنَّعَ بِالمَذَلَّةِ وَالصِغارِ
If a person is not content with a livelihood,
If a person is not content with a livelihood,
then cloak yourself in humiliation and abasement.
he veils himself in humiliation and abasement.
