أَراعَكَdid it alarm you? نَقصٌa decline مِنكَin yourself لَمّاwhen وَجَدتَهُyou discovered it
أَراعَكَ نَقصٌ مِنكَ لَمّا وَجَدتَهُ
وَماand not زِلتَyou have ceased فيin نَقصٍdecline وَأَنتَwhile you are وَليدُa newborn
وَما زِلتَ في نَقصٍ وَأَنتَ وَليدُ
Did your own decline alarm you when you discovered it?
Yet you have been in decline since you were a newborn.
سَقَطتَyou fell إِلىinto الدُنياthe world وَحيداًalone مُجَرَّداًstripped bare
سَقَطتَ إِلى الدُنيا وَحيداً مُجَرَّداً
وَتَمضيand you depart عَنِfrom الدُنياthe world وَأَنتَwhile you are وَحيدُalone
وَتَمضي عَنِ الدُنيا وَأَنتَ وَحيدُ
You fell into the world alone and naked,
And you depart the world alone.
وَحِدتَand you turned aside عَنِfrom المَوتِdeath الَّذيwhich لَنwill never تَفوتَهُyou escape it
وَحِدتَ عَنِ المَوتِ الَّذي لَن تَفوتَهُ
وَلابُدَّand there is no escape مِمّاfrom what أَنتَyou عَنهُfrom it تَحيدُturn aside
وَلابُدَّ مِمّا أَنتَ عَنهُ تَحيدُ
And you turned aside from death, which you will never escape,
But what you turn away from cannot be avoided.
وَمِنand part of رُشدِsoundness رَأيِjudgment المَرءِa person's أَنto يَمحَضَpractice sincerely التُقىpiety
وَمِن رُشدِ رَأيِ المَرءِ أَن يَمحَضَ التُقى
وَإِنَّand indeed امرَأًa person مَحضَpure in التُقىpiety لَسَعيدُtruly happy
وَإِنَّ امرَأً مَحضَ التُقى لَسَعيدُ
And part of a person's sound judgment is to practice piety sincerely,
And one sincere in piety is truly happy.
هِيَit النَفسُthe soul إِنif تَصدُقكَit is truthful with you تَمنَحكَit grants you نُصحَهاits sincere counsel
هِيَ النَفسُ إِن تَصدُقكَ تَمنَحكَ نُصحَها
وَأَنتَand you عَلَيهاfor it إِنif صَدَقتَyou speak truthfully شَحيدُdeeply concerned
وَأَنتَ عَلَيها إِن صَدَقتَ شَحيدُ
Such is the soul: if it is truthful with you, it grants you its counsel,
And you, if you speak truly, are deeply concerned for it.
وَماand not العَيشُlife إِلّاexcept مُستَفادٌwhat is acquired وَمُتلَفٌand what is squandered
وَما العَيشُ إِلّا مُستَفادٌ وَمُتلَفٌ
وَماand not الناسُpeople إِلّاexcept مُتلِفٌone who squanders وَمُفيدُand one who acquires
وَما الناسُ إِلّا مُتلِفٌ وَمُفيدُ
And life is only what is acquired and what is squandered,
And people are but those who squander and those who acquire.
هُوَHe اللَهُGod رَبّيmy Lord وَالقَضاءُand the decree قَضاؤُهُHis decree
هُوَ اللَهُ رَبّي وَالقَضاءُ قَضاؤُهُ
وَرَبّيand my Lord عَلىfor ماwhatever كانَhas been مِنهُfrom Him حَميدُpraiseworthy
وَرَبّي عَلى ما كانَ مِنهُ حَميدُ
He is God, my Lord, and the decree is His decree,
And my Lord is praiseworthy for all that has come from Him.