أَلَمHas ... not يَأنِthe time come ليfor me ياO نَفسُsoul أَنthat أَتَنَبَّهاI awaken
أَلَم يَأنِ لي يا نَفسُ أَن أَتَنَبَّها
وَأَنand that أَترُكَI abandon اللَهوَdiversion المُضِرَّharmful لِمَنto whoever لَهاindulges in diversion
وَأَن أَترُكَ اللَهوَ المُضِرَّ لِمَن لَها
Has the time not come, O my soul, for me to awaken
and abandon the diversion that harms whoever indulges in it?
أَرىI see عَمَليmy conduct لِلشَرِّfor evil مِنّيfrom me بِشَهوَةٍwith desire
أَرى عَمَلي لِلشَرِّ مِنّي بِشَهوَةٍ
وَلَستُand I do not أَرومُseek الخَيرَgood إِلّاexcept تَكَرُّهاreluctantly
وَلَستُ أَرومُ الخَيرَ إِلّا تَكَرُّها
I see how eagerly I act for evil,
yet I seek good only reluctantly.
كَفىit is enough بِامرِئٍfor a man جَهلاًignorance إِذاif كانَhe is تابِعاًfollowing
كَفى بِامرِئٍ جَهلاً إِذا كانَ تابِعاً
هَواهُhis desire مِنَof الدُنياthis world إِلىtoward كُلِّall ماthat which اشتَهىhe craves
هَواهُ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى كُلِّ ما اشتَهى
It is ignorance enough for a man if he follows
his desire toward whatever he craves of this world.
وَفيand in كُلِّevery يَومٍday عِبرَةٌa lesson بَعدَafter عِبرَةٍa lesson
وَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ عِبرَةٌ بَعدَ عِبرَةٍ
وَفيand in المَوتِdeath ناهٍa warning to desist لِلفَتىfor a man لَوif only هُوَhe انتَهىwould desist
وَفي المَوتِ ناهٍ لِلفَتى لَو هُوَ انتَهى
And in every day is lesson after lesson,
and in death a warning for a man, if only he would desist.
وَكُلُّand all بَنيthe sons of الدُنياthis world عَلىamid غَفَلاتِهِhis heedless lapses
وَكُلُّ بَني الدُنيا عَلى غَفَلاتِهِ
تُواجِهُهُconfront him الأَقدارُthe decrees of fate حَيثُwherever تَوَجَّهاhe turns
تُواجِهُهُ الأَقدارُ حَيثُ تَوَجَّها
And every son of this world, amid his heedlessness,
is met by the decrees of fate wherever he turns.