حَتّى مَتى يَستَفِزُّني الطَمَعُ

حَتّى مَتى يَستَفِزُّني الطَمَعُ

أَلَيسَ لي بِالكَفافِ مُتَّسَعُ

أَلَيسَ لي بِالكَفافِ مُتَّسَعُ

How long will greed keep goading me?

How long will greed provoke me,

Is there not ample room for me in having enough?

Is there not enough room for contentment?

ما أَفضَلَ الصَبرَ وَالقَناعَةَ لِل

ما أَفضَلَ الصَبرَ وَالقَناعَةَ لِل

ناسِ جَميعاً لَو أَنَّهُم قَنِعوا

ناسِ جَميعاً لَو أَنَّهُم قَنِعوا

How excellent are patience and contentment for

How excellent is patience and contentment for all people,

all people, if only they were content!

If only they were content.

وَأَخدَعَ اللَيلَ وَالنَهارَ لِأَق

وَأَخدَعَ اللَيلَ وَالنَهارَ لِأَق

وامٍ أَراهُم في الغَيِّ قَد رَتَعوا

وامٍ أَراهُم في الغَيِّ قَد رَتَعوا

And how deceptive are night and day to

It has deceived the night and the day for people

people I see grazing freely in error!

Whom I see lost in illusion and grazing.

أَمّا المَنايا فَغَيرُ غافِلَةٍ

أَمّا المَنايا فَغَيرُ غافِلَةٍ

لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ مِن كَأسِها جُرَعُ

لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ مِن كَأسِها جُرَعُ

As for death, it is not heedless;

As for death, it is not heedless,

every living being has draughts from its cup.

It gives every living being a drink from its cup.

أَيُّ لَبيبٍ تَصفو الحَياةُ لَهُ

أَيُّ لَبيبٍ تَصفو الحَياةُ لَهُ

وَالمَوتُ وِردٌ لَهُ وَمُنتَجَعُ

وَالمَوتُ وِردٌ لَهُ وَمُنتَجَعُ

For what wise person is life serene,

What sensible person enjoys life,

while death is his watering place and pasture?

While death is his resort and refuge?

الخَلقُ يَمضي يَأُمُّ بَعضُهُمُ

الخَلقُ يَمضي يَأُمُّ بَعضُهُمُ

بَعضاً فَهُم تابِعٌ وَمُتَّبَعُ

بَعضاً فَهُم تابِعٌ وَمُتَّبَعُ

Humankind passes on, some heading toward

People pass away, some following others,

others; they are followers and those followed.

So they are followers and followed.

يا نَفسُ ما لي أَراكِ آمِنَةً

يا نَفسُ ما لي أَراكِ آمِنَةً

حَيثُ تَكونُ الرَوعاتُ وَالفَزَعُ

حَيثُ تَكونُ الرَوعاتُ وَالفَزَعُ

O soul, why do I see you feeling safe

O soul, why do I see you feeling secure

where terrors and dread prevail?

Where there is panic and dread?

ما عُدَّ لِلناسِ في تَصَرُّفِ حا

ما عُدَّ لِلناسِ في تَصَرُّفِ حا

لاتِهِم مِن حَوادِثٍ تَقَعُ

لاتِهِم مِن حَوادِثٍ تَقَعُ

Uncounted, amid people's changing

What has happened to people in the course of their lives

circumstances, are the calamities that befall them.

Of events that occur?

لَقَد حَلَبتُ الزَمانَ أَشطُرَهُ

لَقَد حَلَبتُ الزَمانَ أَشطُرَهُ

فَكانَ فيهِنَّ الصابُ وَالسَلَعُ

فَكانَ فيهِنَّ الصابُ وَالسَلَعُ

I have indeed milked time from all its teats,

I have milked time by halves,

and in them were bitter ṣāb and salaʿ plants.

In them were vinegar and honey.

ما لي بِما قَد أَتى بِهِ فَرَحٌ

ما لي بِما قَد أَتى بِهِ فَرَحٌ

وَلا عَلى ما وَلّى بِهِ جَزَعُ

وَلا عَلى ما وَلّى بِهِ جَزَعُ

I have no joy in what it has brought,

I care not for what joy has brought,

nor anguish over what it has carried away.

Nor do I fret over what grief has taken away.

لِلَّهِ دَرُّ الدُنيا لَقَد لَعِبَت

لِلَّهِ دَرُّ الدُنيا لَقَد لَعِبَت

قَبلي بِقَومٍ فَما تُرى صَنَعوا

قَبلي بِقَومٍ فَما تُرى صَنَعوا

God, what a marvel this world is! It has indeed toyed

Praise God, how the world has played

before me with people—what, I wonder, did they do?

With people before me, see what they have done.

بادوا وَوَفَّتهُمُ الأَهِلَّةُ ما

بادوا وَوَفَّتهُمُ الأَهِلَّةُ ما

كانَ لَهُم وَالأَيّامُ وَالجُمَعُ

كانَ لَهُم وَالأَيّامُ وَالجُمَعُ

They perished; the crescent moons paid them in full what

They perished and their appointed time overtook them,

was theirs—as did the days and the weeks.

What they had and the days and Fridays.

أَثرَوا فَلَم يُدخِلوا قُبورَهُمُ

أَثرَوا فَلَم يُدخِلوا قُبورَهُمُ

شَيئاً مِنَ الثَروَةِ الَّتي جَمَعوا

شَيئاً مِنَ الثَروَةِ الَّتي جَمَعوا

They grew rich, yet did not bring into their graves

They left wealth but did not take with them

anything of the wealth they had gathered.

To their graves anything they had gathered.

وَكانَ ما قَدَّموا لِأَنفُسِهِم

وَكانَ ما قَدَّموا لِأَنفُسِهِم

أَعظَمَ نَفعاً مِنَ الَّذي وَدَعوا

أَعظَمَ نَفعاً مِنَ الَّذي وَدَعوا

And what they sent ahead for themselves was

What they sent ahead for themselves

of greater benefit than what they left behind.

Was of greater benefit than what they left behind.

غَداً يُنادى مَن في القُبورِ إِلى

غَداً يُنادى مَن في القُبورِ إِلى

هَولِ حِسابٍ عَلَيهِ يُجتَمَعُ

هَولِ حِسابٍ عَلَيهِ يُجتَمَعُ

Tomorrow, those in the graves will be summoned to

Tomorrow the dead will be called to

the terror of a reckoning for which they will be gathered.

The horror of a reckoning and be gathered for it.

غَداً تُوَفّى النُفوسُ ما كَسَبَت

غَداً تُوَفّى النُفوسُ ما كَسَبَت

وَيَحصُدُ الزارِعونَ ما زَرَعوا

وَيَحصُدُ الزارِعونَ ما زَرَعوا

Tomorrow, souls will be given in full what they earned,

Tomorrow souls will be paid what they have earned

and the sowers will reap what they sowed.

And the planters will reap what they have sown.

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ كَيفَ قَد لَعِبَت

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ كَيفَ قَد لَعِبَت

بِالناسِ هَذي الأَهواءُ وَالبِدَعُ

بِالناسِ هَذي الأَهواءُ وَالبِدَعُ

Blessed is God! How they have toyed

Blessed is God, see how

with people—these passions and innovations!

These passions and innovations have toyed with people.

شَتَّتَ حُبُّ الدُنيا جَماعَتَهُم

شَتَّتَ حُبُّ الدُنيا جَماعَتَهُم

فيها فَقَد أَصبَحوا وَهُم شِيَعُ

فيها فَقَد أَصبَحوا وَهُم شِيَعُ

Love of the world has scattered their community

Love of the world scattered them in it,

within it; so now they are factions.

And so they have become factions.