أَحمَدُI praise اللَهَGod عَلىin كُلِّevery حالِstate
أَحمَدُ اللَهَ عَلى كُلِّ حالِ
إِنَّماonly الدُنياthis world كَفَيءِlike the shade of الظِلالِthe shadows
إِنَّما الدُنيا كَفَيءِ الظِلالِ
I praise God in every state.
I praise God in every state
This world is only like the shade of shadows.
The world is but shadows that shift
إِنَّماonly الدُنياthis world مُناخٌa halting place لِرَكبٍfor a caravan
إِنَّما الدُنيا مُناخٌ لِرَكبٍ
يُسرِعُhastens الحَثَّthe urging بِشَدّيby my tightening الرِحالِthe saddles
يُسرِعُ الحَثَّ بِشَدّي الرِحالِ
This world is only a halting place for a caravan
The world is but a resting place for a caravan
that presses swiftly onward as I tighten the saddles.
That hastens the pace with firm resolve
رُبَّmany a مُغتَرٍّone beguiled بِهاby it قَدindeed رَأَيناwe have seen
رُبَّ مُغتَرٍّ بِها قَد رَأَينا
نَعشَهُhis bier فَوقَabove رِقابِthe necks of الرِجالِmen
نَعشَهُ فَوقَ رِقابِ الرِجالِ
Many a person beguiled by it—we have seen
We have seen many deluded by it
his bier above the necks of men.
Their bier carried on people's shoulders
مَنwhoever رَأىsees الدُنياthis world بِعَينَيthrough the two eyes of بَصيرٍone with insight
مَن رَأى الدُنيا بِعَينَي بَصيرٍ
لَمdid not تَكَدcome close to تَخطُرُcross مِنهُof his بِبالِin mind
لَم تَكَد تَخطُرُ مِنهُ بِبالِ
Whoever sees the world through discerning eyes—
Whoever saw the world with discerning eyes
it scarcely crosses his mind.
It barely crossed their mind
إِنَّماonly المِسكينُthe wretched one حَقّاًtruly يَقيناًcertainly
إِنَّما المِسكينُ حَقّاً يَقيناً
مَنthe one who غَداcomes to يَأمَنُfeels safe from صَرفَthe vicissitudes of اللَياليthe nights
مَن غَدا يَأمَنُ صَرفَ اللَيالي
The truly wretched one, beyond all doubt,
Indeed the truly poor and helpless
is only he who comes to feel safe from the turns of the nights.
Is one who tomorrow fears the night's caprice
لَيسَis not مالٌwealth لَمhas not يُقَدِّمهُhe sends it ahead ذُخراًas a reserve
لَيسَ مالٌ لَم يُقَدِّمهُ ذُخراً
رَبُّهُits owner بَينَbetween يَدَيهِhis two hands بِمالِwealth at all
رَبُّهُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ بِمالِ
Wealth not sent ahead as a reserve
No wealth that is not sent ahead
by its owner, before him, is no wealth at all.
As provision by the Lord's decree
ماnot أَرىI see ليto me ظالِماًa wrongdoer غَيرَother than نَفسيmyself
ما أَرى لي ظالِماً غَيرَ نَفسي
وَيحَalas for نَفسيmy soul ماwhat لِنَفسيfor my soul وَماليand my wealth
وَيحَ نَفسي ما لِنَفسي وَمالي
I see no one who wrongs me but myself.
I see none oppressing me but my self
Alas for my soul! What has my soul to do with my wealth?
Oh my soul, what do I and my wealth matter
ياO مُضيعَsquanderer of الجِدِّearnestness بِالهَزلِthrough frivolity مِنهُof it
يا مُضيعَ الجِدِّ بِالهَزلِ مِنهُ
مَنwho يُباليcares مِنكَof yours ماwhat لاnot تُباليyou care about
مَن يُبالي مِنكَ ما لا تُبالي
O you who squander earnestness by making light of it,
O squanderer of seriousness in jest
who will care about what you yourself do not care about?
Who cares what you don't care for
فيin سَبيلِthe path of اللَهِGod ماذاwhat أَضَعناwe have squandered
في سَبيلِ اللَهِ ماذا أَضَعنا
إِذwhile تَشاغَلناwe busied ourselves بِغَيرِwith other than اشتِغالِoccupation
إِذ تَشاغَلنا بِغَيرِ اشتِغالِ
In God's path, what have we squandered
In God's cause what did we waste
while we busied ourselves with idleness?
While busied with other toil
إِنَّindeed أَيّاماًdays قِصاراًshort حَمَتناprotected us
إِنَّ أَيّاماً قِصاراً حَمَتنا
خَيرُbetter than أَيّامٍdays سَتَأتيwill come طِوالِlong
خَيرُ أَيّامٍ سَتَأتي طِوالِ
Indeed, short days that have protected us
Days brief burdened us
are better than long days yet to come.
Better days will come, long
لَوif عَقَلناwe understood ماwhat نَرىwe see لَانتَفَعناwe would have benefited
لَو عَقَلنا ما نَرى لَانتَفَعنا
وَاعتَبَرناand we would have taken heed بِالقُرونِfrom the generations الخَواليgone by
وَاعتَبَرنا بِالقُرونِ الخَوالي
Had we understood what we see, we would have benefited,
Had we understood we would have benefited
and learned from the generations gone by.
And learned from generations past
عَجَباًhow strange مِنat راغِبٍone desiring فيfor حَرامٍsomething forbidden
عَجَباً مِن راغِبٍ في حَرامٍ
لَمhave not تَضِقgrown narrow عَنهُfor him وُجوهُthe avenues of الحَلالِthe lawful
لَم تَضِق عَنهُ وُجوهُ الحَلالِ
How strange is one who desires what is forbidden,
A wonder, one desiring the unlawful
though lawful paths are not too narrow for him!
When the faces of the lawful haven't narrowed
إِحتِيالُthe scheming of المَرءِa man تَأتيcomes عَلَيهِupon it
إِحتِيالُ المَرءِ تَأتي عَلَيهِ
ساعَةٌan hour تَقطَعُcuts short كُلَّevery احتِيالِscheme
ساعَةٌ تَقطَعُ كُلَّ احتِيالِ
A man's scheming is overtaken
A person's scheming, there comes upon him
by an hour that cuts short every scheme.
An hour that cuts off all scheming
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.