أَما وَاللَهِ إِنَّ الظُلمَ لومُ

أَما وَاللَهِ إِنَّ الظُلمَ لومُ

وَما زالَ المُسيءُ هُوَ الظَلومُ

وَما زالَ المُسيءُ هُوَ الظَلومُ

Indeed, by God, injustice brings blame.

By Allah, oppression is blamable

And the wrongdoer has always been the oppressor.

And the evildoer remains the oppressor

إِلى دَيّانِ يَومِ الدينِ نَمضي

إِلى دَيّانِ يَومِ الدينِ نَمضي

وَعِندَ اللَهِ تَجتَمِعُ الخُصومُ

وَعِندَ اللَهِ تَجتَمِعُ الخُصومُ

To the Judge of the Day of Judgment we go.

We shall go to the Judge on the Day of Judgment

And before God the adversaries gather.

Where adversaries gather before Allah

لِأَمرٍ ما تَصَرَّفَتِ اللَيالي

لِأَمرٍ ما تَصَرَّفَتِ اللَيالي

وَأَمرٍ ما تُوُلِّيَتِ النُجومُ

وَأَمرٍ ما تُوُلِّيَتِ النُجومُ

For some purpose the nights have turned,

For a matter the nights have no control over

And for some purpose the stars have been governed.

And a matter the stars cannot change

سَتَعلَمُ في الحِسابِ إِذا اِلتَقَينا

سَتَعلَمُ في الحِسابِ إِذا اِلتَقَينا

غَداً عِندَ الإِلَهَ مَنِ المَلومُ

غَداً عِندَ الإِلَهَ مَنِ المَلومُ

You will know at the reckoning, when we meet

We shall know in Reckoning, when we meet

Tomorrow before God, who is to blame.

Before God, who is to blame

سَيَنقَطِعُ التَرَوُّحُ عَن أُناسٍ

سَيَنقَطِعُ التَرَوُّحُ عَن أُناسٍ

مِنَ الدُنيا وَتَنقَطِعُ الغُمومُ

مِنَ الدُنيا وَتَنقَطِعُ الغُمومُ

Ease will cease for some people

Some people will lose the will to live

Of this world, and sorrows will cease.

And worldly worries will cease

تَلومُ عَلى السَفاهِ وَأَنتَ فيهِ

تَلومُ عَلى السَفاهِ وَأَنتَ فيهِ

أَجَلُّ سَفاهَةً مِمَّن تَلومُ

أَجَلُّ سَفاهَةً مِمَّن تَلومُ

You blame others for folly, though in it

You blame foolishness yet you are most foolish

You are more foolish than those you blame.

Seeking righteousness without patience

وَتَلتَمِسُ الصَلاحَ بِغَيرِ حِلمٍ

وَتَلتَمِسُ الصَلاحَ بِغَيرِ حِلمٍ

وَإِنَّ الصالِحينَ لَهُم حُلومُ

وَإِنَّ الصالِحينَ لَهُم حُلومُ

And you seek righteousness without forbearance,

Yet the righteous are forebearing

And indeed the righteous possess forbearance.

You sleep heedless of death

تَنامُ وَلَم تَنَم عَنكَ المَنايا

تَنامُ وَلَم تَنَم عَنكَ المَنايا

تَنَبَّه لِلمَنِيَّةِ يا نَؤومُ

تَنَبَّه لِلمَنِيَّةِ يا نَؤومُ

You sleep, but death does not sleep heedless of you.

Awaken to death, o oblivious one

Awaken to death, O heavy sleeper!

Tomorrow you die happy and content

تَموتُ غَداً وَأَنتَ قَريرُ عَينٍ

تَموتُ غَداً وَأَنتَ قَريرُ عَينٍ

مِنَ الغَفَلاتِ في لُجَجٍ تَعومُ

مِنَ الغَفَلاتِ في لُجَجٍ تَعومُ

You will die tomorrow, yet your eyes are tranquil,

Oblivious, afloat in seas of neglect

As you swim in the deep waters of heedlessness.

You play, unaware of annihilation

لَهَوتَ عَنِ الفَناءِ وَأَنتَ تَفنى

لَهَوتَ عَنِ الفَناءِ وَأَنتَ تَفنى

وَما حَيٌّ عَلى الدُنيا يَدومُ

وَما حَيٌّ عَلى الدُنيا يَدومُ

You have amused yourself, heedless of death, even as you perish,

While you yourself do vanish

And no living being endures in this world.

No living being in this world lasts

تَرومُ الخُلدَ في دارِ المَنايا

تَرومُ الخُلدَ في دارِ المَنايا

وَكَم قَد رامَ غَيرُكَ ما تَرومُ

وَكَم قَد رامَ غَيرُكَ ما تَرومُ

You seek immortality in the abode of death,

You seek eternity in the home of death

And how many others have sought what you seek!

Yet how many have failed to achieve what you seek

سَلِ الأَيّامَ عَن أُمَمٍ تَقَضَّت

سَلِ الأَيّامَ عَن أُمَمٍ تَقَضَّت

سَتُخبِرُكَ المَعالِمُ وَالرُسومُ

سَتُخبِرُكَ المَعالِمُ وَالرُسومُ

Ask the days about nations that have passed away;

Ask the days about nations now past

The landmarks and traces will tell you.

History and relics will inform you

وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن زَمَنٍ عَقورٍ

وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن زَمَنٍ عَقورٍ

بِقَلبِكَ مِن مَخالِبِهِ كُلومُ

بِقَلبِكَ مِن مَخالِبِهِ كُلومُ

And you are never free of a savage age;

You cannot free yourself from merciless time

Your heart bears wounds from its claws.

Its claws clutch your heart violently

إِذا ما قُلتَ قَد زَجَّيتُ غَمّاً

إِذا ما قُلتَ قَد زَجَّيتُ غَمّاً

فَمَرَّ تَشَعَّبَت مِنهُ غُمومُ

فَمَرَّ تَشَعَّبَت مِنهُ غُمومُ

Whenever you say, 'I have driven a sorrow away,

When you say, “I have shouldered sorrow,”

And it has passed,' sorrows branch out from it.

Swarms of worries spawn from it

وَلَيسَ يَذُلُّ بِالإِنصافِ حَيٌّ

وَلَيسَ يَذُلُّ بِالإِنصافِ حَيٌّ

وَلَيسَ يَعِزُّ بِالغَشمِ الغَشومُ

وَلَيسَ يَعِزُّ بِالغَشمِ الغَشومُ

And no living person is abased by fairness,

No living soul is disgraced when just

Nor is the tyrant exalted by tyranny.

Nor are the unjust made mighty by injustice

وَلِلمُعتادِ ما يَجري عَلَيهِ

وَلِلمُعتادِ ما يَجري عَلَيهِ

وَلِلعاداتِ يا هَذا لُزومُ

وَلِلعاداتِ يا هَذا لُزومُ

And the man of habit has the course he follows;

Things follow their course for he who is used to them

And habits, O man, cling fast.

And habits, my friend, have consequences