لَقَد لَعِبتُ وَجَدَّ المَوتُ في طَلَبي

لَقَد لَعِبتُ وَجَدَّ المَوتُ في طَلَبي

وَإِنَّ في المَوتِ لي شُغلاً عَنِ اللَعِبِ

وَإِنَّ في المَوتِ لي شُغلاً عَنِ اللَعِبِ

Indeed I have played, while death has pursued me in earnest.

I played, and death sought me in my pursuit,

And surely in death there is enough to keep me from play.

Yet in death I find respite from play.

لَو شَمَّرَت فِكرَتي فيما شُلِقتُ لَهُ

لَو شَمَّرَت فِكرَتي فيما شُلِقتُ لَهُ

ما اِشتَدَّ حِرصي عَلى الدُنيا وَلا طَلَبي

ما اِشتَدَّ حِرصي عَلى الدُنيا وَلا طَلَبي

Had my thought applied itself to what I was [created] for,

If my thoughts were occupied with my end,

My craving for this world would not have grown so fierce, nor my pursuit of it.

I would not covet the world nor seek it.

سُبحانَ مَن لَيسَ مِن شَيءٍ يُعادِلُهُ

سُبحانَ مَن لَيسَ مِن شَيءٍ يُعادِلُهُ

إِنَّ الحَريصَ عَلى الدُنيا لَفي تَعَبِ

إِنَّ الحَريصَ عَلى الدُنيا لَفي تَعَبِ

Glory be to the One whom nothing equals.

Glory to Him whom nothing equals,

Indeed, whoever covets this world is surely weary.

For those who covet the world live in toil.