هَل عَلى نَفسِهِ اِمرُؤٌ مَحزونُ

هَل عَلى نَفسِهِ اِمرُؤٌ مَحزونُ

موقِنٌ أَنَّهُ غَداً مَدفونُ

موقِنٌ أَنَّهُ غَداً مَدفونُ

Is there a man who grieves for himself,

Does a man grieve for his soul, knowing he'll soon be buried?

certain that tomorrow he will be buried,

He is ready and prepared for death, careless of decay.

فَهوَ لِلمَوتِ مُستَعِدٌّ مُعَدٌّ

فَهوَ لِلمَوتِ مُستَعِدٌّ مُعَدٌّ

لا يَصونُ الحُطامُ فيما يَصونُ

لا يَصونُ الحُطامُ فيما يَصونُ

and so is ready and prepared for death,

O you who hoards great treasures - what remains of them

not treasuring worldly dross among what he treasures?

Is far less than you collected, though you were obsessed.

يا كَثيرَ الكُنوزِ إِنَّ الَّذي يَك

يا كَثيرَ الكُنوزِ إِنَّ الَّذي يَك

فيكَ مِمّا أَكثَرتَ مِنها لَدونُ

فيكَ مِمّا أَكثَرتَ مِنها لَدونُ

O you rich in treasures, surely what suffices

We all chastise this lowly world, yet love it dearly,

you of all you have amassed is little indeed.

Bewitched by empty pleasures, though they promise naught.

كُلُّنا يُكثِرُ المَذَمَّةَ لِلدُن

كُلُّنا يُكثِرُ المَذَمَّةَ لِلدُن

يا وَكُلٌّ بِحُبِّها مَفتونُ

يا وَكُلٌّ بِحُبِّها مَفتونُ

We all heap reproach upon the

Death will find you, though you hide in the highest citadels,

world, and all are enthralled by love of it.

And you will see all worldly wealth forfeited alike.

لَتَنالَنَّكَ المَنايا وَلَو أَن

لَتَنالَنَّكَ المَنايا وَلَو أَن

نَكَ في شاهِقٍ عَلَيكَ الحُصونُ

نَكَ في شاهِقٍ عَلَيكَ الحُصونُ

Death will surely reach you, even if

What living soul can evade the grip of death forever?

you are on a lofty height, with fortresses above you.

All must taste the bitter cup, pain's flood cannot be stemmed.

وَتَرى مَن بِها جَميعاً كَأَن قَد

وَتَرى مَن بِها جَميعاً كَأَن قَد

غَلِقَت مِنهُمُ وَمِنكَ الرُهونُ

غَلِقَت مِنهُمُ وَمِنكَ الرُهونُ

And you see all who are there as though already

Where are our fathers and theirs before them? Where are

their pledges and yours had been forfeited.

The centuries past? Time vanishes, none can stop the tide.

أَيُّ حَيٍّ إِلّا سَيَصرَعُهُ المَو

أَيُّ حَيٍّ إِلّا سَيَصرَعُهُ المَو

تُ وَإِلّا سَتَستَبيهِ المَنونُ

تُ وَإِلّا سَتَستَبيهِ المَنونُ

What living being will not be felled by

Many have lived and perished, till no trace of them lingers,

death, or else taken captive by doom?

As though they never walked this earth or saw the light.

أَينَ آباؤُنا وَآبائُهُم قَب

أَينَ آباؤُنا وَآبائُهُم قَب

لُ وَأَينَ القُرونُ أَينَ القُرونُ

لُ وَأَينَ القُرونُ أَينَ القُرونُ

Where are our fathers, and their fathers

For death we all have days and hours, sadness aplenty,

of old? And where are the generations—where are the generations?

None can escape their fate, the end for all foreseen.

كَم أُناسٍ كانوا فَأَفنَتهُمُ الأَي

كَم أُناسٍ كانوا فَأَفنَتهُمُ الأَي

يامُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم لَم يَكونوا

يامُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم لَم يَكونوا

How many people once lived, then were annihilated by the

Afflictions come in waves, joys fade, life's scenes ever-shifting,

days, until it was as though they had never been!

Though time flows smoothly on, change is constant as dawn fades.

لِلمَنايا وَلِاِبنِ آدَمَ أَيّا

لِلمَنايا وَلِاِبنِ آدَمَ أَيّا

مٌ وَيَومٌ لا بُدَّ مِنهُ خَؤونُ

مٌ وَيَومٌ لا بُدَّ مِنهُ خَؤونُ

Death and Adam's son have their

Fate's subtle threads are unseen, ungrasped by mind or senses,

days, and one inescapable day is treacherous.

What God decrees for you shall come to pass, all is foretold.

وَالتَصاريفُ جَمَّةٌ غادِياتٌ

وَالتَصاريفُ جَمَّةٌ غادِياتٌ

رائِحاتٌ وَالحادِثاتُ فُنونُ

رائِحاتٌ وَالحادِثاتُ فُنونُ

And vicissitudes are many, coming in the morning,

Ambition and desire will be curbed in due time, none thwarts fate,

going in the evening; events take many forms.

Certainty dispels distress, doubts alone breed worry.

وَلِمَرِّ الفَناءِ في كُلِّ يَومٍ

وَلِمَرِّ الفَناءِ في كُلِّ يَومٍ

حَرَكاتٌ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سُكونُ

حَرَكاتٌ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سُكونُ

And extinction's passage has, each day,

He finds peace who spurns the world, free from passions,

movements that seem like stillness.

True wealth is trusting God, accepting all that comes.

وَالمَقاديرُ لا تَناوَلُها الأَو

وَالمَقاديرُ لا تَناوَلُها الأَو

هامُ لُطفاً وَلا تَراها العُيونُ

هامُ لُطفاً وَلا تَراها العُيونُ

And fate's decrees are beyond the grasp of

He who ordains all things transcends our thoughts, glorious, hidden,

thought, so subtle are they, and eyes cannot see them.

His wisdom gave all things their measure, their bounds, their laws.

وَسَيَجري عَلَيكَ ما كَتَبَ اللَ

وَسَيَجري عَلَيكَ ما كَتَبَ اللَ

هُ وَيَأتيكَ رِزقُكَ المَضمونُ

هُ وَيَأتيكَ رِزقُكَ المَضمونُ

And there will befall you what has been written by

God knows all things, none can comprehend the extent of His knowledge,

God, and your assured provision will come to you.

Every creature has its place within His vast, gracious design.

وَسَيَكفيكَ ذا التَعَزُّزِ وَالبَغ

وَسَيَكفيكَ ذا التَعَزُّزِ وَالبَغ

يِ مِنَ الدَهرِ حَدُّهُ المَسنونُ

يِ مِنَ الدَهرِ حَدُّهُ المَسنونُ

And enough for you, O man of pride and

Counsel to obey God is blessed, a boon from heaven,

oppression, will be time's sharpened edge.

The righteous path leads far from the crowded tents of strife.

وَاليَقينُ الشِفاءُ مِن كُلِ هَمٍّ

وَاليَقينُ الشِفاءُ مِن كُلِ هَمٍّ

ما يُثيرُ الهُمومَ إِلّا الظُنونُ

ما يُثيرُ الهُمومَ إِلّا الظُنونُ

And certainty is the cure for every worry;

nothing arouses worries but conjectures.

فازَ بِالروحِ وَالسَلامَةَ مَن كا

فازَ بِالروحِ وَالسَلامَةَ مَن كا

نَت فُضولُ الدُنيا عَلَيهِ تَهونُ

نَت فُضولُ الدُنيا عَلَيهِ تَهونُ

He has won repose and safety who

sets little store by this world's superfluities.

وَالغِنى أَن تُحَسِّنَ الظَنَّ بِاللَ

وَالغِنى أَن تُحَسِّنَ الظَنَّ بِاللَ

هِ وَتَرضى بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ يَكونُ

هِ وَتَرضى بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ يَكونُ

And wealth is to think well of

God, and be content with whatever comes to pass.

وَالَّذي يَملِكُ الأُمورَ جَميعاً

وَالَّذي يَملِكُ الأُمورَ جَميعاً

مَلِكٌ جَلَّ نورُهُ المَكنونُ

مَلِكٌ جَلَّ نورُهُ المَكنونُ

And He who governs all affairs

is a King—exalted is His hidden light.

وَسِعَ الخَلقَ قُدرَةً فَجَميعُ ال

وَسِعَ الخَلقَ قُدرَةً فَجَميعُ ال

خَلقِ فيها مُحَدَّدٌ مَوزونُ

خَلقِ فيها مُحَدَّدٌ مَوزونُ

He encompasses creation with His power, so all

creation within it is bounded and measured.

كُلُّ شَيءٍ فَقَد أَحاطَ بِهِ اللَ

كُلُّ شَيءٍ فَقَد أَحاطَ بِهِ اللَ

هُ وَأَحصاهُ عِلمُهُ المَخزونُ

هُ وَأَحصاهُ عِلمُهُ المَخزونُ

Everything has indeed been encompassed by

God, and His stored knowledge has counted it.

إِنَّ رَأياً دَعا إِلى طاعَةِ اللَ

إِنَّ رَأياً دَعا إِلى طاعَةِ اللَ

هِ لَرَأيٌ مُبارَكٌ مَيمونُ

هِ لَرَأيٌ مُبارَكٌ مَيمونُ

Indeed, an opinion that calls for obedience to

God is surely a blessed and auspicious opinion.