كَأَنَّكَas though you قَدalready جاوَرتَyou have dwelt beside أَهلَthe dwellers of المَقابِرِthe graves
كَأَنَّكَ قَد جاوَرتَ أَهلَ المَقابِرِ
هُوَit is المَوتُdeath ياO ابنَson of المَوتِdeath إِنif لَمnot تُبادِرِyou hasten
هُوَ المَوتُ يا ابنَ المَوتِ إِن لَم تُبادِرِ
It is as though you have already dwelt beside the dwellers of the graves.
It is death, O son of death, if you do not hasten.
تَسَمَّعlisten closely مِنَfrom الأَيامِthe days إِنif كُنتَyou are سامِعاًa listener
تَسَمَّع مِنَ الأَيامِ إِن كُنتَ سامِعاً
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you فيهاin them بَينَbetween ناهٍone forbidding وَآمِرِand one commanding
فَإِنَّكَ فيها بَينَ ناهٍ وَآمِرِ
Listen closely to the days, if you are one who hears,
For in them you are between one who forbids and one who commands.
وَلاand do not تَرمِspread بِالأَخبارِwith reports مِنfrom غَيرِwithout خِبرَةٍknowledge
وَلا تَرمِ بِالأَخبارِ مِن غَيرِ خِبرَةٍ
وَلاand do not تَحمِلِrelay الأَخبارَthe reports عَنfrom كُلِّevery خابِرِinformant
وَلا تَحمِلِ الأَخبارَ عَن كُلِّ خابِرِ
And do not spread reports without knowledge,
And do not relay reports from every informant.
فَكَمfor how many مِنof عَزيزٍa mighty man قَدalready رَأَيناwe have seen امتِناعَهُhis invulnerability
فَكَم مِن عَزيزٍ قَد رَأَينا امتِناعَهُ
فَدارَتthen turned عَلَيهِagainst him بَعدُafterward إِحدىone of الدَوائِرِthe reversals of fortune
فَدارَت عَلَيهِ بَعدُ إِحدى الدَوائِرِ
For how many a mighty man have we seen stand unassailable,
Then afterward one of fortune's reversals turned against him.
وَكَمand how many مَلِكٍa king قَدalready رُكِّمَwas heaped التُربُthe earth فَوقَهُover him
وَكَم مَلِكٍ قَد رُكِّمَ التُربُ فَوقَهُ
وَعَهديand my recollection بِهِof him فيin الأَمسِyesterday فَوقَatop المَنابِرِthe pulpits
وَعَهدي بِهِ في الأَمسِ فَوقَ المَنابِرِ
And how many a king has had earth heaped over him,
Yet I remember him, just yesterday, atop the pulpits.
وَكَمand how many دائِبٍa toiler يُعنىis occupied بِماwith what لَيسَis not مُدرِكاًattaining
وَكَم دائِبٍ يُعنى بِما لَيسَ مُدرِكاً
وَكَمand how many وارِدٍone entering ماwhat لَيسَis not عَنهُfrom it بِصادِرِdeparting
وَكَم وارِدٍ ما لَيسَ عَنهُ بِصادِرِ
And how many a toiler is absorbed in what he will not attain,
And how many a man enters what he will not emerge from.
وَلَمand not أَرَI have seen كَالأَمواتِlike the dead أَبعَدَfarther away شُقَّةًin distance
وَلَم أَرَ كَالأَمواتِ أَبعَدَ شُقَّةً
عَلىdespite قُربِهاtheir nearness مِنto دارِthe home of جارٍa neighbor مُجاوِرِliving nearby
عَلى قُربِها مِن دارِ جارٍ مُجاوِرِ
And I have seen none farther away than the dead,
Despite their nearness to the home of a neighbor close by.
لَقَدindeed دَبَّرَhas ordered الدُنياthe world حَكيمٌa wise one مُدَبِّرٌa governor
لَقَد دَبَّرَ الدُنيا حَكيمٌ مُدَبِّرٌ
لَطيفٌsubtle خَبيرٌall-aware عالِمٌknowing بِالسَرائِرِof hidden secrets
لَطيفٌ خَبيرٌ عالِمٌ بِالسَرائِرِ
Indeed, a wise governor has ordered this world,
Subtle, all-aware, knowing the hidden secrets.
إِذاif أَبقَتِhas preserved الدُنياthe world عَلىfor المَرءِa man دينَهُhis faith
إِذا أَبقَتِ الدُنيا عَلى المَرءِ دينَهُ
فَمافاتَهُthen whatever he has missed مِنهاof it فَلَيسَis then not بِضائِرِharmful
فَمافاتَهُ مِنها فَلَيسَ بِضائِرِ
If this world leaves a man's faith intact,
Then whatever he misses of it does him no harm.
إِذاif أَنتَyou لَمnot تَزدَدincrease عَلىwith كُلِّevery نِعمَةٍblessing
إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَزدَد عَلى كُلِّ نِعمَةٍ
خُصِصتَyou were specially favored بِهاwith it شُكراًin gratitude فَلَستَthen you are not بِشاكِرِthankful
خُصِصتَ بِها شُكراً فَلَستَ بِشاكِرِ
If you do not grow—with every blessing
Bestowed especially upon you—in gratitude, then you are not thankful.
إِذاif أَنتَyou لَمnot تُؤثِرprefer رِضىthe pleasure of اللَهِGod وَحدَهُHim alone
إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُؤثِر رِضى اللَهِ وَحدَهُ
عَلىover كُلِّall ماthat تَهوىyou desire فَلَستَthen you are not بِصابِرِsteadfast
عَلى كُلِّ ما تَهوى فَلَستَ بِصابِرِ
If you do not prefer the pleasure of God alone
To all that you desire, then you are not steadfast.
إِذاif أَنتَyou لَمnot تَطهُرbecome pure مِنَof الجَهلِignorance وَالخَناand obscenity
إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَطهُر مِنَ الجَهلِ وَالخَنا
فَلَستَthen you are not عَلىdespite عَومِswimming الفُراتِthe Euphrates بِطاهِرِpure
فَلَستَ عَلى عَومِ الفُراتِ بِطاهِرِ
If you do not cleanse yourself of ignorance and obscenity,
Then you are not pure, even if you swim in the Euphrates.
إِذاif لَمnot تَكُنthere is لِلمَرءِfor a man عِندَكَwith you رَغبَةٌa desire
إِذا لَم تَكُن لِلمَرءِ عِندَكَ رَغبَةٌ
فَلَستَthen you are not عَلىover ماwhat فيin يَدَيهِhis hands بِقادِرِable
فَلَستَ عَلى ما في يَدَيهِ بِقادِرِ
If a man has no desire for anything from you,
Then you have no power over what is in his hands.
إِذاif كُنتَyou are بِالدُنياabout the world بَصيراًperceptive فَإِنَّماthen only
إِذا كُنتَ بِالدُنيا بَصيراً فَإِنَّما
بَلاغُكَwhat suffices you مِنهاfrom it مِثلُlike زادِthe provisions of المُسافِرِthe traveler
بَلاغُكَ مِنها مِثلُ زادِ المُسافِرِ
If you see this world clearly, then all
You need from it is like a traveler's provisions.
وَماand not الحُكمُjudgment إِلّاexcept ماwhat عَلَيهِupon it ذَوُthose endowed with النُهىreason
وَما الحُكمُ إِلّا ما عَلَيهِ ذَوُ النُهى
وَماand not الناسُpeople إِلّاexcept بَينَbetween بَرٍّa righteous person وَفاجِرِand a wicked person
وَما الناسُ إِلّا بَينَ بَرٍّ وَفاجِرِ
And judgment is only what people of reason uphold,
And people are divided only into the righteous and the wicked.
وَماand not مِنany صَباحٍmorning مَرَّhas passed إِلّاexcept مُؤَدِّباًas a teacher
وَما مِن صَباحٍ مَرَّ إِلّا مُؤَدِّباً
لِأَهلِfor people of العُقولِintellects الثابِتاتِsteadfast البَصائِرِinsights
لِأَهلِ العُقولِ الثابِتاتِ البَصائِرِ
And no morning has passed except as a teacher
For people of reason and steadfast insight.
أَراكَI see you تُساوىyou are matched بِالأَصاغِرِwith the youngsters فيconcerning الصَباياthe girls
أَراكَ تُساوى بِالأَصاغِرِ في الصَبايا
وَأَنتَand you كَبيرٌold مِنamong كِبارِthe great ones of الكَبائِرِthe major sins
وَأَنتَ كَبيرٌ مِن كِبارِ الكَبائِرِ
I see you matched with the youngsters where girls are concerned,
Yet you are old—a great one among the gravest sins.
كَأَنَّكَas though you لَمnot تَدفِنyou buried حَميماًa dear friend وَلَمand not تَكُنyou have been
كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَدفِن حَميماً وَلَم تَكُن
لَهُfor him فيin حِياضِthe pools of المَوتِdeath يَوماًone day بِحاصِرِone surrounding
لَهُ في حِياضِ المَوتِ يَوماً بِحاصِرِ
As though you had never buried a dear friend, nor ever been
Around him one day at the pools of death.
وَلَمand not أَرَI have seen مِثلَlike المَوتِdeath أَكثَرَmore ناسِياًone who forgets
وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ المَوتِ أَكثَرَ ناسِياً
تَراهُyou see it وَلاnor أَولىmore worthy بِتَذكارِof remembrance ذاكِرِone who remembers
تَراهُ وَلا أَولى بِتَذكارِ ذاكِرِ
And I have seen nothing more widely forgotten than death,
Though you see it, nor more worthy of remembrance by one who remembers.
وَإِنَّand indeed امرَأًa man يَبتاعُbuys ضُنياworldly life بِدينِهِwith his faith
وَإِنَّ امرَأً يَبتاعُ ضُنيا بِدينِهِ
لَمُنقَلِبٌsurely returning مِنهاfrom it بِصَفقَةِwith the bargain of خاسِرِa loser
لَمُنقَلِبٌ مِنها بِصَفقَةِ خاسِرِ
And indeed, a man who buys worldly life with his faith
Will surely leave it with a loser's bargain.
وَكُلُّand every امرِئٍman لَمnot يَرتَحِلhas set out بِتِجارَةٍwith merchandise
وَكُلُّ امرِئٍ لَم يَرتَحِل بِتِجارَةٍ
إِلىto دارِهِhis abode الأُخرىthe other فَلَيسَthen he is not بِتاجِرِa merchant
إِلى دارِهِ الأُخرى فَلَيسَ بِتاجِرِ
And every man who has not set out with merchandise
To his other abode is no merchant.
رَضيتُI am content بِذيwith this الدُنياworld لِكُلِّfor every مُكابِرِobstinate man
رَضيتُ بِذي الدُنيا لِكُلِّ مُكابِرِ
مُلِحٍّinsistent عَلىupon الدُنياthe world وَكُلِّand every مُفاخِرِboaster
مُلِحٍّ عَلى الدُنيا وَكُلِّ مُفاخِرِ
I am content to leave this world to every obstinate man,
Who clings insistently to this world, and every boaster.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَهاseen her تَرقيهِshe charms him حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen صَباhe grew enamored
أَلَم تَرَها تَرقيهِ حَتّى إِذا صَبا
فَرَتshe slit حَلقَهُhis throat مِنهاfrom her بِمُديَةِwith a knife جازِرِa slaughterer's
فَرَت حَلقَهُ مِنها بِمُديَةِ جازِرِ
Have you not seen her charm him until, when he grows enamored,
She slits his throat, cutting him off from herself, with a slaughterer's knife?
وَماand not تَعدِلُis worth الدُنياthe world جَناحَthe wing of بَعوضَةٍa mosquito
وَما تَعدِلُ الدُنيا جَناحَ بَعوضَةٍ
لَدىbefore اللَهِGod أَوor مِقدارَthe measure of زَغبَةِa downy feather of طائِرِa bird
لَدى اللَهِ أَو مِقدارَ زَغبَةِ طائِرِ
And this world is not worth a mosquito's wing
In God's sight, nor so much as a bird's downy feather.
فَلَمso not يَرضَHe was content بِالدُنياwith the world ثَواباًas a reward لِمُؤمِنٍfor a believer
فَلَم يَرضَ بِالدُنيا ثَواباً لِمُؤمِنٍ
وَلَمand not يَرضَHe was content بِالدُنياwith the world عِقاباًas a punishment لِكافِرِfor an unbeliever
وَلَم يَرضَ بِالدُنيا عِقاباً لِكافِرِ
So He was not content with this world as a believer's reward,
Nor was He content with this world as an unbeliever's punishment.
Translation model: Sol 6.1