تَخَفَّفlighten your burden مِنَof الدُنياthis world لَعَلَّكَperhaps you تُفلِتُwill escape
تَخَفَّف مِنَ الدُنيا لَعَلَّكَ تُفلِتُ
وَإِلّاand if not فَإِنّيthen indeed I لاdo not أَظُنَّكَthink you تَثبُتُwill stand firm
وَإِلّا فَإِنّي لا أَظُنَّكَ تَثبُتُ
Lighten your burden of this world; perhaps you will escape.
Otherwise, I do not think you will stand firm.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat الحِلمَforbearance لِلجَهلِto folly قاطِعٌputting an end
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الحِلمَ لِلجَهلِ قاطِعٌ
وَأَنَّand that لِسانَthe tongue الرُشدِof sound judgment لِلغَيِّof error مُسِكتُa silencer
وَأَنَّ لِسانَ الرُشدِ لِلغَيِّ مُسِكتُ
Have you not seen that forbearance cuts folly short,
And that the tongue of sound judgment silences error?
لِكُلِّfor every امرِئٍperson مِنof سَكرَةِthe stupor المَوتِof death سَكرَةٌa spell of stupor
لِكُلِّ امرِئٍ مِن سَكرَةِ المَوتِ سَكرَةٌ
وَأَيُّand what امرِئٍperson مِنfrom سَكرَةِthe stupor المَوتِof death يُفلِتُescapes
وَأَيُّ امرِئٍ مِن سَكرَةِ المَوتِ يُفلِتُ
Each person has a spell of death's stupor;
And what person escapes death's stupor?
عَجِبتُI marvel لِمَنat one who قَرَّتrests content مَعَin the presence of المَوتِdeath عَينُهُhis eye
عَجِبتُ لِمَن قَرَّت مَعَ المَوتِ عَينُهُ
لِحَصدِfor the reaping الرَدىof death ماwhatever ظَلَّتِkeeps الأَرضُthe earth تُنبِتُbringing forth
لِحَصدِ الرَدى ما ظَلَّتِ الأَرضُ تُنبِتُ
I marvel at one whose eye rests content with death at hand:
Whatever the earth keeps bringing forth is for death to reap.