أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ ما فاتَ مِن عُمري

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ ما فاتَ مِن عُمري

تَفاوَتُ أَيّامي بِعُمري وَما أَدري

تَفاوَتُ أَيّامي بِعُمري وَما أَدري

Lo, in God's cause is what has passed of my life.

Alas! Of my life what's passed in God's cause

My days vary over my lifetime, and I am unaware.

Uneven are my days compared to my life unbeknownst

فَلابُدَّ مِن مَوتٍ وَلابُدَّ مِن بِلاً

فَلابُدَّ مِن مَوتٍ وَلابُدَّ مِن بِلاً

وَلابُدَّ مِن بَعثٍ وَلابُدَّ مِن حَشرِ

وَلابُدَّ مِن بَعثٍ وَلابُدَّ مِن حَشرِ

There is no escape from death, and no escape from decay.

Inevitable is death and sorrow too

And no escape from resurrection, and no escape from the gathering.

Resurrection is destined as is our gathering

وَإِنّا لَنَبلى ساعَةً بَعدَ ساعَةٍ

وَإِنّا لَنَبلى ساعَةً بَعدَ ساعَةٍ

عَلى قَدَرٍ لِلَّهِ مُختَلِفٍ يَجري

عَلى قَدَرٍ لِلَّهِ مُختَلِفٍ يَجري

And surely we wear away, hour after hour,

Each hour after hour we decay

According to God's varying decree as it runs its course.

At God's will running a different course

وَنَأمَلُ أَن نَبقى طَويلاً كَأَنَّنا

وَنَأمَلُ أَن نَبقى طَويلاً كَأَنَّنا

عَلى ثِقَةٍ بِالأَمنِ مِن غِبَرِ الدَهرِ

عَلى ثِقَةٍ بِالأَمنِ مِن غِبَرِ الدَهرِ

And we hope to live on long, as though we

Hopeful we remain to live long

Were assured of safety from the dust of time.

Trusting the times will not make us wither

وَنَعبَثُ أَحياناً بِما لا نُريدُهُ

وَنَعبَثُ أَحياناً بِما لا نُريدُهُ

وَنَرفَعُ أَعلامَ المَخيلَةِ وَالكِبرِ

وَنَرفَعُ أَعلامَ المَخيلَةِ وَالكِبرِ

And sometimes we toy with what we do not want,

Sometimes in vain we toil

And raise the banners of conceit and pride.

Raising our conceit and pride

وَنَسمو إِلى الدُنيا لِنَشرَبَ صَفواها

وَنَسمو إِلى الدُنيا لِنَشرَبَ صَفواها

بِغَيرِ قُنوعٍ عَن قَذاها وَلا صَبرِ

بِغَيرِ قُنوعٍ عَن قَذاها وَلا صَبرِ

And we aspire to this world, to drink its clear draught,

Aspiring in this world to taste its essence

Not content to forgo its dregs, and without patience.

Without contentment, its dregs or patience

فَلَو أَنَّ ما نَسمو إِلَيهِ هُوَ الغِنى

فَلَو أَنَّ ما نَسمو إِلَيهِ هُوَ الغِنى

وَلَكِنَّهُ فَقرٌ يَجُرُّ إِلى فَقرِ

وَلَكِنَّهُ فَقرٌ يَجُرُّ إِلى فَقرِ

If only what we aspire to were wealth!

If our aspirations were but wealth

But it is poverty that drags one into poverty.

It's poverty leading to destitution

عَجِبتُ لِنَفسي حينَ تَدعو إِلى الصِبا

عَجِبتُ لِنَفسي حينَ تَدعو إِلى الصِبا

فَتَحمِلُني مِنهُ عَلى المَركَبِ الوَعرِ

فَتَحمِلُني مِنهُ عَلى المَركَبِ الوَعرِ

I marvel at my soul when it calls for youthful folly,

Astonished am I when inclined to youth

So through that it carries me upon a rough mount.

It takes me on the rugged road

يَكونَ الفَتى في نَفسِهِ مُتَحَرِّزاً

يَكونَ الفَتى في نَفسِهِ مُتَحَرِّزاً

فَيَأتيهِ أَمرُ اللَهِ مِن حَيثُ لا يَدري

فَيَأتيهِ أَمرُ اللَهِ مِن حَيثُ لا يَدري

A young man may take precautions for himself,

A lad can be so cautious within

Yet God's decree comes to him from where he does not know.

Yet God's will comes from where he knows not

وَما هِيَ إِلّا رَقدَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

وَما هِيَ إِلّا رَقدَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

تَطولُ عَلى مَن كانَ فيها إِلى الحَشرِ

تَطولُ عَلى مَن كانَ فيها إِلى الحَشرِ

And it is nothing but a sleep, except that it

Naught but a slumber, but one

Lasts long for whoever lies in it, until the gathering.

That lingers for those till the reckoning