أَلا نَحنُ في دارٍ قَليلٍ بَقائُها

أَلا نَحنُ في دارٍ قَليلٍ بَقائُها

سَريعٍ تَدانيها وَشيكٍ فَنائُها

سَريعٍ تَدانيها وَشيكٍ فَنائُها

Lo, we are in an abode that lasts but briefly,

Are we not in an abode, short is its duration,

Swiftly drawing to its close, soon to perish.

Swiftly drawing near is its annihilation.

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا التُقى وَالنُهى فَقَد

تَزَوَّد مِنَ الدُنيا التُقى وَالنُهى فَقَد

تَنَكَّرَتِ الدُنيا وَحانَ انقِضاؤُها

تَنَكَّرَتِ الدُنيا وَحانَ انقِضاؤُها

Take piety and wisdom as provisions from this world, for

Take provision of piety and prohibition from the world, for

The world has turned hostile, and its end is at hand.

The world has turned unfaithful and its termination has drawn near.

غَداً تَخرَبُ الدُنيا وَيَذهَبُ أَهلُها

غَداً تَخرَبُ الدُنيا وَيَذهَبُ أَهلُها

جَميعاً وَتُطوى أَرضُها وَسَماؤُها

جَميعاً وَتُطوى أَرضُها وَسَماؤُها

Tomorrow the world will fall to ruin, and its people will depart,

Tomorrow the world will be ruined and its people will perish,

All of them—and its earth and sky will be folded up.

All together, and its earth and sky will be folded.

وَمَن كَلَّفَتهُ النَفسُ فَوقَ كَفافِها

وَمَن كَلَّفَتهُ النَفسُ فَوقَ كَفافِها

فَما يَنقَضي حَتّى المَماتِ عَناؤُها

فَما يَنقَضي حَتّى المَماتِ عَناؤُها

And whoever's soul burdens him beyond its bare needs,

And whoever the self has burdened beyond its capacity,

Then its toil will not cease until death.

Its hardship will not end until death.

تَرَقَّ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى أَيِّ غايَةٍ

تَرَقَّ مِنَ الدُنيا إِلى أَيِّ غايَةٍ

سَمَوتَ إِلَيها فَالمَنايا وَراؤُها

سَمَوتَ إِلَيها فَالمَنايا وَراؤُها

Rise in this world to whatever height

To what end have you risen high in the world?

You may attain—death lies beyond it.

For death lies behind it wherever you ascend.