ما يَدفَعُ المَوتَ أَرصادٌ وَلا حَرَسٌ

ما يَدفَعُ المَوتَ أَرصادٌ وَلا حَرَسٌ

ما يَغلِبُ المَوتَ لا جِنٌّ وَلا أَنَسُ

ما يَغلِبُ المَوتَ لا جِنٌّ وَلا أَنَسُ

Neither lookouts nor guards ward off death.

What wards off death, no guards nor armaments,

Neither jinn nor humankind can overcome death.

What conquers death, no jinn nor mortal men.

ما إِن دَعا المَوتُ أَملاكاً وَلا سُوَقاً

ما إِن دَعا المَوتُ أَملاكاً وَلا سُوَقاً

إِلّا ثَناهُم إِلَيهِ الصَرعُ وَالخُلَسُ

إِلّا ثَناهُم إِلَيهِ الصَرعُ وَالخُلَسُ

Whenever death summons kings or commoners,

When death calls, neither angels nor markets,

being struck down and snatched away draws them to it.

Save prostration and surrender, all succumb.

لِلمَوتِ ما تَلِدُ الأَقوامُ كُلُّهُمُ

لِلمَوتِ ما تَلِدُ الأَقوامُ كُلُّهُمُ

وَلِلبَلى كُلُّ ما بَنَوا وَما غَرَسوا

وَلِلبَلى كُلُّ ما بَنَوا وَما غَرَسوا

Whatever all peoples bear is destined for death;

For death, all mankind is born,

and all they have built and planted is destined for decay.

And for decay, all they built and planted.

هَلّا أُبادِرُ هَذا المَوتَ في مَهَلٍ

هَلّا أُبادِرُ هَذا المَوتَ في مَهَلٍ

هَلّا أُبادِرُهُ ما دامَ بي نَفَسُ

هَلّا أُبادِرُهُ ما دامَ بي نَفَسُ

Why do I not hasten to prepare for this death while I have respite?

Why not hasten to meet this death betimes,

Why do I not hasten to prepare for it while breath remains in me?

Why not hasten while breath still stirs within.

يا خائِفَ المَوتِ لَو أَمسَيتَ خائِفَهُ

يا خائِفَ المَوتِ لَو أَمسَيتَ خائِفَهُ

كانَت دُموعُكَ طولَ الدَهرِ تَنبَجِسُ

كانَت دُموعُكَ طولَ الدَهرِ تَنبَجِسُ

O you who fear death, if you came to fear it,

O you who fear death, had you feared it nightly,

your tears would gush forth for all time.

Your tears forever would be streaming.

أَما يَهولُكَ يَومٌ لا دِفاعَ لَهُ

أَما يَهولُكَ يَومٌ لا دِفاعَ لَهُ

إِذ أَنتَ في غَمَراتِ المَوتِ مُنغَمِسُ

إِذ أَنتَ في غَمَراتِ المَوتِ مُنغَمِسُ

Does a day against which there is no defense not terrify you,

Does not a day with no defense appall you,

when you are immersed in the throes of death?

When you’re engulfed in death’s overwhelming seas.

أَما تَهولُكَ كَأسٌ أَنتَ شارِبُها

أَما تَهولُكَ كَأسٌ أَنتَ شارِبُها

وَالعَقلُ مِنكَ لِكوبِ المَوتِ مُلتَبِسُ

وَالعَقلُ مِنكَ لِكوبِ المَوتِ مُلتَبِسُ

Does a cup you are to drink not terrify you,

Does not a cup you drink appall you,

while your reason is bewildered by the cup of death?

As your mind is fused with death’s poisoned goblet.

إِيّاكَ إِيّاكَ وَالدُنيا وَلَذَّتَها

إِيّاكَ إِيّاكَ وَالدُنيا وَلَذَّتَها

فَالمَوتُ فيها لِخَلقِ اللَهِ مُفتَرِسُ

فَالمَوتُ فيها لِخَلقِ اللَهِ مُفتَرِسُ

Beware, beware of this world and its pleasures;

Beware, beware of worldly pleasures,

for in it death preys upon God's creatures.

For in it, death lies in wait for God’s creations.

إِنَّ الخَلائِقَ في الدُنيا لَوِ اِجتَهَدوا

إِنَّ الخَلائِقَ في الدُنيا لَوِ اِجتَهَدوا

أَن يَحبِسوا عَنكَ هَذا المَوتَ ما حَبَسوا

أَن يَحبِسوا عَنكَ هَذا المَوتَ ما حَبَسوا

Indeed, if the creatures of this world strove

If all creation strove to shield you from it,

to keep this death from you, they could not hold it back.

They could not prevent this death from reaching you.

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ حَوضٌ أَنتَ تَكرَهُهُ

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ حَوضٌ أَنتَ تَكرَهُهُ

وَأَنتَ عَمّا قَليلِ فيهِ تَنغَمِسُ

وَأَنتَ عَمّا قَليلِ فيهِ تَنغَمِسُ

Indeed, death is a pool you detest,

Verily death is a pool you loathe,

and before long you will be immersed in it.

Yet shortly you will plunge right in.

ما لي رَأَيتُ بَني الدُنيا قَدِ اِفتَتَنوا

ما لي رَأَيتُ بَني الدُنيا قَدِ اِفتَتَنوا

كَأَنَّما هَذِهِ الدُنيا لَهُم عُرُسُ

كَأَنَّما هَذِهِ الدُنيا لَهُم عُرُسُ

Why do I see the sons of this world so beguiled,

I’ve never seen the people of the world so deluded,

as though this world were a wedding feast for them?

As if for them, this life is but a wedding feast.

إِذا وَصَفتُ لَهُم دُنياهُمُ ضَحِكوا

إِذا وَصَفتُ لَهُم دُنياهُمُ ضَحِكوا

وَإِن وَصَفتُ لَهُم أُخراهُمُ عَبَسوا

وَإِن وَصَفتُ لَهُم أُخراهُمُ عَبَسوا

When I describe their world to them, they laugh;

When I describe their life, they laugh,

and if I describe their hereafter to them, they frown.

When I describe their Hereafter, they frown.

ما لي رَأَيتُ بَني الدُنيا وَإِخوَتَها

ما لي رَأَيتُ بَني الدُنيا وَإِخوَتَها

كَأَنَّهُم لِكِتابِ اللَهِ ما دَرَسوا

كَأَنَّهُم لِكِتابِ اللَهِ ما دَرَسوا

Why do I see the sons of this world and its brethren

I’ve never seen the people of the world and their kin,

as though they had never studied God's Book?

Behave as though they never studied God’s Book.