1. يا نَفسُ إِنَّ الحَقَّ ديني

    فَتَذَلَّلي ثُمَّ استَكيني

    O soul, indeed, truth is my creed.

    So humble yourself, then submit.

  2. فَإِلى مَتى أَنا غافِلٌ

    يا نَفسُ وَيحَكِ خَبِّريني

    How long, then, shall I remain heedless?

    O soul, woe to you—tell me.

  3. وَإِلى مَتى أَنا مُمسِكٌ

    بُخلاً بِما مَلَكَت يَميني

    And how long shall I hold on,

    in miserliness, to what my right hand possesses?

  4. يا نَفسُ لا تَتَضايَقي

    وَثِقي بِرَبِّكِ وَاستَعيني

    O soul, do not fret.

    And trust in your Lord and seek His help.

  5. يا نَفسُ أَنتِ شَحيحَةٌ

    وَالشُحُّ مِن ضُعفِ اليَقينِ

    O soul, you are miserly,

    and miserliness comes from weakness of conviction.

  6. يا نَفسُ توبي مِن مُؤا

    خاةِ الأَخِ البَطِرِ البَطينِ

    O soul, repent of fraternizing

    with the arrogant, potbellied brother.

  7. وَتَعَلَّقي بِمَعالِقِ ال

    مَكروبِ ذي القَلبِ الحَزينِ

    And cling to the ties of the

    afflicted one with the sorrowful heart.

  8. وَتَفَكَّري في المَوتِ أَح

    ياناً لَعَلَّكِ أَن تَليني

    And ponder death from time

    to time; perhaps you will soften.

  9. فَلَتَغشَيَنّي غَشيَةٌ

    يَندى لِسَكرَتِها جَبيني

    For a swoon will surely overtake me,

    my brow growing damp from its agony.

  10. وَلَتُعوِلَنَّ المُعوِلا

    تُ هُناكَ حَولي بِالرَنينِ

    And the wailing women will surely lament

    there around me with ringing cries.

  11. وَلَتَجعَلَنّي بَعدَ خَل

    قي طينَةً لَحِقَت بِطينِ

    And it will surely make me, after my

    creation, a lump of clay joined to clay.

  12. وَلَيَأتِيَنَّ عَلَيَّ تَح

    تَ التُربِ حينٌ بَعدَ حينِ

    And there will surely come upon me, beneath

    the soil, one span of time after another.