أَيُّهاO you المُبصِرُone who sees الصَحيحُsound in health السَمَيعُone who hears
أَيُّها المُبصِرُ الصَحيحُ السَمَيعُ
أَنتَyou فيin اللَهوِdiversion وَالهَوىand desire مَخدوعُdeceived
أَنتَ في اللَهوِ وَالهَوى مَخدوعُ
O you who see, sound in health and able to hear,
O you who see clearly and hear perfectly
you are deceived by diversion and desire.
You are deceived by vanity and desire
كَيفَhow يَعمىbecomes blind عَنِto السَبيلِthe path بَصيرٌone who sees
كَيفَ يَعمى عَنِ السَبيلِ بَصيرٌ
عَجَباًhow strange ذاthis أَوor يَستَصِمُّturns a deaf ear سَميعُone who hears
عَجَباً ذا أَو يَستَصِمُّ سَميعُ
How can one who sees be blind to the path?
How can one with vision be blind to the path?
How strange this is! Or how can one who hears turn a deaf ear?
Strange that one with hearing would turn deaf!
ماwhat لَناis with us نَستَطيعُwe can أَنto نَجمَعَamass الماthe wealth (first part)
ما لَنا نَستَطيعُ أَن نَجمَعَ الما
لَcompletes 'wealth' وَرَدَّand repelling المَماتِdeath لاnot نَستَطيعُwe can
لَ وَرَدَّ المَماتِ لا نَستَطيعُ
How is it that we can amass wealth,
Why can we not gather wealth forever
yet cannot ward off death?
When death comes, we cannot resist
حُبِّبَwas made dear الأَكلُeating وَالشَرابُand drinking إِلَيناto us
حُبِّبَ الأَكلُ وَالشَرابُ إِلَينا
وَبِناءُand building القُصورِpalaces وَالتَجميعُand hoarding
وَبِناءُ القُصورِ وَالتَجميعُ
Eating and drinking have been made dear to us,
Eating, drinking, building castles - we love them all
and building palaces and hoarding,
Gathering possessions and different joys
وَصُنوفُand kinds اللَذاتِpleasures مِنof كُلِّevery لَونٍhue
وَصُنوفُ اللَذاتِ مِن كُلِّ لَونٍ
وَالفَناand extinction مُقبِلٌapproaching إِلَيناtoward us سَريعُswift
وَالفَنا مُقبِلٌ إِلَينا سَريعُ
and pleasures of every hue,
Yet death swiftly approaches
while extinction approaches us swiftly.
Neither the lofty mansions nor the lowly hovels can escape
لَيسَdoes not يَنجوescape مِنَfrom الفَناextinction فاخِرُnoble البَيthe house (first part)
لَيسَ يَنجو مِنَ الفَنا فاخِرُ البَي
تِcompletes 'house' وَلاnor السِفلَةُthe lowly one الدَنيءُthe base الوَضيعُthe abject
تِ وَلا السِفلَةُ الدَنيءُ الوَضيعُ
The man of a noble house does not escape extinction,
Every living being will reluctantly taste death
nor the lowly, base, abject man.
Then after death comes a terrible day
كُلُّevery حَيٍّliving being سَيَطعَمُwill taste المَوتَdeath كَرهاًunwillingly
كُلُّ حَيٍّ سَيَطعَمُ المَوتَ كَرهاً
ثُمَّthen خَلفَbeyond المَماتِdeath يَومٌa day فَظيعُdreadful
ثُمَّ خَلفَ المَماتِ يَومٌ فَظيعُ
Every living being will taste death unwillingly,
How can we play and take comfort in a life
then beyond death lies a dreadful day.
That will be taken back from us, extracted?
كَيفَhow نَلهوwe make merry وَكَيفَand how نَسلوwe find solace بِعَيشٍin a life
كَيفَ نَلهو وَكَيفَ نَسلو بِعَيشٍ
هُوَit مِنّاfrom us مُستَرجَعٌtaken back مَنزوعُtorn away
هُوَ مِنّا مُستَرجَعٌ مَنزوعُ
How can we make merry, and how find solace in a life
We gather the fading trifles of wealth
that will be taken back from us, torn away?
And forget the one to whom we must return
نَجمَعُwe amass الفانِيَthe perishable القَليلَthe scant مِنَof الماthe wealth (first part)
نَجمَعُ الفانِيَ القَليلَ مِنَ الما
لِcompletes 'wealth' وَنَنسىand we forget الَّذيthe one who إِلَيهِto him الرُجوعُthe return
لِ وَنَنسى الَّذي إِلَيهِ الرُجوعُ
We amass a little perishable wealth,
In a place where all eyes will be humbled
and forget the one to whom we return,
And the greatest kings will bow down
فيin مَقامٍa station تَعشىgrow dim العُيونُthe eyes لَدَيهِbefore it
في مَقامٍ تَعشى العُيونُ لَدَيهِ
وَالمُلوكُand the kings العِظامُmighty فيهِin it خُضوعُhumbled
وَالمُلوكُ العِظامُ فيهِ خُضوعُ
at a station where eyes grow dim,
and mighty kings are humbled there.
Partial English translation: 18 of 20 Arabic lines translated.