أَلا يا أَيُّها البَشَرُ

أَلا يا أَيُّها البَشَرُ

لَكُم في المَوتِ مُعتَبَرُ

لَكُم في المَوتِ مُعتَبَرُ

Take heed, O humankind!

O people!

In death there is a lesson for you.

In death there is a lesson

لِأَمرٍ ما بَني حَوّا

لِأَمرٍ ما بَني حَوّا

ءَ ما نُصِبَت لَكُم صَقَرُ

ءَ ما نُصِبَت لَكُم صَقَرُ

For some purpose, O children of Eve,

For an affair not built to last

Saqar has indeed been set up for you.

Whatever you have elevated as great

أَلَيسَ المَوتُ غايَتَنا

أَلَيسَ المَوتُ غايَتَنا

فَأَينَ الخَوفُ وَالحَذَرُ

فَأَينَ الخَوفُ وَالحَذَرُ

Is death not our final end?

Is not death our destiny?

Then where are fear and caution?

Then where is the fear and caution?

رَأَيتُ المَوتَ لا يُبقي

رَأَيتُ المَوتَ لا يُبقي

عَلى أَحَدٍ وَلا يَذَرُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ وَلا يَذَرُ

I saw that death does not spare

I saw death leaves

anyone, nor let anyone remain.

No one behind and spares none

لِحَثِّ تَقارُبِ الآجا

لِحَثِّ تَقارُبِ الآجا

لِ تَجري الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ

لِ تَجري الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ

To hasten the approach of appointed ends,

For the hastening succession of generations

the sun and moon run their courses.

As the sun and moon run their course

تَعالى اللَهُ ماذا تَص

تَعالى اللَهُ ماذا تَص

نَعُ الأَيّامُ وَالغِيَرُ

نَعُ الأَيّامُ وَالغِيَرُ

Exalted is God! What do

God be glorified! What can days construct

the days and vicissitudes bring about?

And strangers demolish?

وَما يَبقى عَلى الحَدَثا

وَما يَبقى عَلى الحَدَثا

نِ لا صِغَرٌ وَلا كِبَرُ

نِ لا صِغَرٌ وَلا كِبَرُ

And nothing withstands time's vicissitudes:

What remains for the youth

neither youth nor old age.

Neither small nor great?

وَما يَنفَكُّ نَعشُ جَنا

وَما يَنفَكُّ نَعشُ جَنا

زَةٍ يَمشي بِهِ نَفَرُ

زَةٍ يَمشي بِهِ نَفَرُ

And ever a funeral bier

And a funeral bier never stops

is borne along by a band of men.

As a group walks with it

رَأَيتُ عَساكِرَ المَوتى

رَأَيتُ عَساكِرَ المَوتى

فَهاجَ لِعَينِيَ العِبَرُ

فَهاجَ لِعَينِيَ العِبَرُ

I saw the armies of the dead,

I saw the armies of the dead

so tears welled up in my eye.

So tears flooded my eyes

مَحَلٌّ ما عَلَيهِم في

مَحَلٌّ ما عَلَيهِم في

هِ أَردِيَةٌ وَلا حُجَرُ

هِ أَردِيَةٌ وَلا حُجَرُ

A dwelling where they have

They have no robes or shrouds

neither cloaks over them nor chambers.

Where they are now, only clay and soil

سُقوفُ بُيوتِهِم فيما

سُقوفُ بُيوتِهِم فيما

هُناكَ الطينُ وَالمَدَرُ

هُناكَ الطينُ وَالمَدَرُ

The roofs of their houses over

Their house ceilings where they were

there are mud and clods of earth.

Are dust and ruins

عُراةً رُبَّما غابوا

عُراةً رُبَّما غابوا

وَكانوا طالَما حَضَروا

وَكانوا طالَما حَضَروا

Naked, how often they have vanished,

Perhaps they were absent after being around

and how often they once were present!

And they had always been present

وَكانوا طالَما راحوا

وَكانوا طالَما راحوا

إِلى اللَذّاتِ وَابتَكَروا

إِلى اللَذّاتِ وَابتَكَروا

And how often they went late in the day

Perhaps they had always set out

to pleasures, and set out early!

To pleasures and innovations

فَقَد جَدَّ الرَحيلُ بِهِم

فَقَد جَدَّ الرَحيلُ بِهِم

إِلى سَفَرٍ هُوَ السَفَرُ

إِلى سَفَرٍ هُوَ السَفَرُ

So departure has pressed hard upon them,

But the departure has taken them

on a journey that is the journey.

To a journey, the greatest

وَقَد أَضحَوا بِمَنزِلَةٍ

وَقَد أَضحَوا بِمَنزِلَةٍ

يُرَجَّمُ دونَها الخَبَرُ

يُرَجَّمُ دونَها الخَبَرُ

And they have now come to a dwelling

And they have become like

whose news, from outside, is only conjecture.

Scattered rumors

وَكانوا طالَما أَشِروا

وَكانوا طالَما أَشِروا

وَكانوا طالَما بَطِروا

وَكانوا طالَما بَطِروا

And how often they reveled wantonly,

Long they lived and long they enjoyed

and how often they were ungratefully proud!

But their homes are now destroyed

وَقَد خَرِبَت مَنازِلُهُم

وَقَد خَرِبَت مَنازِلُهُم

فَلا عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

فَلا عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

And their dwellings have fallen to ruin,

No eye or trace left

so neither a visible remnant nor a trace remains.

Contemplate, O deceived one

تَفَكَّر أَيُّها المَغرو

تَفَكَّر أَيُّها المَغرو

رُ قَبلَ تَفوتُكَ الفِكَرُ

رُ قَبلَ تَفوتُكَ الفِكَرُ

Reflect, O deluded one,

Before contemplation escapes you

before thoughts elude you.

For everything you esteemed

فَإِنَّ جَميعَ ما عَظَّم

فَإِنَّ جَميعَ ما عَظَّم

تَ عِندَ المَوتِ مُحتَقَرُ

تَ عِندَ المَوتِ مُحتَقَرُ

For all that you have deemed great

Is insignificant in death

is despised at death.

Be not deceived by the world

وَلا تَغتَرَّ بِالدُنيا

وَلا تَغتَرَّ بِالدُنيا

فَإِنَّ جَميعَها غَرَرُ

فَإِنَّ جَميعَها غَرَرُ

And do not be deceived by this world,

For all of it is a mirage

for all of it is deception.

And say to those deluded by it

وَقُل لِذَوي الغُرورِ بِها

وَقُل لِذَوي الغُرورِ بِها

رُوَيدَكُمُ أَلا انتَظِروا

رُوَيدَكُمُ أَلا انتَظِروا

And tell those deceived by it:

Hold back! Do not rush!

Take your time! Take heed and wait!

For the farthest extent of ambition

فَأَقصى غايَةِ الميعا

فَأَقصى غايَةِ الميعا

دِ فيما بَينَنا الحُفَرُ

دِ فيما بَينَنا الحُفَرُ

For the ultimate end of the appointed time

Between us is the grave

for us lies in the grave-pits.

Thus proceeds the days among us

كَذاكَ تَصَرُّفُ الأَيّا

كَذاكَ تَصَرُّفُ الأَيّا

مِ فيها الصَفوُ وَالكَدَرُ

مِ فيها الصَفوُ وَالكَدَرُ

Such is the changing course of the days:

Both sweet and bitter

in them are serenity and trouble.