نَعى نَفسي إِلَيَّ مِنَ اللَيالي

نَعى نَفسي إِلَيَّ مِنَ اللَيالي

تَصَرُّفُهُنَّ حالاً بَعدَ حالِ

تَصَرُّفُهُنَّ حالاً بَعدَ حالِ

The nights have announced my death to me

My soul mourned for me as the nights went by

Through their changes, one state after another.

Changing from one state to another

فَمالي لَستُ مَشغولاً بِنَفسي

فَمالي لَستُ مَشغولاً بِنَفسي

وَمالي لا أَخافُ المَوتَ مالي

وَمالي لا أَخافُ المَوتَ مالي

So why am I not concerned with myself?

Why am I not preoccupied with myself?

And why do I not fear death—what is wrong with me?

Why do I not fear death, what is wrong with me?

لَقَد أَيقَنتُ أَنّي غَيرُ باقٍ

لَقَد أَيقَنتُ أَنّي غَيرُ باقٍ

وَلَكِنّي أَراني لا أُبالي

وَلَكِنّي أَراني لا أُبالي

I have become certain that I shall not endure,

I am certain that I will not last

Yet I find myself not caring.

Yet I see that I do not care

أَما لي عِبرَةٌ في ذِكرِ قَومٍ

أَما لي عِبرَةٌ في ذِكرِ قَومٍ

تَفانَوا رُبَّما خَطَروا بِبالي

تَفانَوا رُبَّما خَطَروا بِبالي

Is there no lesson for me in remembering people

Do I not take heed from the memory of a people

Who have all perished and sometimes cross my mind?

Who perhaps crossed my mind and perished?

كَأَنَّ مُمَرِّضي قَد قامَ يَمشي

كَأَنَّ مُمَرِّضي قَد قامَ يَمشي

بِنَعشي بَينَ أَربَعَةٍ عِجالِ

بِنَعشي بَينَ أَربَعَةٍ عِجالِ

It is as though my nurse has risen and is walking

It is as if my pallbearer started walking

With my bier among four hurrying men;

With my coffin between four hurried men

وَخَلفي نُسوَةٌ يَبكينَ شَجواً

وَخَلفي نُسوَةٌ يَبكينَ شَجواً

كَأَنَّ قُلوبُهُنَّ عَلى مَقالِ

كَأَنَّ قُلوبُهُنَّ عَلى مَقالِ

And behind me, women weep in grief,

Behind me are women crying bitterly

As though their hearts were on frying pans.

As if their hearts are distraught

سَأَقنَعُ ما بَقيتُ بِقوتِ يَومٍ

سَأَقنَعُ ما بَقيتُ بِقوتِ يَومٍ

وَلا أَبغي مُكاثَرَةً بِمالِ

وَلا أَبغي مُكاثَرَةً بِمالِ

I shall be content, as long as I live, with a day's sustenance,

I will be content with the sustenance of a day

And shall not seek to outdo others in wealth.

And not seek to compete in wealth

تَعالى اللَهُ يا سَلمَ اِبنَ عَمرٍ

تَعالى اللَهُ يا سَلمَ اِبنَ عَمرٍ

أَذَلَّ الحِرصُ أَعناقَ الرِجالِ

أَذَلَّ الحِرصُ أَعناقَ الرِجالِ

Exalted is God, O Salm son of Amr!

Exalted is God, O Salama son of Omar

Greed has bowed the necks of men.

Greed has humiliated the necks of men

هَبِ الدُنيا تُساقُ إِلَيكِ عَفواً

هَبِ الدُنيا تُساقُ إِلَيكِ عَفواً

أَلَيسَ مَصيرُ ذاكَ إِلى زَوالِ

أَلَيسَ مَصيرُ ذاكَ إِلى زَوالِ

Suppose the world were brought to you without effort—

Let the world come to you easily

Is not its fate to pass away?

Is that not its ultimate fate, to decline?

فَما تَرجو بِشَيءٍ لَيسَ يَبقى

فَما تَرجو بِشَيءٍ لَيسَ يَبقى

وَشيكاً ما تُغَيِّرُهُ اللَيالي

وَشيكاً ما تُغَيِّرُهُ اللَيالي

So what do you hope for from something that does not last?

So why do you hope for something that does not remain

Soon enough, the nights will change it.

When soon the nights will change it