لِلَّهِ عاقِبَةُ الأُمورِ

لِلَّهِ عاقِبَةُ الأُمورِ

طوبى لِمُعتَبِرٍ ذَكورِ

طوبى لِمُعتَبِرٍ ذَكورِ

To God belongs the final outcome of all affairs.

The fate of affairs belongs to Allah

Blessed is the one who takes heed and remembers.

Blessed is he who learns lessons

طوبى لِكُلِّ مُراقِبٍ

طوبى لِكُلِّ مُراقِبٍ

وَلِكُلِّ أَوّابٍ شَكورِ

وَلِكُلِّ أَوّابٍ شَكورِ

Blessed is every watchful soul,

Blessed is every watcher

and every penitent, grateful soul.

And every grateful worshipper

طوبى لِكُلِّ مُفَكِّرٍ

طوبى لِكُلِّ مُفَكِّرٍ

وَلِكُلِّ مُحتَسِبٍ صَبورِ

وَلِكُلِّ مُحتَسِبٍ صَبورِ

Blessed is every reflective soul,

Blessed is every thinker

and every patient seeker of God's reward.

And every patient appraiser

يا دارُ وَيحَكِ أَينَ أَر

يا دارُ وَيحَكِ أَينَ أَر

بابُ المَدائِنِ وَالقُصورِ

بابُ المَدائِنِ وَالقُصورِ

O abode, alas for you! Where are

O home, woe unto you! Where are

the masters of cities and palaces?

The doors of cities and palaces?

مَنَّيتِنا وَغَرَرتِنا

مَنَّيتِنا وَغَرَرتِنا

يا دارُ أَربابِ الغُرورِ

يا دارُ أَربابِ الغُرورِ

You filled us with hopes and deceived us,

Our wishes and pride in you

O abode of the masters of delusion!

O home of the arrogant

بَل يا مُفَرِّقَةَ الجَمي

بَل يا مُفَرِّقَةَ الجَمي

عِ وَيا مُنَغِّصَةَ السُرورِ

عِ وَيا مُنَغِّصَةَ السُرورِ

Rather, O scatterer of

Rather, o separator of gatherings

all, and O spoiler of joy!

And spoiler of joys

أَينَ الَّذينَ تَبَدَّلوا

أَينَ الَّذينَ تَبَدَّلوا

حُفَراً بِأَفنِيَةٍ وَدورِ

حُفَراً بِأَفنِيَةٍ وَدورِ

Where are those who took

Where are those who changed

grave-pits in exchange for courtyards and homes?

Into graves in courtyards and homes?

زُرتُ القُبورَ فَحيلَ بَي

زُرتُ القُبورَ فَحيلَ بَي

نَ الزَورِ فيها وَالمَزورِ

نَ الزَورِ فيها وَالمَزورِ

I visited the graves, but a barrier stood

I visited the graves, so between me

between the visitors there and those visited.

And the dishonesty and falsehood in them

أَأُخَيَّ ما لَكَ ناسِياً

أَأُخَيَّ ما لَكَ ناسِياً

يَومَ التَغابُنِ في الأُمورِ

يَومَ التَغابُنِ في الأُمورِ

O my dear brother, why are you forgetting

O brother, why have you forgotten

the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain in all affairs?

The day of loss in affairs?

أَفنَيتَ عُمرَكَ في الرَوا

أَفنَيتَ عُمرَكَ في الرَوا

حِ إِلى المَلاعِبِ وَالبُكورِ

حِ إِلى المَلاعِبِ وَالبُكورِ

You spent your life in afternoon outings

You wasted your life in comfort

to places of amusement, and in early-morning outings.

And waking early

وَأَمِنتَ مِن خُدَعٍ تُصَو

وَأَمِنتَ مِن خُدَعٍ تُصَو

وِرُها الوَساوِسُ في الصُدورِ

وِرُها الوَساوِسُ في الصُدورِ

And you felt safe from deceptions

And felt safe from deceptions

that whisperings portray within the breasts.

Whose whispers are hidden in hearts

وَعَلَيكَ أَعظَمُ حُجَّةٍ

وَعَلَيكَ أَعظَمُ حُجَّةٍ

فيما تُعِدُّ مِنَ الغُرورِ

فيما تُعِدُّ مِنَ الغُرورِ

And the weightiest evidence stands against you

Yet you have the greatest proof

in the delusion you store up.

In what you prepare of arrogance

وَلَعَلَّ طَرفَكَ لا يَعو

وَلَعَلَّ طَرفَكَ لا يَعو

دُ وَأَنتَ تَجمَعُ لِلدُهورِ

دُ وَأَنتَ تَجمَعُ لِلدُهورِ

And perhaps your glance will not

Perhaps your eye will not return

return, while you hoard for ages to come.

While you gather for the ages

اِرضِ الزَمانَ لِكُلِّ ذي

اِرضِ الزَمانَ لِكُلِّ ذي

مَرَحٍ وَمُختالٍ فَخورِ

مَرَحٍ وَمُختالٍ فَخورِ

Appease Time for every

Allow the times for everyone

merry soul and arrogant boaster;

Arrogant and proud

فَلَسَوفَ تَقصِمُ ظَهرَهُ

فَلَسَوفَ تَقصِمُ ظَهرَهُ

إِحدى القَواصِمِ لِلظُهورِ

إِحدى القَواصِمِ لِلظُهورِ

for his back will surely be broken

For soon it will break his back

by one of the back-breaking calamities.

With one of the breakers of the prideful

لا تَأمَنَنَّ مَعَ الحَوا

لا تَأمَنَنَّ مَعَ الحَوا

دِثِ عَثرَةَ الدَهرِ العَثورِ

دِثِ عَثرَةَ الدَهرِ العَثورِ

Never feel safe amid misfortunes

Do not feel safe from the mishaps

from a stumble of treacherous Time.

Of the stumbling fate

لَو أَنَّ عُمرَكَ زيدَ في

لَو أَنَّ عُمرَكَ زيدَ في

هِ جَميعُ أَعمارِ النُسورِ

هِ جَميعُ أَعمارِ النُسورِ

Even if your lifespan were extended

If your life were increased

by all the lifespans of vultures,

By the lives of all the eagles

أَو كُنتَ مِن زُبَرِ الحَدي

أَو كُنتَ مِن زُبَرِ الحَدي

دِ وَكُنتَ مِن صُمِّ الصُخورِ

دِ وَكُنتَ مِن صُمِّ الصُخورِ

or if you were made of blocks of

Or you were made of solid iron

iron, and were made of solid rocks,

And were of the deaf mountains

أَو كُنتَ مُعتَصِماً بِأَع

أَو كُنتَ مُعتَصِماً بِأَع

لى الريحِ أَو لُحَجِ البُحورِ

لى الريحِ أَو لُحَجِ البُحورِ

or if you took refuge in the highest reaches

Or held fast to the highest wind

of the wind, or in the depths of the seas,

Or swam the deepest seas

لَأَتَت عَلَيكَ دَوائِرُ الدُ

لَأَتَت عَلَيكَ دَوائِرُ الدُ

نيا وَكَرّاتُ الشُهورِ

نيا وَكَرّاتُ الشُهورِ

the world's vicissitudes would surely overtake you,

The cycles of life would come upon you

and the recurring rounds of the months.

And the rotations of months