نَنسىwe forget المَناياdeath عَلىdespite أَنّاthat we are لَهاfor it غَرَضُa target
نَنسى المَنايا عَلى أَنّا لَها غَرَضُ
فَكَمfor how many أُناسٍpeople رَأَيناهُمwe have seen them قَدِalready اِنقَرَضواhave perished
فَكَم أُناسٍ رَأَيناهُم قَدِ اِنقَرَضوا
We forget death, though we are its target.
For how many people we have seen pass away!
إِنّاindeed we لَنَرجوwe surely hope أُموراًthings نَستَعِدُّwe prepare لَهاfor them
إِنّا لَنَرجو أُموراً نَستَعِدُّ لَها
وَالمَوتُyet death دونَbefore الَّذيwhat نَرجوهُwe hope for it مُعتَرِضُstanding in the way
وَالمَوتُ دونَ الَّذي نَرجوهُ مُعتَرِضُ
We surely hope for things for which we make ready,
yet death stands barring the way to what we hope for.
لِلَّهِto God belongs دَرُّthe bounty (exclamation of wonder) بَنيthe children of الدُنياthis world لَقَدindeed غُبِنواthey have been cheated
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ بَني الدُنيا لَقَد غُبِنوا
لِماbecause اِطمَأَنّواthey felt secure بِهِin it مِنout of جَهلِهِمtheir ignorance وَرَضواand were content
لِما اِطمَأَنّوا بِهِ مِن جَهلِهِم وَرَضوا
How astonishing are this world's children! They have indeed been cheated,
because, in their ignorance, they felt secure in it and were content.
ماnot أَربَحَhas made profitable اللَهُGod فيin الدُنياthis world تِجارَةَthe trade of إِنbeginning of 'person' (إنسان)
ما أَربَحَ اللَهُ في الدُنيا تِجارَةَ إِن
سانٍcompletion of 'person' (إنسان) يَرىhe considers أَنَّهاthat it is مِنfor نَفسِهِhis own soul عِوَضُrecompense
سانٍ يَرى أَنَّها مِن نَفسِهِ عِوَضُ
God grants no profit in this world to the trade of a
person who regards it as recompense for his own soul.
لَبِئسَتِtruly wretched is الدارُthe abode داراًas an abode لاnot نَرىwe see أَحَداًanyone
لَبِئسَتِ الدارُ داراً لا نَرى أَحَداً
مِنamong أَهلِهاits people ناصِحاًsincere in counsel لَمnot يَعدُهُsway him غَرَضُself-interest
مِن أَهلِها ناصِحاً لَم يَعدُهُ غَرَضُ
Wretched indeed is this abode, where we see no one
among its people sincere in counsel, unswayed by self-interest.
ماwhat بالُis the matter with مَنone who عَرَفَknows الدُنياthis world الدَنِيَّةَbase لاnot
ما بالُ مَن عَرَفَ الدُنيا الدَنِيَّةَ لا
يَنكَفُّdesists عَنfrom غَرَضِthe aim of الدُنياthis world وَيَنقَبِضُand withdraws
يَنكَفُّ عَن غَرَضِ الدُنيا وَيَنقَبِضُ
Why does one who knows this base world not
desist from worldly aims and draw back?
تَصِحُّare sound أَقوالُthe words of أَقوامٍsome people بِوَصفِهِمُin their descriptions
تَصِحُّ أَقوالُ أَقوامٍ بِوَصفِهِمُ
وَفيyet in القُلوبِthe hearts إِذاwhen كَشَّفتَهاyou lay them bare مَرَضُdisease
وَفي القُلوبِ إِذا كَشَّفتَها مَرَضُ
Some people's words ring true in their descriptions,
yet in their hearts, when you lay them bare, lies disease.
وَالناسُand people فيin غَفلَةٍheedlessness عَمّاof what يُرادُis intended بِهِمfor them
وَالناسُ في غَفلَةٍ عَمّا يُرادُ بِهِم
وَكُلُّهُمand all of them عَنfrom جَديدِthe surface of الأَرضِthe earth مُنقَرِضُdestined to vanish
وَكُلُّهُم عَن جَديدِ الأَرضِ مُنقَرِضُ
And people are heedless of what is intended for them,
and all of them will vanish from the face of the earth.
وَالحادِثاتُand events بِهاthrough them الأَقدارُthe decrees of fate جارِيَةٌunfolding
وَالحادِثاتُ بِها الأَقدارُ جارِيَةٌ
وَالمَرءُand man مُرتَفِعٌrising فيهاamid them وَمُنخَفِضُand falling
وَالمَرءُ مُرتَفِعٌ فيها وَمُنخَفِضُ
And through events the decrees of fate run their course,
while man rises and falls amid them.
ياoh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowing وَقَدand already جَدَّhas grown urgent الرَحيلُdeparture بِناfor us
يا لَيتَ شِعري وَقَد جَدَّ الرَحيلُ بِنا
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen نَحنُwe فيin الغِرّاتِheedlessness نَرتَكِضُwe race about
حَتّى مَتى نَحنُ في الغِرّاتِ نَرتَكِضُ
Oh, would that I knew, now that our departure has grown urgent:
how long shall we keep racing about in heedlessness?
نَفسُthe soul of الحَكيمِthe wise man إِلىtoward الخَيراتِgood deeds ساكِنَةٌat peace
نَفسُ الحَكيمِ إِلى الخَيراتِ ساكِنَةٌ
وَقَلبُهُand his heart مِنfrom دَواعيthe promptings of الشَرِّevil مُنقَبِضُrecoiling
وَقَلبُهُ مِن دَواعي الشَرِّ مُنقَبِضُ
The wise man's soul finds repose in good deeds,
and his heart recoils from the promptings of evil.
اِصبِرbe steadfast عَلىin الحَقِّthe truth تَستَعذِبyou will find sweet مَغَبَّتَهُits outcome
اِصبِر عَلى الحَقِّ تَستَعذِب مَغَبَّتَهُ
وَالصَبرُand steadfastness لِلحَقِّfor the truth أَحياناًsometimes لَهُit has مَضَضُa sting
وَالصَبرُ لِلحَقِّ أَحياناً لَهُ مَضَضُ
Be steadfast in the truth; you will find its outcome sweet,
though steadfastness in truth sometimes has its sting.
وَماand whenever اِستَرَبتَyou feel doubt فَكُنthen be وَقّافَةًslow to act حَذِراًwary
وَما اِستَرَبتَ فَكُن وَقّافَةً حَذِراً
قَدmay يُبرَمُbe firmly settled الأَمرُthe matter أَحياناًsometimes فَيَنتَقِضُthen come undone
قَد يُبرَمُ الأَمرُ أَحياناً فَيَنتَقِضُ
And when in doubt, be slow to act and wary;
a matter may sometimes be firmly settled, then come undone.
Translation model: Sol 6.1