أَفنَيتَyou have spent عُمرَكَyour life إِدباراًgoing away وَإِقبالاًand coming forward
أَفنَيتَ عُمرَكَ إِدباراً وَإِقبالاً
تَبغيyou seek البَنينَsons وَتَبغيand you seek الأَهلَfamily وَالمالاand wealth
تَبغي البَنينَ وَتَبغي الأَهلَ وَالمالا
You have spent your life now turning away, now drawing near,
You have spent your life going back and forth,
seeking sons, seeking family and wealth.
seeking sons, and seeking family and wealth.
لِلمَوتِdeath has غولٌa deadly ambush فَكُنso be ماas long as عِشتَyou live مُلتَمِساًseeking
لِلمَوتِ غولٌ فَكُن ما عِشتَ مُلتَمِساً
مِنfrom غولِهِits deadly ambush حيلَةًa stratagem إِنif كُنتَyou are مُحتالاcunning
مِن غولِهِ حيلَةً إِن كُنتَ مُحتالا
Death has its ghoul; so, as long as you live, keep seeking
Death has its deadly ambush; so, as long as you live, seek
some stratagem against its ghoul—if you are resourceful.
a stratagem to escape its ambush, if you are cunning.
وَلَستُand I am not حَقّاًin truth بِهَولِby the terror المَوتِdeath مُنقَلِباًshaken
وَلَستُ حَقّاً بِهَولِ المَوتِ مُنقَلِباً
حَتّىuntil تُعايِنَyou behold بَعدَafter المَوتِdeath أَهوالاhorrors
حَتّى تُعايِنَ بَعدَ المَوتِ أَهوالا
And truly, I do not recoil at the terror of death
And I am not, in truth, shaken by the terror of death,
until you behold, after death, horrors.
until you behold horrors after death.
أَمَّلتَyou hoped for أَكثَرَmore مِمّاthan what أَنتَyou مُدرِكُهُattaining it
أَمَّلتَ أَكثَرَ مِمّا أَنتَ مُدرِكُهُ
وَالعُمرُand life لاno بُدَّescape أَنthat يَفنىit ends وَإِنand even if طالاit lasts long
وَالعُمرُ لا بُدَّ أَن يَفنى وَإِن طالا
You have hoped for more than you can attain,
You have hoped for more than you will attain,
though life must perish, however long it lasts.
and life must end, however long it lasts.
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen أَنتَyou بِالآمالِin hopes مُشتَبِكٌentangled
حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ بِالآمالِ مُشتَبِكٌ
إِذاwhen اِنقَضىends أَمَلٌa hope أَمَّلتَyou hope for آمالاhopes
إِذا اِنقَضى أَمَلٌ أَمَّلتَ آمالا
How long will you remain entangled in hopes?
How long will you remain entangled in hopes?
Whenever one hope expires, you conceive new hopes.
Whenever one hope ends, you hope for more.
أَلَمdid ... not? تَرَyou see المَلِكَthe king الأُمِّيَّunlettered حينَwhen مَضىhe passed away
أَلَم تَرَ المَلِكَ الأُمِّيَّ حينَ مَضى
هَلdid? نالَgained حَيٌّa living person مِنَfrom الدُنياthis world كَماas much as نالاhe gained
هَل نالَ حَيٌّ مِنَ الدُنيا كَما نالا
Have you not seen the unlettered king when he passed away?
Did you not see the unlettered king when he passed away?
Did any living soul gain from this world as much as he gained?
Did any living person gain as much from this world as he did?
أَفناهُdestroyed him مَنthe one who لَمnot يَزَلceases يُفنيdestroys المُلوكَkings فَقَدso indeed
أَفناهُ مَن لَم يَزَل يُفني المُلوكَ فَقَد
أَمسىhe reached evening وَأَصبَحَand he reached morning عَنهُfrom him المُلكَkingship قَدalready زالاhad gone
أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ عَنهُ المُلكَ قَد زالا
He was brought to nothing by the One who never ceases bringing kings to nothing; and so
He who has never ceased destroying kings destroyed him; and so
he came to evening and morning, his kingship already gone.
he reached evening and morning, with kingship already gone from him.
كَمhow many مِنof مُلوكٍkings مَضىwent away رَيبُvicissitudes الزَمانِtime بِهِمwith them
كَم مِن مُلوكٍ مَضى رَيبُ الزَمانِ بِهِم
قَدindeed أَصبَحواthey have become عِبَراًlessons فيناamong us وَأَمثالاand examples
قَد أَصبَحوا عِبَراً فينا وَأَمثالا
How many kings have been swept away by the vicissitudes of time—
How many kings the vicissitudes of time have carried away!
they have become lessons and examples among us.
They have become lessons and examples among us.
