تكثَّرْتَyou sought abundance بالأموالthrough wealth جَهلاًignorantly وإنّماyet only
تكثَّرْتَ بالأموال جَهلاً وإنّما
تكثَّرْتَyou sought abundance بالّلاتيthrough those things that تَروحُreturn in the evening وتَغْتَديand go out in the morning
تكثَّرْتَ بالّلاتي تَروحُ وتَغْتَدي
You sought abundance through wealth in ignorance, yet only
You amassed wealth in ignorance, though
sought abundance through things that come and go, evening and morning.
You amassed only those who come and go.
فأنتَso you علَيهاfor them خائِفٌfearful غَصْبَforcible seizure غاصِبٍof a usurper
فأنتَ علَيها خائِفٌ غَصْبَ غاصِبٍ
وحِيلةَand the trick مُحتالٍof a schemer وغِيلَةَand the treachery مَرْصَدِof one lying in wait
وحِيلةَ مُحتالٍ وغِيلَةَ مَرْصَدِ
So you fear their seizure by a usurper,
So you live in fear of the plunder of plunderers,
and a schemer's trick, and the treachery of one lying in wait.
The tricks of schemers, and the plots of ambushers.
إذاwhen نامَتِslept الأجفانُthe eyelids بِتَّyou spent the night مُكابِداًenduring hardship
إذا نامَتِ الأجفانُ بِتَّ مُكابِداً
دُجىَdarkness اللَّيلِof the night إشفاقاًin fear بِطَرْفٍwith an eye مُسَهَّدِkept sleepless
دُجىَ اللَّيلِ إشفاقاً بِطَرْفٍ مُسَهَّدِ
When eyelids sleep, you spend the night enduring
When eyelids sleep, you stay awake,
the night's darkness in fear, with a sleepless eye.
Fearing the night’s darkness with eyes kept open.
فهَلاّso why not اقتنيْتَyou acquired الباقياتِthe lasting things الّتيwhich لَهاhave
فهَلاّ اقتنيْتَ الباقياتِ الّتي لَها
دَوامٌpermanence علىthroughout طُولِthe length الزَّمانِof time المؤَبَّدِeverlasting
دَوامٌ على طُولِ الزَّمانِ المؤَبَّدِ
Why, then, did you not acquire the lasting things, which have
Why not acquire lasting goods for which
permanence throughout the span of everlasting time—
There is permanence throughout endless time?
فضائلَvirtues نفسانيةًof the soul ليسَdoes not يَهتديfind a way
فضائلَ نفسانيةً ليسَ يَهتدي
إلىto سلبِهاstripping them away منfrom أهلِهاtheir possessors كيدُthe cunning مُعْتَدِof an aggressor
إلى سلبِها من أهلِها كيدُ مُعْتَدِ
virtues of the soul, beyond the power
Spiritual virtues none can rightly guide
of an aggressor's cunning to strip them from their possessors?
Himself to rob from their owner by guile.
هِيَthey are العلُمknowledge والتَّقوىand piety هيَthey are البأسُvalor والحِجىand reason
هِيَ العلُم والتَّقوى هيَ البأسُ والحِجى
هيthey are الجُودُgenerosity بالمَوجودِwith what one has والفكرُand thought فيof غَدِtomorrow
هي الجُودُ بالمَوجودِ والفكرُ في غَدِ
They are knowledge and piety; they are valor and reason;
They are knowledge, piety, courage and refuge;
they are generosity with what one has, and thought of tomorrow.
Generosity with wealth, and thought for tomorrow.