أَلَستَ تَرى مَوتَ العُلا وَالفَضائِلِ

أَلَستَ تَرى مَوتَ العُلا وَالفَضائِلِ

وَكَيفَ غُروبُ النَجمِ بَينَ الجَنادِلِ

وَكَيفَ غُروبُ النَجمِ بَينَ الجَنادِلِ

Do you not see the death of glory and the virtues,

Do you not see the death of the eminent and the virtuous

and how the star sets among the rocks?

And how the star sets between the tents

فَما لِلمَنايا أَغفَلَت كُلَّ ناقِصٍ

فَما لِلمَنايا أَغفَلَت كُلَّ ناقِصٍ

وَنَقَّبنَ في الآفاقِ عَن كُلِّ فاضِلِ

وَنَقَّبنَ في الآفاقِ عَن كُلِّ فاضِلِ

Why has death overlooked every unworthy man,

So why did death overlook all the deficient

and scoured the horizons for every virtuous one?

And searched the horizons for every superior

عَلى الرَغمِ مِن أَنفِ العُلاسيقَ لِلرَدى

عَلى الرَغمِ مِن أَنفِ العُلاسيقَ لِلرَدى

بِكُلِّ كَريمِ الفِعلِ حُرِّ الشَمائِلِ

بِكُلِّ كَريمِ الفِعلِ حُرِّ الشَمائِلِ

Against glory's will, to death has been driven

Despite the noses of the high-minded towards demise

every man generous in deed and noble in character.

With every generous deed and noble traits

عَلى أَنَّ مَن أَبقَتهُ لَيسَ بِخالِدٍ

عَلى أَنَّ مَن أَبقَتهُ لَيسَ بِخالِدٍ

وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ يَرجو الخُلودَ بِعاقِلِ

وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ يَرجو الخُلودَ بِعاقِلِ

Yet whoever it has spared is not immortal,

Except that whoever it kept is not eternal

nor is a man who hopes for immortality wise.

And no man hopes for immortality sensibly

رَأَيتُ المَنايا بَينَ غادٍ وَرائِحٍ

رَأَيتُ المَنايا بَينَ غادٍ وَرائِحٍ

فَما لِلبَرايا بَينَ ساهٍ وَغافِلِ

فَما لِلبَرايا بَينَ ساهٍ وَغافِلِ

I have seen death going forth morning and evening;

I saw death amidst one who moves and one who rests

why, then, are mortals either unmindful or heedless?

So why did it differentiate between one who is awake and one who sleeps

وَلَم أَرَ كَالدُنيا حَبيباً مَضَرَّةً

وَلَم أَرَ كَالدُنيا حَبيباً مَضَرَّةً

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ المَوتِ حَقّاً كَباطِلِ

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ المَوتِ حَقّاً كَباطِلِ

I have never seen a beloved as harmful as this world,

And I did not see a more harmful lover than this world

nor have I seen a truth so like falsehood as death.

Nor anything as false as death