ماwhat بالُis the matter with نَفسِكَyour soul لاnot تَهوىdesires سَلامَتَهاits safety
ما بالُ نَفسِكَ لا تَهوى سَلامَتَها
وَأَنتَwhile you فيfor عَرَضِthe fleeting goods of الدُنياthis world تُرَغِّبُهاyou make it desire
وَأَنتَ في عَرَضِ الدُنيا تُرَغِّبُها
What ails your soul, that it does not desire its own safety,
while you make it crave this world's fleeting goods?
دارٌa dwelling إِذاwhenever جاءَتِcome الآمالُhopes تَعمُرُهاto build it up
دارٌ إِذا جاءَتِ الآمالُ تَعمُرُها
جاءَتcomes مُقَدَّمَةَthe vanguard of الآجالِappointed times of death تَخرِبُهاto lay it waste
جاءَت مُقَدَّمَةَ الآجالِ تَخرِبُها
A dwelling—whenever hopes come to build it up,
the vanguard of death comes to lay it waste.
أَصبَحتَyou have come to تَطلُبُseek دُنياa world لَستَyou are not تُدرِكُهاattaining it
أَصبَحتَ تَطلُبُ دُنيا لَستَ تُدرِكُها
فَكَيفَso how تُدرِكُdo you attain أُخرىthe other world لَستَyou are not تَطلُبُهاseeking it
فَكَيفَ تُدرِكُ أُخرى لَستَ تَطلُبُها
You have come to seek a world you cannot attain;
so how can you attain the other world, which you do not seek?