ماwhat بالُis the matter with نَفسِكَyour soul لاnot تَهوىdesires سَلامَتَهاits safety
ما بالُ نَفسِكَ لا تَهوى سَلامَتَها
وَأَنتَand you فيfor عَرَضِfleeting goods الدُنياthis world تُرَغِّبُهاyou make it yearn
وَأَنتَ في عَرَضِ الدُنيا تُرَغِّبُها
What ails your soul, that it does not yearn for its salvation,
What ails your soul that it does not desire its own safety,
while you entice it with this world’s passing wares?
while you make it yearn for this world's fleeting goods?
دارٌa dwelling إِذاwhen جاءَتِcome الآمالُhopes تَعمُرُهاbuild it up
دارٌ إِذا جاءَتِ الآمالُ تَعمُرُها
جاءَتcomes مُقَدَّمَةَthe vanguard الآجالِappointed times of death تَخرِبُهاlays it waste
جاءَت مُقَدَّمَةَ الآجالِ تَخرِبُها
An abode that hopes build up whenever they arrive—
A dwelling: when hopes come to build it up,
the vanguard of death’s appointed hours comes and lays it waste.
death's vanguard comes to lay it waste.
أَصبَحتَyou have become تَطلُبُyou seek دُنياthis world لَستَyou are not تُدرِكُهاattaining it
أَصبَحتَ تَطلُبُ دُنيا لَستَ تُدرِكُها
فَكَيفَso how تُدرِكُyou attain أُخرىthe next world لَستَyou are not تَطلُبُهاseeking it
فَكَيفَ تُدرِكُ أُخرى لَستَ تَطلُبُها
You have begun pursuing a world you will never attain;
You now seek this world, which you do not attain;
how, then, will you attain another world you do not pursue?
so how will you attain the next world, which you do not seek?
