ذَكَّرَتني عُقوبَةٌ مِن إِلَهي

ذَكَّرَتني عُقوبَةٌ مِن إِلَهي

فَاِستُطيرَ الفُؤادُ لِلتَذكيرِ

فَاِستُطيرَ الفُؤادُ لِلتَذكيرِ

A punishment from my God reminded me,

A punishment from my God reminded me,

so my heart was seized with terror at the reminder.

So my heart took flight to be admonished.

فَكِّري أَنتِ رُبَّما هُديَ الإِن

فَكِّري أَنتِ رُبَّما هُديَ الإِن

سانُ لِلمُشكِلاتِ بِالتَفكيرِ

سانُ لِلمُشكِلاتِ بِالتَفكيرِ

Think for yourself; perhaps a human being is guided

Reflect, you may guide mankind

in difficult matters through reflection.

To the problems through thinking.

ما الَّذي نَستَفيدُ في هَذِهِ الدُنّ

ما الَّذي نَستَفيدُ في هَذِهِ الدُنّ

يا بِطولِ الرَواحِ وَالتَبكيرِ

يا بِطولِ الرَواحِ وَالتَبكيرِ

What do we gain in this world

What do we gain in this life

by so much setting out at evening and early morning?

With prolonged travel and early rising?

شَجَرُ العَيشِ مَعدِنٌ لِلرَزايا

شَجَرُ العَيشِ مَعدِنٌ لِلرَزايا

أَودَتِ الطَيرَ فيهِ بِالتَوكيرِ

أَودَتِ الطَيرَ فيهِ بِالتَوكيرِ

Life's trees are a mine of calamities

The tree of living is a mine of disasters

that have killed the birds for nesting there.

Where birds perished by determination.

كُلُّنا غادِرٌ يَميلُ إِلى الظُل

كُلُّنا غادِرٌ يَميلُ إِلى الظُل

مِ وَصَفوُ الأَيّامِ لِلتَعكيرِ

مِ وَصَفوُ الأَيّامِ لِلتَعكيرِ

We are all treacherous, inclined toward injustice,

We are all departing, inclining to the shadows,

and the days' clarity is destined to be clouded.

And the days are intent on glooming.

وَرِجالُ الأَنامِ مِثلُ الغَواني

وَرِجالُ الأَنامِ مِثلُ الغَواني

غَيرَ فَرقِ التَأنيثِ وَالتَذكيرِ

غَيرَ فَرقِ التَأنيثِ وَالتَذكيرِ

And the men of humankind are like beautiful women,

And people are like the perverse,

apart from the distinction between feminine and masculine.

Except for the difference of feminizing and masculinizing.

عَرَّفَتني حَتّى شُهِرتُ اللَيالي

عَرَّفَتني حَتّى شُهِرتُ اللَيالي

ثُمَّ صالَت عَلَيَّ بِالتَنكيرِ

ثُمَّ صالَت عَلَيَّ بِالتَنكيرِ

The nights made me known until I was renowned;

She made me known until the nights were familiar,

then they assailed me, making me unknown.

Then bid farewell to me with estrangement.

فَاِحسُبيني كَفِضَّةٍ هُذِّبَت في

فَاِحسُبيني كَفِضَّةٍ هُذِّبَت في

كُلِّ عَصرٍ بِمَسِّ نارٍ وَكيرِ

كُلِّ عَصرٍ بِمَسِّ نارٍ وَكيرِ

So consider me like silver refined in

So count me as silver refined

every age by the touch of fire and bellows.

In every age with the touch of fire and bellows.

خَلِّصيني مِن ضَنكِ ما أَنا فيهِ

خَلِّصيني مِن ضَنكِ ما أَنا فيهِ

وَاِطرَحيني لِمَنكَرٍ وَنَكيرِ

وَاِطرَحيني لِمَنكَرٍ وَنَكيرِ

Free me from the hardship of my plight,

Deliver me from the straits of where I am

and cast me to Munkar and Nakir.

And cast me to the unknown and unrecognizable.

وَاِحذَري مِن أَخيكِ وَالأَبُ وَالأُمِّ

وَاِحذَري مِن أَخيكِ وَالأَبُ وَالأُمِّ

وَشُدّي الرِتاجَ بِالتَسكيرِ

وَشُدّي الرِتاجَ بِالتَسكيرِ

And beware of your brother, father, and mother,

And beware of your brother, father, and mother,

and secure the door by locking it.

And shut the doors with double locking.