كَأَنَّكَas though you بَعدَafter خَمسينَfifty years اِستَقَلَّتhave gone by
كَأَنَّكَ بَعدَ خَمسينَ اِستَقَلَّت
لِمَولِدِكَsince your birth البِناءُthe building دَناhas drawn near لِيَهويto fall
لِمَولِدِكَ البِناءُ دَنا لِيَهوي
It is as though, after fifty years have gone by
Since your birth, you were a building now about to fall.
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you إِنif تَزَوَّجmarry بِنتَa girl of عَشرٍten years
وَإِنَّكَ إِن تَزَوَّج بِنتَ عَشرٍ
لَأَخيبُsurely worse off صَفقَةًin a bargain مِنthan شَيخٍan old man مَهوِMahw
لَأَخيبُ صَفقَةً مِن شَيخٍ مَهوِ
And if you marry a girl of ten,
You will surely fare worse in the bargain than the old man of Mahw.
فَأَزمِعso resolve مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of الدُنياthis world نِفاراًflight
فَأَزمِع مِن بَني الدُنيا نِفاراً
فَإِنَّهُمُfor indeed they لَفيare surely in لَعِبٍplay وَلَهوِand diversion
فَإِنَّهُمُ لَفي لَعِبٍ وَلَهوِ
So resolve to flee the sons of this world,
For they are surely absorbed in play and diversion.
وَماand not أَناI يائِسٌdespairing مِنof أَمرِthe decree of رَبّيmy Lord
وَما أَنا يائِسٌ مِن أَمرِ رَبّي
عَلىdespite ماwhat كانَhas been منof عَمدٍdeliberate action وَسَهوِand inadvertence
عَلى ما كانَ من عَمدٍ وَسَهوِ
And I do not despair of my Lord's decree,
Despite what has been, whether deliberate or inadvertent.
وَكَمand how many مِنof آكِلٍan eater رِزقاًsustenance هَنيئاًpleasant
وَكَم مِن آكِلٍ رِزقاً هَنيئاً
وَباشَرَand endured غَيرُهُsomeone other than him عَنَتاًhardship بِطَهوِin cooking
وَباشَرَ غَيرُهُ عَنَتاً بِطَهوِ
And how many a person eats pleasant fare,
While another has endured hardship cooking it!