تَسَمَّت رِجالٌ بِالمُلوكِ سَفاهَةً

تَسَمَّت رِجالٌ بِالمُلوكِ سَفاهَةً

وَلا مُلكَ إِلّا لِلَّذي خَلَقَ المُلكا

وَلا مُلكَ إِلّا لِلَّذي خَلَقَ المُلكا

Men have foolishly styled themselves kings,

Men boast of being kings in folly,

Yet sovereignty belongs only to Him who created sovereignty.

Yet no kingdom but to Him who made the kingdom.

أَرى فَلَكاً مادارَ إِلّا لِحِكمَةٍ

أَرى فَلَكاً مادارَ إِلّا لِحِكمَةٍ

فَلا تَنسَ مَن أَجرى لِحاجَتِكَ الفُلكا

فَلا تَنسَ مَن أَجرى لِحاجَتِكَ الفُلكا

I see a celestial sphere that has turned only for a wise purpose;

I see the spheres revolve according to a wisdom,

So do not forget Him who set the ships sailing to serve your needs.

So forget not Him who made thy need fulfilled by the ship.

وَمُدَّت حِبالُ الشَمسِ مِن قَبلِ عَصرِنا

وَمُدَّت حِبالُ الشَمسِ مِن قَبلِ عَصرِنا

عَلى أُمَمٍ لَم تَتَّرِك لَهُمُ سِلكا

عَلى أُمَمٍ لَم تَتَّرِك لَهُمُ سِلكا

And the sun's ropes were stretched, before our age,

The ropes of the sun extended from before our time

Over nations, leaving them not a single thread.

Over nations who left them no cord.

وَتُعجِبُنا الدُنِّيا الهَلوكُ وَإِنَّها

وَتُعجِبُنا الدُنِّيا الهَلوكُ وَإِنَّها

لَأُمُّ رِجالٍ كُلُّهُم سُقِيَ الهُلكا

لَأُمُّ رِجالٍ كُلُّهُم سُقِيَ الهُلكا

And the wanton world delights us, though she

And the fleeting world amazes us though it is

Is indeed the mother of men, all made to drink destruction.

The mother of men, every one of whom perishes.

هُما حالَتا سوءٍ حَياةٌ بِلَوعَةٍ

هُما حالَتا سوءٍ حَياةٌ بِلَوعَةٍ

وَمَوتٌ فَخَيِّر هَذِهِ النَفسَ أَو تِلكا

وَمَوتٌ فَخَيِّر هَذِهِ النَفسَ أَو تِلكا

They are two wretched states: a life of anguish,

Two are the states of evil: a life of pain,

And death—so let the soul choose this or that.

And death - so choose for thy soul this or that.