يا ظالِماً عَقَدَ اليَدَينِ مُصَلِيّاً

يا ظالِماً عَقَدَ اليَدَينِ مُصَلِيّاً

مِن دونِ ظُلمِكَ يُعقَدُ الزُنّارُ

مِن دونِ ظُلمِكَ يُعقَدُ الزُنّارُ

O wrongdoer who has clasped both hands in prayer,

O oppressor, folding your hands in prayer

Fastening the girdle is less evil than your injustice.

Without ending your oppression, the belt is clasped

أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ لِلمَحاسِنِ كاسِبٌ

أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ لِلمَحاسِنِ كاسِبٌ

وَخَبِيُّ أَمرِكَ شِرَّةٌ وَشَنارُ

وَخَبِيُّ أَمرِكَ شِرَّةٌ وَشَنارُ

Do you think you are earning merit,

Do you think you are gaining good deeds

While your hidden nature is wantonness and disgrace?

While your secret affair is evil and wretched

وَمَعَ الفَتى مِن نَفسِهِ نُمَيَّةٌ

وَمَعَ الفَتى مِن نَفسِهِ نُمَيَّةٌ

ما زالَ يَحلِفُ أَنَّها دينارُ

ما زالَ يَحلِفُ أَنَّها دينارُ

And a young man has a little coin from his own soul,

And the soul of the young man has an ambition

He keeps swearing that it is a dinar.

He still swears it is a gold coin

لَيلٌ بَلا نورٍ أَجَنَّ بِمَهمَةٍ

لَيلٌ بَلا نورٍ أَجَنَّ بِمَهمَةٍ

حَبَسَ الأَدِلَّةَ لَيسَ فيهِ مَنارُ

حَبَسَ الأَدِلَّةَ لَيسَ فيهِ مَنارُ

A lightless night has fallen over a desert waste,

A night without light, overwhelmed with worries

It has trapped the guides; there is no beacon in it.

It has concealed the evidence, in it there is no lighthouse

وَهِيَ الحَياةُ فَعِفَّةٌ أَو فِتنَةٌ

وَهِيَ الحَياةُ فَعِفَّةٌ أَو فِتنَةٌ

ثُمَّ المَماتُ فَجَنَّةٌ أَو نارُ

ثُمَّ المَماتُ فَجَنَّةٌ أَو نارُ

And such is life: either self-restraint or temptation;

And this life is either chastity or temptation

Then death: either Paradise or Hellfire.

Then death, either Paradise or Fire