اِعمَلwork لِأَخراكَfor your hereafter شَروىlike مَنone who يَموتُwill die غَداًtomorrow
اِعمَل لِأَخراكَ شَروى مَن يَموتُ غَداً
وَاِدأَبand toil persistently لِدُنياكَfor your worldly life فِعلَin the manner of الغابِرِone who remains الباقيone who endures
وَاِدأَب لِدُنياكَ فِعلَ الغابِرِ الباقي
Work for your hereafter like one who will die tomorrow,
And toil for your worldly life like one who stays and lives on.
إِنَّindeed البَهائِمَthe beasts مِثلَlike الإِنسِhumankind غافِلَةٌheedless
إِنَّ البَهائِمَ مِثلَ الإِنسِ غافِلَةٌ
وَإِنَّماand merely نَحنُwe بُهمٌlivestock ذاتُhaving أَرباقِneck-tethers
وَإِنَّما نَحنُ بُهمٌ ذاتُ أَرباقِ
Indeed, beasts, like humankind, are heedless,
And we are merely livestock with neck-tethers.
وَأَمُّand the mother of شِبلَينِtwo lion cubs فيin غَيلٍa thicket وَمَأسَدَةٍand a haunt of lions
وَأَمُّ شِبلَينِ في غَيلٍ وَمَأسَدَةٍ
كَأُمِّlike the mother of خِشفَينِtwo fawns فيamong شَتٍّshatt plants وَطُبّاقِand tubbaq plants
كَأُمِّ خِشفَينِ في شَتٍّ وَطُبّاقِ
And the mother of two lion cubs in a thicket and a haunt of lions
Is like the mother of two fawns among shatt and tubbaq plants.
وَالمَرءُand man يَسبُقُraces ahead فيماin what لَيسَdoes not يُكسِبُهُbring him
وَالمَرءُ يَسبُقُ فيما لَيسَ يُكسِبُهُ
نَفَعاًbenefit وَلَيسَand is not إِلىtoward خَيرٍgood بِسبّاقِat all swift
نَفَعاً وَلَيسَ إِلى خَيرٍ بِسبّاقِ
And man races ahead in what brings him
No benefit, yet is not swift toward good.