عجبتُ لشيخٍ أرسل الموتُ سهمَه

عجبتُ لشيخٍ أرسل الموتُ سهمَه

إليه وما زال النفاقُ يغالبُهْ

إليه وما زال النفاقُ يغالبُهْ

I am astonished at an old man: Death has loosed its arrow

I wondered at an old man whom death had shot its arrow at

at him, yet hypocrisy still strives to overpower him.

Yet hypocrisy still prevailed over him

ألا يستحِي من ربِّه أو يقودُه

ألا يستحِي من ربِّه أو يقودُه

إلى رُشده خوفٌ لديه يطالبُهْ

إلى رُشده خوفٌ لديه يطالبُهْ

Is he not ashamed before his Lord, or led

Does he not feel ashamed before his Lord or is he not guided

to sound judgment by a fear within him that urges him?

By a fear within himself that demands him

عليه من الرحمن ما يستحقُّه

عليه من الرحمن ما يستحقُّه

وحاق به مِن كلِّ شرٍّ عجائبُهْ

وحاق به مِن كلِّ شرٍّ عجائبُهْ

May what he deserves fall upon him from the Most Merciful,

Upon him is what he deserves from the Most Merciful

and may every evil's strange wonders engulf him.

And every kind of terrible evil has befallen him

أتَشهدُ زُورًا كي تُطعَّمَ لُقْمةً

أتَشهدُ زُورًا كي تُطعَّمَ لُقْمةً

وتُروَى شراب الذلِّ إذْ أنتَ شاربُهْ

وتُروَى شراب الذلِّ إذْ أنتَ شاربُهْ

Do you bear false witness so that you may be fed a morsel

Do you testify falsely so you may be fed a bite

and have your thirst quenched with humiliation's drink, since you drink it?

And be given the drink of humiliation while you drink it

ستُجزَى بهذا حين تُبعثُ مفردًا

ستُجزَى بهذا حين تُبعثُ مفردًا

وقد خاب مَن ضلَّت لديه مطالبُهْ

وقد خاب مَن ضلَّت لديه مطالبُهْ

You will be recompensed for this when you are resurrected alone,

You will be rewarded for this when resurrected alone

and he whose aims have gone astray has indeed failed.

And whoever's hopes were misguided has failed

وإنَّ جزاء الشرِّ شرٌّ لمن يرى

وإنَّ جزاء الشرِّ شرٌّ لمن يرى

فدع عنكَ وغْدًا ليس يؤمَنُ جانبُهْ

فدع عنكَ وغْدًا ليس يؤمَنُ جانبُهْ

And surely evil's recompense is evil, for anyone who sees;

Indeed, the reward of evil is evil upon he who sees

so keep clear of a scoundrel beside whom no one is safe.

So leave off yourself, for tomorrow does not securely come to pass

ستندمُ لو يُغْنِي التندُّمُ أهلَه

ستندمُ لو يُغْنِي التندُّمُ أهلَه

وتعلم أنَّ السُّوءَ ساءت عواقبُهْ

وتعلم أنَّ السُّوءَ ساءت عواقبُهْ

You will regret it—if regret could help those who feel it—

You will regret if regret would avail the family

and you will know that evil's consequences are dire.

And you know evil's consequences are miserable

وكلُّ سبيلٍ للغواية منقضٍ

وكلُّ سبيلٍ للغواية منقضٍ

بآيةِ شرٍّ ينثني منه صاحبُهْ

بآيةِ شرٍّ ينثني منه صاحبُهْ

And every path to error comes to an end

And every path to misguidance expires

with a sign of evil from which its traveler turns back.

To a sign of evil which makes its companion recoil

وأنتَ امرؤٌ في الشَّـرِّ يسبق أهلَه

وأنتَ امرؤٌ في الشَّـرِّ يسبق أهلَه

وفي الخير مفقودٌ تطول مثالبُهْ

وفي الخير مفقودٌ تطول مثالبُهْ

And you are a man who, in evil, outstrips its devotees,

Yet you are a man who precedes his family in evil

and is absent from goodness, his faults stretching far.

While absent from good, with hopes prolonged

وأنتَ امرؤٌ لا شيء يذكرُه إذا

وأنتَ امرؤٌ لا شيء يذكرُه إذا

تفاخَرَ بالتَّذكارِ في الأمر غائبُهْ

تفاخَرَ بالتَّذكارِ في الأمر غائبُهْ

And you are a man with nothing to mention when

You are a man whom, when boasting of remembrance in speech

one absent from the affair boasts of remembrance.

Nothing is said of if its aspects are absent

بعيدٌ عن التوفيق أنتَ موكَّلٌ

بعيدٌ عن التوفيق أنتَ موكَّلٌ

بكَ الخزيُ حين الخزيُ ترنو مخالبُهْ

بكَ الخزيُ حين الخزيُ ترنو مخالبُهْ

Far from success are you; assigned

Far from success, you are appointed

to you is disgrace, when disgrace's claws gaze.

Humiliation follows you when the claws of humiliation extend

وتلهثُ مثل الكلب لا مِن حِمالةٍ

وتلهثُ مثل الكلب لا مِن حِمالةٍ

عليه ولكنْ عادة لا تجانبُهْ

عليه ولكنْ عادة لا تجانبُهْ

And you pant like a dog, not from a burden

And you pant like a dog, not out of carrying a burden

upon it, but from a habit that never leaves it.

Upon it, but a habit which does not separate from it

وندعوكَ للحقِّ المبين فتبتغي

وندعوكَ للحقِّ المبين فتبتغي

سواه سبيلًا سوف يَهلك راكبُهْ

سواه سبيلًا سوف يَهلك راكبُهْ

And we call you to the clear truth, yet you seek

And we call you to the clear truth yet you seek

another path, whose rider will perish.

Other than it a path which will destroy its rider

ألم ترَ أنَّ الله أولاكَ ذلَّةً

ألم ترَ أنَّ الله أولاكَ ذلَّةً

تبوءُ بها في كلِّ أمرٍ تقاربُهْ

تبوءُ بها في كلِّ أمرٍ تقاربُهْ

Have you not seen that God has bestowed humiliation upon you,

Do you not see that God has humiliated you

which you incur in every matter you approach?

Which you incur in every matter you encounter

فدع عنكَ فِعلَ الخير لا تَقْرَبَنَّه

فدع عنكَ فِعلَ الخير لا تَقْرَبَنَّه

وكُنْ مثلما أنتَ الذي لا يواكبُهْ

وكُنْ مثلما أنتَ الذي لا يواكبُهْ

So leave doing good aside; do not go near it,

So leave off doing good, do not approach it

and remain as you are, one who does not keep pace with it.

And be as you are, he who is not accompanied