أَلا إنَّما الدُّنيا نَضَارَةُ أَيْكةٍ

أَلا إنَّما الدُّنيا نَضَارَةُ أَيْكةٍ

إذا اخْضَرَّ مِنْهَا جَانِبٌ جَفَّ جَانبُ

إذا اخْضَرَّ مِنْهَا جَانِبٌ جَفَّ جَانبُ

Behold, this world is but the verdure of a grove:

Alas! This world is but the freshness of a specter,

When one side of it grows green, another withers.

When one side becomes green, the other side dries up.

هِيَ الدَّارُ مَا الآمَالُ إِلّا فَجائِعٌ

هِيَ الدَّارُ مَا الآمَالُ إِلّا فَجائِعٌ

عَليْها وَلا اللَّذَّاتُ إِلّا مَصَائِبُ

عَليْها وَلا اللَّذَّاتُ إِلّا مَصَائِبُ

Such is this abode: hopes are nothing but sorrows

It is the abode whose hopes are nothing but calamities,

Over it, and pleasures are nothing but calamities.

Wherein is naught of joy except afflictions.

فَكَمْ سَخِنَتْ بِالأَمْسِ عَيْنٌ قريرَةٌ

فَكَمْ سَخِنَتْ بِالأَمْسِ عَيْنٌ قريرَةٌ

وَقَرَّتْ عُيُونٌ دَمعُهَا الْيوْمَ سَاكبُ

وَقَرَّتْ عُيُونٌ دَمعُهَا الْيوْمَ سَاكبُ

For many a contented eye grew hot with tears yesterday,

How many a moistened eye grew hot yesterday,

And eyes whose tears stream today have known contentment.

And how many eyes today pour forth their tears!

فَلا تَكتَحِلْ عَيْنَاكَ فِيهَا بِعَبْرَةٍ

فَلا تَكتَحِلْ عَيْنَاكَ فِيهَا بِعَبْرَةٍ

على ذَاهِبٍ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ ذاهِبُ

على ذَاهِبٍ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ ذاهِبُ

So let your eyes take no tear for kohl in this world

Do not outline your eyes within it with tears

Over one who departs from it, for you too will depart.

For one who departs from it, for you too will depart.