إنما الإنسانُ أنفاسُه

إنما الإنسانُ أنفاسُه

وهو للحقِّ جلاسُه

وهو للحقِّ جلاسُه

The human being is nothing but his breaths.

Man is but breaths

And he is the Real's company.

And for truth his abode

فإذا ما ينقضي نفس

فإذا ما ينقضي نفس

أخليت في الحين أكياسُه

أخليت في الحين أكياسُه

So when a breath comes to an end,

So when his last breath shall come to pass

His bags are emptied in that instant.

His bags will at once be void

فإذا لم يبقَ من نفسِ

فإذا لم يبقَ من نفسِ

ينقضي ما فيه إفلاسه

ينقضي ما فيه إفلاسه

So when not a single breath remains,

And when no more breaths remain

That in which his bankruptcy lies comes to an end.

Lost are all his treasures then

والذي يدري إشارتنا

والذي يدري إشارتنا

أنهم للدهرِ أكياسه

أنهم للدهرِ أكياسه

And whoever understands our allusion

He who understands my hints

Knows that they are Time's bags.

Knows they're bags for time's taking