تَمضيdepart النُفوسsouls كَبيرُهاthe great among them وَصَغيرُهاand the small among them
تَمضي النُفوس كَبيرُها وَصَغيرُها
طُرّاًall فَتِلكَfor those إِلىto الفَناءِextinction مَصيرُهاtheir destiny
طُرّاً فَتِلكَ إِلى الفَناءِ مَصيرُها
Souls depart, the great among them and the small,
All souls pass, the great and small
All of them, for their destiny is extinction.
Flying, for to oblivion they all fall
كُلٌّeach بذيin this الدُنياworld رَهينةُhostage to ساعةٍan hour
كُلٌّ بذي الدُنيا رَهينةُ ساعةٍ
فَإِذاso when أَتَتit comes لاnot يُرتَجىis hoped for تَأخيرُهاits delay
فَإِذا أَتَت لا يُرتَجى تَأخيرُها
Each in this world is hostage to an hour;
Each a hostage to this mortal life for an hour
So when it comes, there is no hope of delaying it.
When it comes, delay cannot be hoped for
تَتَفاوَتُvary الأَعمارُlifespans لَكِنbut يَستَويare equal
تَتَفاوَتُ الأَعمارُ لَكِن يَستَوي
عِندَat المَماتِdeath طَويلُهاthe long among them وَقَصيرُهاand the short among them
عِندَ المَماتِ طَويلُها وَقَصيرُها
Lifespans vary, yet they are equal
Though ages may vary, all equalize
At death, the long and the short alike.
At death, long or short as they realize
هَيهاتَfar from it ماnot الدُنياthis world بِدارٍan abode يُرتَجىis hoped for
هَيهاتَ ما الدُنيا بِدارٍ يُرتَجى
فيهاin it البَقاءُpermanence وَلاand not يَتمُّis complete سُرورُهاits joy
فيها البَقاءُ وَلا يَتمُّ سُرورُها
Far from it! This world is no abode where one may hope
Alas! This world is no abode to stay
For permanence, nor is its joy complete.
Wherein is permanence or pleasures stay
وَالمَوتُand death غايةُthe end of كُلّevery نَفسٍsoul فَاِستَوَتso became equal
وَالمَوتُ غايةُ كُلّ نَفسٍ فَاِستَوَت
عِندَto اللَبيبِthe wise قُصورُهاits palaces وَقُبورُهاand its graves
عِندَ اللَبيبِ قُصورُها وَقُبورُها
And death is every soul's end; thus equal are
And death is every soul's fate, the wise perceive
To the wise, its palaces and its graves.
Palaces and tombs are the same, they believe
اِبنِbuild الحُصونَthe fortresses العاصِماتprotecting لِأَهلِهاfor their inhabitants
اِبنِ الحُصونَ العاصِمات لِأَهلِها
أَقوىbecame deserted خَوَرْنَقَهاits Khawarnaq وَدكَّand was razed سَديرُهاits Sadir
أَقوى خَوَرْنَقَها وَدكَّ سَديرُها
Build fortresses that protect their inhabitants:
Build strongholds to protect people, yet still
Its Khawarnaq became deserted, and its Sadir was razed.
Their buttresses crumble and towers fall ill
وَمَضَتand passed away لباناتdesires المُلوكِof the kings وَعَفَّرتand covered with dust
وَمَضَت لبانات المُلوكِ وَعَفَّرت
تَحتَbeneath التُرابِthe earth رُؤؤسَهاtheir heads وَصُدورهاand their breasts
تَحتَ التُرابِ رُؤؤسَها وَصُدورها
The kings' desires passed away, and dust covered
The splendor of kings has passed and been lost
Their heads and breasts beneath the earth.
Beneath dust their heads and chests now tossed
عدمٌnothingness تمثَّلَtook form فيin الوُجودِexistence كَأَنَّهُas though it were
عدمٌ تمثَّلَ في الوُجودِ كَأَنَّهُ
صُوَرٌimages عَلىupon المرآةِthe mirror لاحَappeared مُرورُهاtheir passing
صُوَرٌ عَلى المرآةِ لاحَ مُرورُها
Nothingness took form in existence, as though it were
Nonexistence embodied in existence like
Images upon a mirror, their passing briefly glimpsed.
Reflections in a mirror, a transient life
فيin ذمةِthe keeping of اللَهِGod الكَريمِthe Generous كَريمةٌa noble girl
في ذمةِ اللَهِ الكَريمِ كَريمةٌ
قَدindeed كانَwas فيin ثَوبِthe robe of العَفافِchastity مَسيرُهاher journey
قَد كانَ في ثَوبِ العَفافِ مَسيرُها
In the keeping of God, the Generous, is a noble girl;
To God's grace went a virtuous soul
Her journey had been in the robe of chastity.
Who trod the path of chastity as her role
هِيَshe كَالحَمامةِlike a dove فيin الوَداعةِgentleness وَالنَقاand purity
هِيَ كَالحَمامةِ في الوَداعةِ وَالنَقا
طارَتshe flew فَحَلَّقَso soared فيin السَماءِthe sky مَطيرُهاher flight
طارَت فَحَلَّقَ في السَماءِ مَطيرُها
She was like a dove in gentleness and purity;
Like a dove in gentleness she took flight
She flew, and her flight soared in the sky.
Soaring, her rain left all hearts alight
لَمdid not تَدرِknow ماwhat دنسthe stain of المَعاصيsins فيamong الوَرىhumankind
لَم تَدرِ ما دنس المَعاصي في الوَرى
يَوماًon any day وَوَعدُكَand Your promise أَنthat يَفوزَshall triumph نَظيرُهاone like her
يَوماً وَوَعدُكَ أَن يَفوزَ نَظيرُها
She did not know the stain of sins among humankind
Never knowing sin's stain in this earthly life
On any day; and Your promise is that one like her shall triumph.
You promised her peer in paradise would thrive
سارَتshe departed بِلاwithout نَكدٍdistress وَأَبقَتand left بَعدَهاafter her
سارَت بِلا نَكدٍ وَأَبقَت بَعدَها
حرقاًburning sorrows تَأَجَّجَblazed فيin القُلوبِthe hearts سَعيرُهاtheir fire
حرقاً تَأَجَّجَ في القُلوبِ سَعيرُها
She departed without distress, and left behind her
She left without sorrow, though in her parting, still
Burning sorrows, whose fire blazed in hearts.
In hearts burned yearning flames no tears can fill
تَرَكتْshe left لِوالدِهاfor her father الكَريمِthe noble حَشاشةٌa remnant of life
تَرَكتْ لِوالدِها الكَريمِ حَشاشةٌ
حَرّىscorched يَجَفِّفُdries مَدمَعيهِhis tearful eyes زَفيرُهاits sighing
حَرّى يَجَفِّفُ مَدمَعيهِ زَفيرُها
She left her noble father a remnant of life,
To her noble father remained but the pain
Scorched, its sighs drying his tearful eyes.
To dry his streaming tears that fell like rain
تِلكَthat الصَغيرةُlittle girl غَيرexcept أَنَّthat مَصابَهاher loss
تِلكَ الصَغيرةُ غَير أَنَّ مَصابَها
جَلَلٌimmense إِذاwhen اِعتَبَرَconsiders الأُمورَthe matters خَبيرُهاone versed in them
جَلَلٌ إِذا اِعتَبَرَ الأُمورَ خَبيرُها
That little girl—yet her loss
Though young, her loss was so grave when viewed well
Is immense, when one versed in such matters weighs them.
Only the wise life's meaning can tell
وَالحُزنُand grief يَتبَعُfollows حُبَّlove for مَنthe one whom فارَقَتَyou parted from لاnot
وَالحُزنُ يَتبَعُ حُبَّ مَن فارَقَتَ لا
أَيامَthe days of مَفقودٍthe departed يعدُّis counted كرورهاtheir recurrence
أَيامَ مَفقودٍ يعدُّ كرورها
And grief follows love for the one you have lost, not
Grief follows the loss of one held dear
The days of the departed, whose succession is counted.
Not for days gone which one counts as years
صَلىmay bless الإلهُGod عَلىupon ضَريحٍa tomb ضَمَّنَهْwithin it
صَلى الإلهُ عَلى ضَريحٍ ضَمَّنَهْ
قَدindeed غابَhas vanished مِنfrom تلكَthose الأَشعَّةِrays نُورَهاtheir light
قَد غابَ مِن تلكَ الأَشعَّةِ نُورَها
May God bless a tomb within which
God's blessings on the tomb that now contains
The light of those rays has vanished.
One vanished of those rays that life sustains
أَرضٌearth لَقَدindeed دُفَنَwas buried الجَمالُbeauty بِطيّهاin its folds
أَرضٌ لَقَد دُفَنَ الجَمالُ بِطيّها
وَلِذاكَand therefore تنبتُbrings forth بِالجَمالِwith beauty زُهورَهاits flowers
وَلِذاكَ تنبتُ بِالجَمالِ زُهورَها
Earth in whose folds beauty has indeed been buried;
A land whose buried beauty flowers yield
And thus it brings forth its flowers in beauty.
As if with beauty it is sealed
سارَتwalked بِمحمَلِهاwith her litter الرِجالُthe men وَسارَand went فيin
سارَت بِمحمَلِها الرِجالُ وَسارَ في
أَيديthe hands of مَلائكةِangels of السَماءِheaven سَريرُهاher bier
أَيدي مَلائكةِ السَماءِ سَريرُها
The men walked with her litter, while in
Borne was she by the men and raised on high
The hands of heaven's angels her bier moved on.
By angels' hands to the heavenly sky
وَثَوَتand she rested بِأَكنافِin the shelter of التُرابِthe earth وَنَفسُهاand her soul
وَثَوَت بِأَكنافِ التُرابِ وَنَفسُها
فَتَحَتwere opened لَهاfor it ضِمنِwithin السماءِheaven خُدورُهاits secluded chambers
فَتَحَت لَها ضِمنِ السماءِ خُدورُها
And she rested in the earth's shelter; as for her soul,
Lain in earth's embrace, her soul took flight
Its secluded chambers in heaven were opened to it.
To paradise, which opened within heavenly light
لاnot زالَcease يوردُهاleads her into الالهُGod نَعيمهُHis bliss
لا زالَ يوردُها الالهُ نَعيمهُ
أَبَداًforever وَغادِيةُand the morning rain of السَحابِthe clouds تَزورُهاvisits her
أَبَداً وَغادِيةُ السَحابِ تَزورُها
May God never cease to lead her into His bliss,
God grants her eternal bliss, as clouds roam
Forever, and may the clouds' morning rain visit her.
Visiting her tranquil heavenly home