قَدِّمَ لأهوال المآب مَتَابَا

قَدِّمَ لأهوال المآب مَتَابَا

واعمَلْ فما التسويف منك صوابا

واعمَلْ فما التسويف منك صوابا

Offer repentance in advance for the terrors of the final return.

Present yourself to the terrors of fate, repentant,

And act, for procrastination on your part is not right.

And act, for procrastination is not right for you.

فإلى متى والعُمْرُ لَمْحَةُ بَارِقٍ

فإلى متى والعُمْرُ لَمْحَةُ بَارِقٍ

تلهو ويُوعِظُكَ النّصيحُ فتأبى

تلهو ويُوعِظُكَ النّصيحُ فتأبى

How long, then—when life is but a flash of lightning—

For how long will you play, while life is but a flashing moment,

will you idle while the sincere adviser admonishes you, yet you refuse?

And the adviser admonishes you, yet you refuse?

القَبرُ حَسْبُكَ لَوْ تُوَفَّقُ وَاعِظاً

القَبرُ حَسْبُكَ لَوْ تُوَفَّقُ وَاعِظاً

والموتُ يكفي لَوْ عَلِمْتَ مُصَابَا

والموتُ يكفي لَوْ عَلِمْتَ مُصَابَا

The grave suffices as your admonisher, if you are granted guidance,

The grave is enough for you, if only you were guided by the preacher,

and death is calamity enough, if you but knew.

And death suffices, if only you knew affliction.

وإذا غفِلْتَ فإنّه لك مُوتِرٌ

وإذا غفِلْتَ فإنّه لك مُوتِرٌ

قَوْساً متى تَدْعُ الفناءَ أجابا

قَوْساً متى تَدْعُ الفناءَ أجابا

And when you grow heedless, it strings for you

And if you are heedless, then he is a tester for you,

a bow; whenever you summon annihilation, it answers.

Drawing his bow - how long will you put off answering the call of mortality?

عمَّ الخَلاَئِقَ حُكمُهُ يَا لَيْتَهُ

عمَّ الخَلاَئِقَ حُكمُهُ يَا لَيْتَهُ

لو كان يَمْنَعُ بالبقاء جنابا

لو كان يَمْنَعُ بالبقاء جنابا

Its sway encompasses all creatures—oh, would that it

His decree rules all creatures - oh, if only

could shield a noble person with continued life,

He could prevent the passage of all with life!

كجَنابِ أحمدٍ السُهَيْلِيِّ الذي

كجَنابِ أحمدٍ السُهَيْلِيِّ الذي

لَبِسَ المحامدَ في الورى أثوابا

لَبِسَ المحامدَ في الورى أثوابا

such as Ahmad al-Suhayli, who

Like the passage of Ahmed Al-Suheili, who

wore praiseworthy qualities as garments among humankind.

Wore garments of praise in the world.

وَهُوَ الذي إِذْ خافَ فتنةَ وجهِه

وَهُوَ الذي إِذْ خافَ فتنةَ وجهِه

ضربَ الحياءَ على الجمال نِقابا

ضربَ الحياءَ على الجمال نِقابا

And he was the one who, fearing his face's allure,

He who, fearing the allure of his face,

cast modesty over his beauty as a veil.

Covered his beauty with the veil of modesty.

خَلْقٌ يَوَدّ البدرُ نَيْلَ تَمَامِهِ

خَلْقٌ يَوَدّ البدرُ نَيْلَ تَمَامِهِ

وخَلاَئِقٌ تَسْبِي العقولَ عُجَابا

وخَلاَئِقٌ تَسْبِي العقولَ عُجَابا

A form whose perfection the full moon longs to attain,

A being whose perfection the full moon wished to attain,

and wondrous virtues that captivate minds.

And whose wonders dazzled all minds.

غَارَتْ من الدّنيا عليه مَنِيَّةٌ

غَارَتْ من الدّنيا عليه مَنِيَّةٌ

شَوْقاً لهُ فاستعجَلَتْهُ شبابا

شَوْقاً لهُ فاستعجَلَتْهُ شبابا

Death grew jealous of the world over him;

Mortality envied him in the world,

longing for him, it hurried him away in his youth.

So it hurried to seize his youth.

يا رَبِّ من وافاك أَحْوَجُ بائس

يا رَبِّ من وافاك أَحْوَجُ بائس

ولِغَيْرِ بَابِكَ لا يسوق رِكَابَا

ولِغَيْرِ بَابِكَ لا يسوق رِكَابَا

O my Lord, he who has come to You is a most needy, wretched soul,

O Lord! The most wretched in need of meeting You

and drives his riding camels to no door but Yours.

Has no other door to knock upon.

فَاجْعَلْ له من فَيْضِ عَفْوِك مَوْرِداً

فَاجْعَلْ له من فَيْضِ عَفْوِك مَوْرِداً

أشْهى من العَذْب الفُرَاتِ شرابا

أشْهى من العَذْب الفُرَاتِ شرابا

So grant him, from the overflow of Your pardon, a fount

So make for him a spring from the overflowing of Your pardon,

whose drink is more delightful than sweet, fresh water.

Sweeter to drink than the sweet Euphrates.

واقْبَلْ مقالةَ من دعاك مُؤَرِّخا

واقْبَلْ مقالةَ من دعاك مُؤَرِّخا

نَوِّلْهُ في أعلى الفسيح ثوابا

نَوِّلْهُ في أعلى الفسيح ثوابا

And accept the words of one who has called upon You, recording the date:

And accept the words of one who called upon You as a chronicler.

Grant him a reward in the highest reaches of the vast expanse.

Grant him the highest rewards in the most spacious paradise.