يَهوى البَقاءَ وَإِن مُدَّ البَقاءُ لَهُ

يَهوى البَقاءَ وَإِن مُدَّ البَقاءُ لَهُ

وَأَدرَكَت نَفسُهُ فيها أَمانيها

وَأَدرَكَت نَفسُهُ فيها أَمانيها

He longs to live on; and if life is prolonged for him,

He yearns for immortality, though immortality prolongs for him

And his soul attains its wishes in it,

His soul therein has realized its desires

أَبقى البَقاءُ لَهُ في نَفسِهِ شُغُلاً

أَبقى البَقاءُ لَهُ في نَفسِهِ شُغُلاً

لِما يَرى مِن تَصاريفِ البِلى فيها

لِما يَرى مِن تَصاريفِ البِلى فيها

Continued life leaves him preoccupied with himself,

Immortality remains for him, in his soul, as occupation

Because of the ravages of decay he sees within it.

For what he sees of the vicissitudes of decay in it