ما أَفضَحَ المَوتَ لِلدُنيا وَزينَتِها

ما أَفضَحَ المَوتَ لِلدُنيا وَزينَتِها

جداً وَما أَفضَحَ الدُنيا لِأَهليها

جداً وَما أَفضَحَ الدُنيا لِأَهليها

How death lays bare the world and its adornment—

How death exposes the vanity of this world and its adornments

utterly! And how the world lays bare its people!

It is so blatant, how it exposes the world to its inhabitants

لا تَرجِعَنَّ عَلى الدُنيا بِلائِمَةٍ

لا تَرجِعَنَّ عَلى الدُنيا بِلائِمَةٍ

فَعُذرُها لَكَ بادٍ في مَساويها

فَعُذرُها لَكَ بادٍ في مَساويها

Do not ever turn upon the world with blame,

Do not blame the world, reproaching it

for its excuse is plain to you in its faults.

Its excuse to you has perished in its plains

لَم تُبقِ في غَيبِها شَيئاً لِصاحِبِها

لَم تُبقِ في غَيبِها شَيئاً لِصاحِبِها

إِلّا وَقَد بَيَّنتهُ في مَعانيها

إِلّا وَقَد بَيَّنتهُ في مَعانيها

It has left nothing hidden from its companion

It left nothing hidden from its companion

that it has not already made clear in its meanings.

Without elucidating it through its meanings

تُفني البَنينَ وَتُفني الأَهلَ دائِبَةً

تُفني البَنينَ وَتُفني الأَهلَ دائِبَةً

وَنَستَنيمُ إِلَيها لا نُعاديها

وَنَستَنيمُ إِلَيها لا نُعاديها

It destroys sons and destroys kin, unceasingly,

It destroys the sons and destroys the family constantly

and we trust in it, not treating it as an enemy.

Yet we grow fond of it, not opposing it

فَما يَزيدُكُم قَتلُ الَّذي قَتَلَت

فَما يَزيدُكُم قَتلُ الَّذي قَتَلَت

وَلا العَداوَةُ إِلّا رَغبَةً فيها

وَلا العَداوَةُ إِلّا رَغبَةً فيها

So the killing of those it has killed increases nothing in you,

So why should it increase you to kill those it killed

nor does enmity, except desire for it.

Nor enmity, but yearning for it