أَيُّهاO الشَيخُold man كَمhow much تَرومُyou seek وَتَبنيand you build
أَيُّها الشَيخُ كَم تَرومُ وَتَبني
لَيسَis not مِنكَof you الدُنياthe world وَلاnor أَنتَyou مِنهاof it
لَيسَ مِنكَ الدُنيا وَلا أَنتَ مِنها
O old man, how long will you keep aspiring and building?
O old man, how much you seek and build!
The world is no part of you, nor are you part of it.
The world is not yours, nor do you belong to it.
لاdo not تَرومَنَّهاyou seek it (emphatic) فَأَنتَfor you وَإِنand even if كُنare (first part of كُنتَ)
لا تَرومَنَّها فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُن
تَyou (suffix completing كُنتَ) مُقيماًdwelling بِهاin it كَمَنlike one who زالَhas departed عَنهاfrom it
تَ مُقيماً بِها كَمَن زالَ عَنها
Never seek it; for you—even if you should
Do not seek it, for you, even if you are
remain within it—are like one who has departed from it.
dwelling in it, are like one who has departed from it.
