أَلْهَتْكُمُhas distracted you الدُّنْيَاthe world عَنِfrom الآخِرَهْthe Hereafter
أَلْهَتْكُمُ الدُّنْيَا عَنِ الآخِرَهْ
وَهِيَand it مِنَbecause of الْجَهْلِignorance بِكُمْat you سَاخِرَهْmocking
وَهِيَ مِنَ الْجَهْلِ بِكُمْ سَاخِرَهْ
The world has distracted you from the Hereafter,
The world has distracted you from the hereafter
while it mocks you for your ignorance.
While it mocks you out of ignorance
وَغَرَّكُمْand beguiled you مِنْهَاin it وَأَنْتُمْwhile you بِكُمْwithin you
وَغَرَّكُمْ مِنْهَا وَأَنْتُمْ بِكُمْ
جُوعٌhunger إِلَيْهَاfor it قِدْرُهَاits pot الْبَاخِرَهْsteaming
جُوعٌ إِلَيْهَا قِدْرُهَا الْبَاخِرَهْ
And what beguiled you in it—while you had
It has deceived you while you
a hunger for it—was its steaming pot.
Hunger for it, worthless as it is
يَمْشِيwalks الْفَتَىthe young man تِيهَاًin conceit وَفِيwhile in ثَوْبِهِhis robe
يَمْشِي الْفَتَى تِيهَاً وَفِي ثَوْبِهِ
مِنْfrom مَعْطِفَيْهِhis two sides جِيفَةٌa carcass جَاخِرَهْreeking
مِنْ مَعْطِفَيْهِ جِيفَةٌ جَاخِرَهْ
The young man walks in conceit, while inside his robe,
The young man walks lost, with rotten carcass
between his flanks, lies a reeking carcass.
In the folds of his cloak
كَأَنَّهُas though he فِيin كِبْرِهِhis pride سَادِرٌheedless
كَأَنَّهُ فِي كِبْرِهِ سَادِرٌ
سَفِينَةٌa ship فِيin لُجَّةٍdeep water مَاخِرَهْcleaving
سَفِينَةٌ فِي لُجَّةٍ مَاخِرَهْ
As though, heedless in his pride, he were
As if in his pride he is a ship
a ship cleaving the deep sea.
Sailing in turbulent waters
كَمْhow many أَنْفُسٍsouls عَزَّتْgrew mighty بِسُلْطَانِهَاthrough their authority
كَمْ أَنْفُسٍ عَزَّتْ بِسُلْطَانِهَا
فِيin ماwhat مَضَىpassed وَهْيَand they إِذَنْnow دَاخِرَهْabased
فِي ما مَضَى وَهْيَ إِذَنْ دَاخِرَهْ
How many souls grew mighty through their authority
How many souls prided in their power
in times gone by, yet are now abased!
In the past, now gone and vanished
وَعُصْبَةٍand many a band كَانَتْwas لأَمْوَالِهَاfor its wealth
وَعُصْبَةٍ كَانَتْ لأَمْوَالِهَا
مَظنَّةَfor fear of الْفَقْرِpoverty بِهَاbefalling it ذَاخِرَهْhoarding
مَظنَّةَ الْفَقْرِ بِهَا ذَاخِرَهْ
And many a band kept its wealth
And groups that boasted of their wealth
stored away, for fear of poverty befalling it.
As if poverty could never reach them
فَأَصْبَحَتْso it became يَرْحَمُهَاpities it مَنْwhoever يَرَىsees
فَأَصْبَحَتْ يَرْحَمُهَا مَنْ يَرَى
وَقَدْthough it had غَنَتْlived فِيin نِعْمَةٍluxury فَاخِرَهْsplendid
وَقَدْ غَنَتْ فِي نِعْمَةٍ فَاخِرَهْ
Then it came to be pitied by all who saw it,
They became pitied by those who see them
though it had lived in splendid luxury.
After reveling in ostentatious luxury
فَلاso no جَوَادٌa steed صَاهِلٌneighing عَزَّهُمْstrengthened them
فَلا جَوَادٌ صَاهِلٌ عَزَّهُمْ
يَوْمَاًever وَلاnor خَيْفَانَةٌa swift, slender horse شَاخِرَهْsnorting
يَوْمَاً وَلا خَيْفَانَةٌ شَاخِرَهْ
So no neighing steed lent them strength
No gallant steed honored them anymore
ever, nor a snorting, slender horse.
Nor a lofty tent
بَلْrather عَمَّengulfed دُنْيَاهُمْtheir world صُرُوفٌturns of fate لَهَاthey have
بَلْ عَمَّ دُنْيَاهُمْ صُرُوفٌ لَهَا
مِنَof الرَّدَىdeath أَوْدِيَةٌvalleys زَاخِرَهْoverflowing
مِنَ الرَّدَى أَوْدِيَةٌ زَاخِرَهْ
Rather, turns of fate engulfed their world, with
Rather, the tides of time engulfed them
valleys overflowing with death.
With valleys of misery ever-flowing
يَاO أَيُّهَاyou النَّاسُpeople اتَّقُواfear رَبَّكُمْyour Lord
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ
وَاخْشَوْاand dread عَذَابَthe punishment of اللَّهِGod وَالآخِرَهْand the Hereafter
وَاخْشَوْا عَذَابَ اللَّهِ وَالآخِرَهْ
O people, fear your Lord,
O people, fear your Lord
and dread God's punishment and the Hereafter.
And dread the torment of God and the hereafter
أَنْتُمْyou قُعُودٌseated وَالرَّدَىwhile death قَائِمٌstanding
أَنْتُمْ قُعُودٌ وَالرَّدَى قَائِمٌ
يُسْقِيكُمُgives you drink بِالْكُوبِwith the cup وَالصَّاخِرَهْand the earthenware vessel
يُسْقِيكُمُ بِالْكُوبِ وَالصَّاخِرَهْ
You sit while death stands,
You sit while misery stands
serving you drink in the cup and the earthenware vessel.
To serve you full cups of bitterness
فَانْتَبِهُواso awaken مِنْfrom غَفَلاتِstupors الْهَوَىdesire
فَانْتَبِهُوا مِنْ غَفَلاتِ الْهَوَى
وَاعْتَبِرُواand take warning بِالأَعْظُمِfrom the bones النَّاخِرَهْdecaying
وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِالأَعْظُمِ النَّاخِرَهْ
So awaken from the stupors of desire,
So wake from the heedlessness of passion
and take warning from the decaying bones.
And take example from the greatest downfall