إلامَ أُداري الجِسمَ حِرصاً وأَتعَبُ

إلامَ أُداري الجِسمَ حِرصاً وأَتعَبُ

ولا بُدَّ أَن يَنحَلَّ هذا المُركَّب

ولا بُدَّ أَن يَنحَلَّ هذا المُركَّب

How long shall I anxiously tend the body and wear myself out,

Why do I weary my body with greed

when this composite frame must inevitably dissolve?

When this structure must dissolve?

جعلتُ حِمامي نُصبَ عيني لِأَنَّهُ

جعلتُ حِمامي نُصبَ عيني لِأَنَّهُ

قَضاءٌ إِلهِيٌّ فَما عنهُ مَهرَبُ

قَضاءٌ إِلهِيٌّ فَما عنهُ مَهرَبُ

I have set my death before my eyes, because it is

I have made my concern to please my eyes

a divine decree from which there is no escape.

For it is a divine decree, from which there is no escape

على أَنَّ حُكمَ الموتِ دَينٌ مؤَجَّلٌ

على أَنَّ حُكمَ الموتِ دَينٌ مؤَجَّلٌ

وعمَّا قليل بل قريبٍ سيُطلَبُ

وعمَّا قليل بل قريبٍ سيُطلَبُ

Moreover, death's sentence is a debt deferred,

Though the rule of death is a debt postponed

and before long—rather, very soon—it will be claimed.

In a little while, nay, soon it will be sought

فرُبَّ كريمٍ ما لهُ من مُدافع

فرُبَّ كريمٍ ما لهُ من مُدافع

وليسَ لهُ يوماً سِوَى النفس مَطلَبُ

وليسَ لهُ يوماً سِوَى النفس مَطلَبُ

For many a noble man has no defender,

So many a generous man has no defender

and one day its sole demand will be the soul.

And he has no day save his soul as the sought

أَتزهو بعُمرِ آنَ جُرفُ نَهارهِ

أَتزهو بعُمرِ آنَ جُرفُ نَهارهِ

وعن كَثَبٍ يندكُّ وَشكاً ويَخرَبُ

وعن كَثَبٍ يندكُّ وَشكاً ويَخرَبُ

Do you glory in a life whose daylight's cliff has reached its hour,

Do you swagger with an age whose day is falling down precipitously?

and will very soon collapse and fall to ruin?

And it decays into a rugged valley that is destroyed

أَتمرَحُ في الدنيا كأَنَّكَ خالدٌ

أَتمرَحُ في الدنيا كأَنَّكَ خالدٌ

وتَلهُو بِما فيها وتَصبو وتَلعَبُ

وتَلهُو بِما فيها وتَصبو وتَلعَبُ

Do you revel in this world as though you were immortal,

Do you frolic in the world as if you will live forever?

and amuse yourself with what it holds, yield to desire, and play?

And sport with what is in it, aspire and play?

تَيقَّظ وتُب قبلَ المَنُونِ وقبلَما

تَيقَّظ وتُب قبلَ المَنُونِ وقبلَما

ذُكاءُ نَهارِ العُمرِ بالمَوتِ تَغرُبُ

ذُكاءُ نَهارِ العُمرِ بالمَوتِ تَغرُبُ

Awaken and repent before death, and before

Wake, repent before death and before the vigilance

the sun of life's day sets in death.

Of the day of lifetime by death becomes a stranger

لقد وَجَبَ الاعداءُ فالموتُ واجبٌ

لقد وَجَبَ الاعداءُ فالموتُ واجبٌ

على كل نفس مُوجَبٌ ليسَ يُسلَبُ

على كل نفس مُوجَبٌ ليسَ يُسلَبُ

The enemies have indeed fallen, for death is inevitable,

Obligatory has become the preparation, so death is obligatory

imposed upon every soul, never to be revoked.

Upon every soul, the conferrer, it cannot be stripped

فأَينَ مُلوكُ الأرضِ طُرّاً وأَينَ مَن

فأَينَ مُلوكُ الأرضِ طُرّاً وأَينَ مَن

اهالوا قُلوبَ الناسِ بأساً وارعَبُوا

اهالوا قُلوبَ الناسِ بأساً وارعَبُوا

Where, then, are all the kings of earth, and where are those

Where are the kings of earth, exalted? And where are those

who terrified people's hearts with their might and filled them with fear?

Who filled the hearts of people with fear and terror?

وأينَ الذي قد كانَ تَرغَبُهُ الوَرَى

وأينَ الذي قد كانَ تَرغَبُهُ الوَرَى

فأَمسى دفيناً في الثَرَى عنهُ يُرغَبُ

فأَمسى دفيناً في الثَرَى عنهُ يُرغَبُ

And where is the man whom humankind once desired,

And where is he to whom the meadows were desirable?

and who now lies buried in the dust, shunned?

Who has now become buried in the sod, from him desirability is sought

وأينَ الذي أَفنَى الزمانَ تَكالياً

وأينَ الذي أَفنَى الزمانَ تَكالياً

على المال يَجني بالحَرام ويَنهَبُ

على المال يَجني بالحَرام ويَنهَبُ

And where is he who spent his lifetime in greedy pursuit

And where is he who wasted time self-conceitedly

of wealth, acquiring it unlawfully and plundering?

Amassing wealth sinfully and plundering?

وأينَ الأُولى سادوا الأَنام وشيَّدوا

وأينَ الأُولى سادوا الأَنام وشيَّدوا

قُصوراً لقد أمسَى بهِ البُومُ يَنعَبُ

قُصوراً لقد أمسَى بهِ البُومُ يَنعَبُ

And where are those who ruled mankind and built

And where are the predecessors who ruled people and built

palaces? Indeed, the owl now hoots there.

Palaces? Indeed, the owl makes its nest in it now

لقد حُصِدوا بالموتِ كالزَرعِ ذاوياً

لقد حُصِدوا بالموتِ كالزَرعِ ذاوياً

وأَحرَزَهم قبرٌ بهِ قد تغيَّبوا

وأَحرَزَهم قبرٌ بهِ قد تغيَّبوا

They were indeed reaped by death like withered crops,

They were harvested by death, withered

and a grave enclosed them, within which they vanished.

And a grave contained them, in which they disappeared

فطُوبى لَمِن بالموتِ كانَ هذيذُهُ

فطُوبى لَمِن بالموتِ كانَ هذيذُهُ

ورَعياً لَمِن وَفدَ الرَدَى يَتَرقَّبُ

ورَعياً لَمِن وَفدَ الرَدَى يَتَرقَّبُ

Blessed, then, is he whose constant talk was of death,

Blessed is he for whom his awakener was death

and may care attend him who awaits death's envoys.

And a lesson for whom the turning point was being awaited

تُخاطِبُنا الدُنيا ولكن بِلا فمٍ

تُخاطِبُنا الدُنيا ولكن بِلا فمٍ

ويُملِي لِسانُ الحالِ منها ويُسهِبُ

ويُملِي لِسانُ الحالِ منها ويُسهِبُ

The world addresses us, yet without a mouth,

The world addresses us but without a mouth

and the tongue of its condition dictates and speaks at length.

And the tongue of state dictates to it and pours forth

وتَصدَعُنا بالنائباتِ بلا يدٍ

وتَصدَعُنا بالنائباتِ بلا يدٍ

وتَردَعُنا في صَرفِها وتُؤَنِّبُ

وتَردَعُنا في صَرفِها وتُؤَنِّبُ

It shatters us with calamities, though it has no hand,

It shocks us with tribulations without using a hand

and through its vicissitudes restrains and reproaches us.

And deters us in its caprice and reprimands

أَزِل سَبَباً عنهُ السُقوطُ مُسبَّبٌ

أَزِل سَبَباً عنهُ السُقوطُ مُسبَّبٌ

إذا زالتِ الأَسبابُ زالَ المُسبَّبُ

إذا زالتِ الأَسبابُ زالَ المُسبَّبُ

Remove the cause that brings about a fall;

Remove the cause and the caused falling is caused

when causes disappear, their consequence disappears.

If the reasons disappear, the caused disappears

ولا تَصحَبَن إلَّا كريماً مُهذَّباً

ولا تَصحَبَن إلَّا كريماً مُهذَّباً

فخَيرُ الأُصيحابِ الكريمُ المهذَّبُ

فخَيرُ الأُصيحابِ الكريمُ المهذَّبُ

Keep company only with a noble, well-mannered man,

Only accompany a noble refined gentleman

for the best of companions is noble and well-mannered.

For the best of companions is the noble refined one

وإِيَّاك والمَينَ الذي لم يَفُه بهِ

وإِيَّاك والمَينَ الذي لم يَفُه بهِ

سِوى جاهلٍ فالصِدقُ أَحرَى وأَصوَبُ

سِوى جاهلٍ فالصِدقُ أَحرَى وأَصوَبُ

And beware of falsehood, which none has uttered

Beware of the blemish which only an ignoramus comprehends

but a fool; truth is worthier and sounder.

Sincerity is more fitting and proper

فما كاذبٌ إلَّا سخيفٌ بعقلِهِ

فما كاذبٌ إلَّا سخيفٌ بعقلِهِ

مُهانٌ وضيعُ الشأنِ عانٍ مُعَذَّبُ

مُهانٌ وضيعُ الشأنِ عانٍ مُعَذَّبُ

For a liar is nothing but a man of feeble mind,

No liar except a fool in his mind

despised, low in standing, a tormented captive.

Disgraced, insignificant in rank, troubled and tortured

ويكفيهِ بينَ الناسِ عارٌ بأَنَّهُ

ويكفيهِ بينَ الناسِ عارٌ بأَنَّهُ

إذا فاهَ قالوا قد يَمِينُ ويَكذِبُ

إذا فاهَ قالوا قد يَمِينُ ويَكذِبُ

And it is shame enough for him among people that,

It suffices him, among people, the disgrace that

when he speaks, they say, 'He may be lying and speaking falsely.'

When he speaks they say he vows and lies

حَيَوةُ الفَتَى هِي شأنُهُ إِنَّ مَن غدا

حَيَوةُ الفَتَى هِي شأنُهُ إِنَّ مَن غدا

ولا شأنَ يُحيِيهِ لهُ الموتُ أَنسَبُ

ولا شأنَ يُحيِيهِ لهُ الموتُ أَنسَبُ

A man's life is his standing; indeed, whoever comes to be

The glory of a young man is his affair, verily he who becomes

without standing to sustain him would be better off dead.

Without affairs, death is more fitting for him

فأَيَّامُنا سبعونَ عاماً وإِن تَزِد

فأَيَّامُنا سبعونَ عاماً وإِن تَزِد

بذي قُوَّةٍ فَهيَ البَلاءُ المعذِّبُ

بذي قُوَّةٍ فَهيَ البَلاءُ المعذِّبُ

For our days are seventy years; and if they increase

So our days are seventy years, and if they increase

for one endowed with strength, they are tormenting affliction.

By one of power, then it is distress and torture

فحتَّى مَتَى تَزهُو وتَلهُو وموتُنا

فحتَّى مَتَى تَزهُو وتَلهُو وموتُنا

من الجَفنِ للعَينينِ أَدنَى وأَقرَبُ

من الجَفنِ للعَينينِ أَدنَى وأَقرَبُ

How long, then, will you glory and amuse yourself, when our death

So until when will you swagger and sport while our death

is nearer and closer than the eyelid is to the eyes?

Is closer and nearer to the eyelids than to the eyes?

فصَبغتُنا بالماءِ والرُوحِ تعتني

فصَبغتُنا بالماءِ والرُوحِ تعتني

بها النِعمةُ الأُولى وللبِرّ تُكسِبُ

بها النِعمةُ الأُولى وللبِرّ تُكسِبُ

Our baptism with water and the Spirit is attended

We were colored with water and spirit, cared for

by the first grace, and bestows righteousness.

By the first blessing and for righteousness it makes us gain

وإِمَّا خَسِرناها فلا شيءَ بعدَها

وإِمَّا خَسِرناها فلا شيءَ بعدَها

سِوَى توبةٍ والقلبُ كالماءِ يُسكَبُ

سِوَى توبةٍ والقلبُ كالماءِ يُسكَبُ

And if we lose it, nothing remains afterward

But we wasted it so there is nothing after it

but repentance, with the heart poured out like water.

Except repentance and the heart spills like water

فبابُ الخَلاصِ الأَوَّلُ البِرُّ إِن يَزُل

فبابُ الخَلاصِ الأَوَّلُ البِرُّ إِن يَزُل

فثانيهِ قلبٌ بالنَدامةِ يُسكَبُ

فثانيهِ قلبٌ بالنَدامةِ يُسكَبُ

The first gate of salvation is righteousness; if it is lost,

The first door to salvation is righteousness, if it slips

the second is a heart poured out in remorse.

The second is a heart spilling with regret