اِقتَرَبَdrew near الوَعدُthe promise وَالقُلوبُand the hearts إِلىtoward
اِقتَرَبَ الوَعدُ وَالقُلوبُ إِلى
اللَهوِdiversion وَحُبِand love of الحَياةِlife سائِقُهاtheir driver
اللَهوِ وَحُبِ الحَياةِ سائِقُها
The promise has drawn near, while hearts incline toward
The promise draws near, while hearts incline toward
diversion, driven onward by love of life.
diversion, and love of life drives them.
باتَتspent the night هُموميmy cares تَسريtravel by night طَوارقُهاtheir night-visitors
باتَت هُمومي تَسري طَوارقُها
اَكُفَI restrain عَينيmy eye وَالدَمعُand tears سابِقُهاoutstripping it
اَكُفَ عَيني وَالدَمعُ سابِقُها
My cares passed the night, their nocturnal visitations coursing through;
All night, the night-visitors of my cares creep in;
I hold back my eye, yet tears outstrip it,
I restrain my eye, but tears outrun it,
لَماbecause of what أَتاهاcame to it مِنَof اليَقينَcertainty وَلَمand did not
لَما أَتاها مِنَ اليَقينَ وَلَم
تَكُنbe تَراهُsee it يَلُمُّdraw near طارِقُهاits night-visitor
تَكُن تَراهُ يَلُمُّ طارِقُها
because of the certainty that came upon it, though it had not
because of the certainty that came to it; it had not
thought its night visitor would descend upon it.
foreseen its night-visitor drawing near.
ماwhat رَغبَةُdesire of النَفسِthe soul فيfor الحَياةِlife وَإِنand even if
ما رَغبَةُ النَفسِ في الحَياةِ وَإِن
عاشَتit lived طَويلاًlong فَالمَوتُthen death لاحِقُهاovertaking it
عاشَت طَويلاً فَالمَوتُ لاحِقُها
What desire can the soul have for life, even if
What desire has the soul for life? Even if
it lives long? Death will overtake it.
it lives long, death will overtake it.
قَدindeed أُنبئَتit was informed أَنَهّاthat it تَعودُreturns كَماas
قَد أُنبئَت أَنَهّا تَعودُ كَما
كانَتit was بَدِيّاًat first بِالأَمسِin days past خاَلِقُهاits Creator
كانَت بَدِيّاً بِالأَمسِ خاَلِقُها
It has been told that it shall return just as
It has been told that it will return as
its Creator first fashioned it yesterday.
it was at first, fashioned long ago by its Creator;
وَأَنَّand that ماwhat جَمَّعَتit gathered وَأَعجَبَهاand delighted it
وَأَنَّ ما جَمَّعَت وَأَعجَبَها
مِنfrom عَيشِهاits life مَرَّةًat some point مُفارِقُهاparting from it
مِن عَيشِها مَرَّةً مُفارِقُها
And everything it gathered and delighted in
and that what it amassed and found delightful
during its life will one day part from it.
in its life will one day part from it.
تَعاهَدَتmade a mutual pledge هَذِهِthese القُلوبُthe hearts إِذاwhenever
تَعاهَدَت هَذِهِ القُلوبُ إِذا
هَمَّتthey resolved بِخَيرٍon good عاقَتhindered عَوائِقُهاtheir obstacles
هَمَّت بِخَيرٍ عاقَت عَوائِقُها
These hearts renew their resolve whenever
These hearts have made a mutual pledge; whenever
they intend some good, but their impediments hinder them.
they resolve on good, their obstacles impede them.
وَصَدَّهاand turned it away لِلشَقاءِtoward misery عَنfrom طَلَبِseeking
وَصَدَّها لِلشَقاءِ عَن طَلَبِ
الجَنَّةِthe Garden دُنياworldly life الآِلَهُGod ماsplit-word beginning: 'effacing it' حِقُهاsplit-word remainder: 'effacing it'
الجَنَّةِ دُنيا الآِلَهُ ما حِقُها
This world warned them, in view of the Judgment, against seeking
And it was turned toward misery, away from seeking
the Garden—God is the one who will efface this world.
the Garden, by worldly life, which God will efface.
عَبدٌa servant دَعاsummoned نَفسَهُhis soul فَعاتَبَهاthen reproached it
عَبدٌ دَعا نَفسَهُ فَعاتَبَها
يَعلَمُhe knows أَنَthat الصَبرَpatience رامِقُهاwatching it
يَعلَمُ أَنَ الصَبرَ رامِقُها
A servant called his soul to account and rebuked it,
A servant summoned his soul and reproached it,
knowing that patience keeps watch over it.
knowing that patience watches over it.
مَنwhoever لَمdoes not يَمُتdie عَبطَةًin one's prime, without illness يَمُتdies هَرِماًin old age
مَن لَم يَمُت عَبطَةً يَمُت هَرِماً
لَلمَوتُindeed, death كَأسٌa cup وَالمَرءُand a person ذائِقُهاtasting it
لَلمَوتُ كَأسٌ وَالمَرءُ ذائِقُها
Whoever does not die in youthful vigor will die decrepit;
Whoever does not die in his prime dies in old age;
death has a cup, and every person will taste it.
death is indeed a cup, and man must taste it.
يوشِكُis about to مَنwhoever فَرَّfled مِنfrom مَنيَتِهِhis appointed death
يوشِكُ مَن فَرَّ مِن مَنيَتِهِ
فيin بَعضِsome of غِرّاتِهِhis heedless moments يواقِفُهاmeets it face-to-face
في بَعضِ غِرّاتِهِ يواقِفُها
Whoever flees his appointed death will soon
Soon, whoever flees his appointed death
encounter it in some unguarded moment.
will face it in some moment of heedlessness.
لاnot يَستَويare equal المَنزِلانِthe two abodes ثُمَّmoreover وَلاnor
لا يَستَوي المَنزِلانِ ثُمَّ وَلا
الأَعمالُdeeds لاnot تَستَويare equal طَرائِقُهاtheir paths
الأَعمالُ لا تَستَوي طَرائِقُها
The two abodes are not equal; nor, indeed,
The two abodes are not alike; nor, moreover,
are deeds equal—their paths are not the same.
are deeds—their paths are not alike.
أَمَنis one who...? تَلَظَّىblazes عَلَيهِover him واقِدَةُthe blaze of النارِthe Fire
أَمَن تَلَظَّى عَلَيهِ واقِدَةُ النارِ
مُحيطٌencircling بِهِمaround them سُرادِقُهاits pavilion
مُحيطٌ بِهِم سُرادِقُها
Is it for one over whom the kindled Fire blazes,
Is one over whom the blaze of the Fire rages—
its enclosing pavilion surrounding him,
its pavilion encircling them—
أَمor مَسكَنُthe dwelling of الجَنَةِthe Garden الَّتيwhich
أَم مَسكَنُ الجَنَةِ الَّتي
وُعِدَwere promised الأَبرارُthe righteous مَصفوفَةٌset in rows نَمارِقُهاits cushions
وُعِدَ الأَبرارُ مَصفوفَةٌ نَمارِقُها
or is it the dwelling of the Garden which
like one in the dwelling of the Garden that
the righteous were promised, its cushions ranged in rows?
the righteous were promised, its cushions set in rows?
هُماthe two of them فَريقانِtwo groups فِرقَةٌone group تَدخُلُenters
هُما فَريقانِ فِرقَةٌ تَدخُلُ
الجَنَةَthe Garden حُفَّتsurrounded بِهِمaround them حَدائِقُهاits gardens
الجَنَةَ حُفَّت بِهِم حَدائِقُها
They are two companies: one company enters
They are two groups: one group enters
the Garden, its gardens encircling them;
the Garden, its gardens surrounding them;
وَفِرقَةٌand a group مِنهُمfrom among them وَقَدand already أُدخِلَتwas made to enter
وَفِرقَةٌ مِنهُم وَقَد أُدخِلَت
النارَthe Fire فَساءَتهُمand so distressed them مَرافِقُهاits accommodations
النارَ فَساءَتهُم مَرافِقُها
and another company among them has been made to enter
and a group of them has already been made to enter
the Fire—how wretched its quarters are for them.
the Fire, and its accommodations have brought them misery.
