أَيّها الغافِلُ كم هَذا الهجوعُ

أَيّها الغافِلُ كم هَذا الهجوعُ

أعلنَ الدَّاعيِ فهل أنتَ سَميعُ

أعلنَ الدَّاعيِ فهل أنتَ سَميعُ

O heedless one, how long will this slumber last?

O heedless one, for how long will you turn away?

The caller has cried aloud—so do you hear?

The caller has made his call, are you not hearing?

أنت عَمّا هو آتٍ غافلٌ

أنت عَمّا هو آتٍ غافلٌ

وكأَنْ قد فاجأَ الخطبُ الفَظيعُ

وكأَنْ قد فاجأَ الخطبُ الفَظيعُ

You are heedless of what is coming,

You are oblivious to what is coming,

And it is as though the dreadful calamity has already struck.

As if the terrible news has caught you unawares.

نحن فرْعٌ لأصولٍ ذَهبتْ

نحن فرْعٌ لأصولٍ ذَهبتْ

كم تُرى من بَعدِها تبقى الفُروعُ

كم تُرى من بَعدِها تبقى الفُروعُ

We are a branch of roots that have passed away;

We are branches whose roots have gone,

How long, do you think, will the branches remain after them?

How many branches remain after they perish?

وزُروعٌ للمنايا حُصِدَتْ

وزُروعٌ للمنايا حُصِدَتْ

بيَدَيْها قبلَنَا مِنَّا زُروعُ

بيَدَيْها قبلَنَا مِنَّا زُروعُ

And crops for death; already reaped

And crops for death that were harvested

By its two hands before us were crops from among us.

By its hands before us from among us were crops.

بادِرِ الخَوفَ وقَدِّم صالحاً

بادِرِ الخَوفَ وقَدِّم صالحاً

ما لِمَن مات إلى الدُّنيا رُجوعُ

ما لِمَن مات إلى الدُّنيا رُجوعُ

Forestall the terror, and send a righteous deed ahead.

Show fear and do good deeds,

For one who has died, there is no return to this world.

What return is there for one who died to this world?

نحن سَفْرٌ سارَ مِنّا سلَفٌ

نحن سَفْرٌ سارَ مِنّا سلَفٌ

وعَلى آثارِهم يَمضي الجميعُ

وعَلى آثارِهم يَمضي الجميعُ

We are travelers; forerunners from among us have gone ahead,

We are a journey, predecessors travelled on,

And everyone follows in their footsteps.

And after their tracks the rest proceed.

وإلى المورِدِ ميعادُهُمُ

وإلى المورِدِ ميعادُهُمُ

يلتقي فيه بطيءٌ وسريعُ

يلتقي فيه بطيءٌ وسريعُ

And their appointed meeting is at the watering place,

To the destined watering place is their appointment,

Where the slow and the swift meet.

Where slow and swift meet.

أُمّنَا الدُّنيا رَقوبٌ يستوي

أُمّنَا الدُّنيا رَقوبٌ يستوي

عندَها في الفقدِ كَهلٌ ورضيعُ

عندَها في الفقدِ كَهلٌ ورضيعُ

Our mother, the world, is bereft of children; alike

Our mother, this world, is a saddle, equal before her

To her in loss are the middle-aged man and the nursing infant.

In loss are elderly and infant.

ما رأيْنا ثاكلاً مِنْ قَبْلها

ما رأيْنا ثاكلاً مِنْ قَبْلها

مالَها في إثْرِ مفقودٍ دُموعُ

مالَها في إثْرِ مفقودٍ دُموعُ

Never before her have we seen a bereaved mother

Never have we seen a mourner for her loss,

Who has no tears in the wake of one she has lost.

For one departed she has no tears.

كلُّنَا منها ومنّا كلُّها

كلُّنَا منها ومنّا كلُّها

فهيَ لا تشبعُ أوْ نحنُ صَريعُ

فهيَ لا تشبعُ أوْ نحنُ صَريعُ

All of us come from her, and all of her comes from us;

We are all from her and she is all from us,

So she will not be sated until we lie slain.

Neither does she satisfy, or we lie vanquished.

بئستِ الأمُّ رَمَتْ أولادَها

بئستِ الأمُّ رَمَتْ أولادَها

برزاياها ألا بِئْسَ الصَّنيعُ

برزاياها ألا بِئْسَ الصَّنيعُ

Wretched is the mother who pelted her children

Evil is the mother who cast her children away,

With her calamities—indeed, what an evil deed!

By her finery! Evil is such work.

ما هناهُم فوقَها نَومُهُمُ

ما هناهُم فوقَها نَومُهُمُ

فهُمُ فيها إلى الحشرِ هُجوعُ

فهُمُ فيها إلى الحشرِ هُجوعُ

Their sleep upon her brought them no pleasure,

Not rousing them above her is their sleep,

So within her they lie asleep until the Gathering.

In it till the resurrection they toss and turn.

أبداً تجفو علينا ولَنا

أبداً تجفو علينا ولَنا

نحوَهَا الدّهرَ حنينٌ ونزوعُ

نحوَهَا الدّهرَ حنينٌ ونزوعُ

Forever she is harsh to us, yet we have

She is forever harsh to us, and we toward her,

Unending yearning and longing for her.

Have yearning and inclination all our days.

هي ليلَي والوَرى أجمعُهم

هي ليلَي والوَرى أجمعُهم

قَيسُها كلٌّ بها صبٌّ وَلوعُ

قَيسُها كلٌّ بها صبٌّ وَلوعُ

She is Layla, and all humankind

She is my night, and all people altogether,

Her Qays—each enamored of her, ardently devoted.

Each has measured her - ecstasy or agony.

جِدَّ يا مطلوبُ من جدَّ نَجا

جِدَّ يا مطلوبُ من جدَّ نَجا

إنَّ ذا الطّالِبَ مِدراكٌ تَبوعُ

إنَّ ذا الطّالِبَ مِدراكٌ تَبوعُ

Strive, O pursued one; whoever strives is saved.

Strive, O sought one, strive with true striving,

Indeed, this pursuer is sure to catch you, relentless in pursuit.

The seeker will attain the pursued.

ليس يُنْجي الجحفلُ الجَرّارُ مِن

ليس يُنْجي الجحفلُ الجَرّارُ مِن

يدهِ الطُولى ولا الحِصنُ المنيعُ

يدهِ الطُولى ولا الحِصنُ المنيعُ

No mighty, vast army can save you from

Neither mighty entourage nor impregnable fortress

His far-reaching hand, nor can an impregnable fortress.

Saves from His death-grip or His irresistible decree.

يأخذُ السلطانَ ذا الجمعِ فَلا

يأخذُ السلطانَ ذا الجمعِ فَلا

يدفعُ السلطانُ عنه والجموعُ

يدفعُ السلطانُ عنه والجموعُ

He seizes the ruler with his host, so neither

He seizes the empowered sultan, who has no power

Power nor armies can keep death away from him.

To defend himself or the crowds around him.

ليسَ يَرعى حرمةَ الجارِ ولا

ليسَ يَرعى حرمةَ الجارِ ولا

يُنقذُ الشّاسِعَ في البُعدِ الشُّسُوعُ

يُنقذُ الشّاسِعَ في البُعدِ الشُّسُوعُ

He respects no neighbor's inviolability, nor

He spares no neighbor, nor saves the far-wandering,

Does remoteness save the one who is far away.

On distant rugged hills.

ما معَ السَّبعينَ تسويفٌ فلا

ما معَ السَّبعينَ تسويفٌ فلا

يخدعَنْكَ الأملُ الواهي الخَدوعُ

يخدعَنْكَ الأملُ الواهي الخَدوعُ

At seventy there is no room for delay, so do not

Do not be deluded by weak, false hopes,

Let frail, deceitful hope deceive you.

In your seventies, no delays remain.

قد تحمّلْتَ على ضعفِك مِن

قد تحمّلْتَ على ضعفِك مِن

ثِقْل أوزارِك ما لا تَستطيعُ

ثِقْل أوزارِك ما لا تَستطيعُ

You have already shouldered, despite your weakness,

You have borne in your weakness the heavy burden

A burden of your sins that you cannot bear.

Of sins beyond your capacity to bear.

وتَقضَّتْ عنك أيّامُ الصِّبا

وتَقضَّتْ عنك أيّامُ الصِّبا

وعلى مفرقِكَ الشَّيبُ الشَّنيعُ

وعلى مفرقِكَ الشَّيبُ الشَّنيعُ

And the days of youth have passed you by,

The days of your youth have passed you by

And hideous gray hair lies upon your crown.

And despicable old age is upon your temples.

ثمَّ أفضَتْ مدّةُ الشَّيبِ إلى

ثمَّ أفضَتْ مدّةُ الشَّيبِ إلى

هرمٍ يَعقُبه الموتُ الذّريعُ

هرمٍ يَعقُبه الموتُ الذّريعُ

Then the time of gray hair has given way to

Then the period of old age led to decrepit senility,

Decrepitude, followed by swift death.

Which is followed by swift-coming death.

صوَّحَ المرعَى فماذا تَرتجي

صوَّحَ المرعَى فماذا تَرتجي

بعد ما صوَّح مَرْعاك المَريعُ

بعد ما صوَّح مَرْعاك المَريعُ

The pasture has withered—so what do you hope for

The pasture was emptied, so what do you expect

After your lush pasture has withered?

After the pasture of your life is empty?

هل تَرى إلاّ هشيماً ذاويا

هل تَرى إلاّ هشيماً ذاويا

تجْتويهِ العينُ إن ولَّى الرَّبيعُ

تجْتويهِ العينُ إن ولَّى الرَّبيعُ

Do you see anything but dry, withered herbage,

Do you see anything left but withered remnants

Which the eye loathes when spring has gone?

Scorched as the spring disappears?