أَيا لا هِياً في القَصرِ قُربَ المَقابِرِ

أَيا لا هِياً في القَصرِ قُربَ المَقابِرِ

يرىكُلَّ يَومٍ وارِداً غَيرَ صادِرِ

يرىكُلَّ يَومٍ وارِداً غَيرَ صادِرِ

O heedless one in the palace near the graves,

O you who are heedless in the palace near the graves

Who sees each day someone enter, never to leave,

Seen every day entering but never leaving

كَأَنَّكَ قَد أَيقَنتَ أَن لَستَ صائِراً

كَأَنَّكَ قَد أَيقَنتَ أَن لَستَ صائِراً

غَداً بَينَهُم في بَعضِ تِلكَ الحَفائِرِ

غَداً بَينَهُم في بَعضِ تِلكَ الحَفائِرِ

As though you were already certain you would not end up

As if you were certain you would not depart

Tomorrow among them in one of those pits.

Tomorrow among them in one of those burial pits

تَراهُم فَتَلهو بِالشَرابِ وَبَعضِ ما

تَراهُم فَتَلهو بِالشَرابِ وَبَعضِ ما

تَلَذُّ بِهِ مِن نَقرِ تِلكَ المَزاهِرِ

تَلَذُّ بِهِ مِن نَقرِ تِلكَ المَزاهِرِ

You see them, then amuse yourself with wine and some of what

You watch them drinking wine and plucking

You enjoy in the plucking of those lutes.

The pleasures of those blossoms

وَما أَنتَ بِالمَغبونِ عَقلاً وَلا حِجىً

وَما أَنتَ بِالمَغبونِ عَقلاً وَلا حِجىً

وَلا بِقَليلِ العَلمِ عِندَ التَخابُرِ

وَلا بِقَليلِ العَلمِ عِندَ التَخابُرِ

And you are not deficient in intellect or sound judgment,

You are not lacking in reason or wisdom

Nor lacking in knowledge when exchanging views.

Nor in knowledge when conversing

وَفي ذاكَ ما أَغناكَ عَن كُلِّ واعِظٍ

وَفي ذاكَ ما أَغناكَ عَن كُلِّ واعِظٍ

شَفيقٍ وَما أَغناكَ عَن كُلِّ زاجِرِ

شَفيقٍ وَما أَغناكَ عَن كُلِّ زاجِرِ

And in that is enough to leave you no need of any admonisher

And yet that did not avail you against any caring adviser

Who cares for you, and enough to leave you no need of any rebuker.

Nor against any deterring warner

وَكَم نِعمَةٍ يَعصي بِها العَبدُ رَبَّهُ

وَكَم نِعمَةٍ يَعصي بِها العَبدُ رَبَّهُ

وَبَلوى عَدَتهُ عَن رُكوبِ الكَبائِرِ

وَبَلوى عَدَتهُ عَن رُكوبِ الكَبائِرِ

And how many a blessing a servant uses to disobey his Lord,

How many favors does man disobey his Lord with

And many an affliction has kept him from committing grave sins!

And tribulations befall him from committing grave sins

سَتَرحَلُ عَن هَذا وَإِنَّكَ قادِمٌ

سَتَرحَلُ عَن هَذا وَإِنَّكَ قادِمٌ

وَما أَنتَ في شَكٍّ عَلى غَيرِ عاذِرِ

وَما أَنتَ في شَكٍّ عَلى غَيرِ عاذِرِ

You will leave this behind, and you are surely coming—

You will depart this world though you are just arriving

And you have no doubt of it—before one who will not excuse you.

And you have no doubt or excuse