And This Is the Last Thing I Say

جَرَسٌ دَعاكَ إِلى الجُلوسِ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ

تَدْري مَتى تُطْوى لَكَ الْأَعْوامُ

A bell called you to sit down, and you did not know when your years would be folded up.

وَتَظُنُّ أَنَّ الدَّهْرَ فيهِ فَساحَةٌ

يَأْتي النِّداءُ وَلَيْسَ ثَمَّ مَقامُ

You think there is room enough in time; then the call comes, and there is no staying.

عُمْرٌ وَعِلْمٌ ثُمَّ مالٌ يُقْتَنى

وَقُوى الشَّبابِ وَتِلْكُمُ الْأَقْسامُ

A life, and knowledge, and money gathered, and the strength of youth — those are the sections of the paper.

وَالْفِعْلُ يَبْدو واحِدًا في ظاهِرٍ

وَالْقَصْدُ حِبْرٌ خَلْفَهُ الْأَرْقامُ

The deed looks like one thing on the surface; the intention is the ink, and behind it stand the marks.

وَمُراقِبُ الدُّنيا يَنامُ وَيَنْثَني

وَرَقيبُنا لا تَعْتَريهِ مَنامُ

The invigilator of this world sleeps and turns away; our Watcher is never touched by sleep.

فَمُجِدُّهُمْ وَمُسَوِّفٌ وَمُهَوِّنٌ

وَمُفيقُهُمْ وَالْوَقْتُ فيهِ زِحامُ

One of them works hard, one puts it off, one makes light of it, and one comes to his senses — and the time is crowded.

وَالزّادُ صَبْرٌ ثُمَّ شُكْرٌ صادِقٌ

وَتُقى وَدَعْوَةُ خاشِعٍ وَقِيامُ

The provision is endurance, then true gratitude, and God-consciousness, and the prayer of a humble man, and standing at night.

قَدْ كانَ قَبْلَكَ في الْمَقاعِدِ إِخْوَةٌ

طُوِيَتْ صَحائِفُهُمْ فَهُمْ أَعْلامُ

Brothers sat in these seats before you; their records were folded up, and now they are landmarks.

وَاليَوْمَ بابُ الْعَوْدِ لَيْسَ بِمُوصَدٍ

ما دامَ حِبْرُ الْعُمْرِ فيهِ دَوامُ

Today the door of return is not barred, as long as the ink of a life still runs.

وَغَدًا تُنَشَّرُ صُحْفُنا وَتُرى بِها

أَعْمالُنا فَالْوَزْنُ ثَمَّ خِتامُ

Tomorrow our records are spread open and our deeds are seen in them; then comes the weighing, and then the end.

قَدِّمْ لِيَوْمِكَ ما يَظَلُّ مُسَجَّلًا

فَغَدًا تُزالُ عَنِ الْيَدِ الْأَقْلامُ

Send ahead for that day of yours what stays on the record; tomorrow the pens are taken from the hand.

أُهْدي الْكِتابَ إِلى الَّذينَ أُحِبُّهُمْ

وَلِكُلِّ مَنْ حَمَلَ الرَّجاءَ سَلامُ

I give this book to those I love; and peace to everyone who carries hope.

The verses are the author's own; the English below gives their sense in prose.