في كلّ منقلب غيظ أساء به

في كلّ منقلب غيظ أساء به

وكلّ منقلب لي فيه ما يتر

وكلّ منقلب لي فيه ما يتر

At every turn, anger afflicts me;

With every turn of anger that did him wrong

and every turn holds something that hurts me.

And every turn that brought me benefit

وكل يوم أرى في صرفه عبرا

وكل يوم أرى في صرفه عبرا

تدقّ في جنبها الآيات والعبر

تدقّ في جنبها الآيات والعبر

And each day I see lessons in its vicissitudes,

And every day I see in its events

beside which signs and lessons seem slight.

Signs and lessons that prod its side

تراع بالخطب وقتا ثم يتبعه

تراع بالخطب وقتا ثم يتبعه

خطب يهون الذي ولى ويحتقر

خطب يهون الذي ولى ويحتقر

You are alarmed by a calamity for a time, then it is followed

It oscillates between sermons for a time, then is followed

by another that makes the one now past seem slight and contemptible.

By sermons that make easy what has passed and belittled

تبارك الله باد العلم والأثر

تبارك الله باد العلم والأثر

أم غيّرت صالحات الخلقة الغير

أم غيّرت صالحات الخلقة الغير

Blessed be God! Knowledge and tradition have perished—

Blessed is God, the traces of knowledge have vanished

or have reversals changed what was good in creation?

Or has the nature of righteousness changed in creation?

بقدر ما كانت الآداب نافقة

بقدر ما كانت الآداب نافقة

وتشتهي صارت الآداب تحتضر

وتشتهي صارت الآداب تحتضر

As greatly as culture was once prized

To the extent etiquette was hypocritical

and sought after, culture now lies dying.

And craved, etiquette started to die out

والحلم والعلم والأخبار ضائعة

والحلم والعلم والأخبار ضائعة

والخير محتقر والشر مشتهر

والخير محتقر والشر مشتهر

And forbearance, knowledge, and histories lie neglected,

Patience, knowledge and news are lost

and goodness is despised, while evil is renowned.

Good is scorned and evil spread

أشقى الورى في زمان السوء من سلفت

أشقى الورى في زمان السوء من سلفت

أيّامه بين قوم كلهم غرر

أيّامه بين قوم كلهم غرر

The most wretched of mankind in an evil age is he whose earlier

Most wretched of creatures in an evil time is he whose days

days were spent among people all illustrious,

Were among a people, all of them fools

وخلفته الليالي بعد فقدهم

وخلفته الليالي بعد فقدهم

على أناس زمان كلهم بقر

على أناس زمان كلهم بقر

and whom the nights have left, after he lost them,

And the nights left him after losing them

among people of an age who are all cattle.

Among people of the time, all of them cattle

لقد دفعت إلى قوم إذا انتسبوا

لقد دفعت إلى قوم إذا انتسبوا

فلا ربيعة تؤويهم ولا مضر

فلا ربيعة تؤويهم ولا مضر

I have been thrust among people who, when they trace their lineage,

Indeed I have come to a people who when they claim descent

are sheltered by neither Rabi'a nor Mudar.

Neither Rabi'a shelters them nor Mudar

ما يطمع الضيف في أزوادهم بخلا

ما يطمع الضيف في أزوادهم بخلا

على الخصاصة ولا موسى ولا الخضر

على الخصاصة ولا موسى ولا الخضر

A guest cannot hope for their provisions, such is their stinginess,

A guest hopes not for provisions from their stinginess

despite his need—not even Moses or al-Khidr.

Not even for crumbs, neither Moses nor Al-Khidr

عند الشرور مرابيح فإن حضروا

عند الشرور مرابيح فإن حضروا

سوق المكارم في أوطانها خسروا

سوق المكارم في أوطانها خسروا

They profit greatly in evil; but if they enter

The evildoers have lanterns, so if they attended

the market of noble deeds in their own lands, they lose.

The market of virtues in their homelands they would lose

فمن رأى ما رأت عيناي من نفر

فمن رأى ما رأت عيناي من نفر

كانوا هم الراس فيه السمع والبصر

كانوا هم الراس فيه السمع والبصر

So whoever has seen, as my eyes have, a company of men

Whoever saw what my eyes have seen of a band

who were the very head, with hearing and sight within it,

Who used to be leaders in hearing and sight

ثم اغتدى بين هذا النشء أتبعهُ

ثم اغتدى بين هذا النشء أتبعهُ

جهّالهم وتأوى قلبه الحذر

جهّالهم وتأوى قلبه الحذر

then came among this rising generation, pursued

Then insolence grew between this generation following them

by its ignoramuses, with caution taking refuge in his heart—

Their ignorance took refuge and cautiousness left his heart

ذاك الغريب يقينا ليس من نزحت

ذاك الغريب يقينا ليس من نزحت

دارٌ به وسعى في همّه القدر

دارٌ به وسعى في همّه القدر

that is surely the stranger—not one driven far away

That stranger for certain did not emigrate from a house

by his dwelling, with fate laboring to bring him grief.

That contained him, and fate busied itself with his concerns

بقاني الله حتّى صرت في نفر

بقاني الله حتّى صرت في نفر

من سوقة ما لحرّ فيهم وطرُ

من سوقة ما لحرّ فيهم وطرُ

God has kept me alive until I have come among a company

God has kept me until I came to be among a band

of commoners, among whom a noble man finds no fulfillment.

Whose marketplace contains no virtue or wares

عن المعالي إذا ما استنهضوا غيبٌ

عن المعالي إذا ما استنهضوا غيبٌ

وإن دناة بدت أو غيبة حضروا

وإن دناة بدت أو غيبة حضروا

When summoned to noble pursuits, they are absent,

When roused to glory, they are absent

but if baseness or backbiting appears, they are present.

And if nearby, they are present when ignored

أيد طوال إلى المكروه ما قدروا

أيد طوال إلى المكروه ما قدروا

وفي ابتناء المعالي شانها القصر

وفي ابتناء المعالي شانها القصر

Their hands reach far toward wrongdoing whenever they can,

Long hands for wrongdoing they are unable

but in building noble heights, shortness mars them.

And in building virtues their trait is falling short

أشدّهم رغبة في ودّ صاحبه

أشدّهم رغبة في ودّ صاحبه

عند الرخاء وفي اللأواء لا ورر

عند الرخاء وفي اللأواء لا ورر

The most eager among them for his companion's affection

The most eager of them in his companion's affection

in prosperity is no refuge in adversity.

Is at ease, but in hardship there is no consolation

كالقوس في الحرب لا يرجى الغناء بها

كالقوس في الحرب لا يرجى الغناء بها

ولا القتال إذا ما خانها الوتر

ولا القتال إذا ما خانها الوتر

Like a bow in war: no help can be hoped from it,

Like a bow in war, no singing is expected from it

nor combat, when its string betrays it.

Nor fighting if the bowstring betrays it

أو نخلة السوء يأوي البوم مذ يفعت

أو نخلة السوء يأوي البوم مذ يفعت

في رأسها وهي لا شيص ولا كثر

في رأسها وهي لا شيص ولا كثر

Or a worthless palm: since it grew tall, owls have sheltered

Or a date palm of evil on which an owl roosts since it bore fruit

in its crown, though it has neither shriveled dates nor palm pith.

While it has neither clusters nor abundance

وصاحب السوء لا ترجى منافعه

وصاحب السوء لا ترجى منافعه

كصفحة الذئب لا صوف ولا شعر

كصفحة الذئب لا صوف ولا شعر

And no benefit can be hoped from a bad companion,

And an evil companion, no benefits are hoped from him

like a wolf's flank: neither wool nor hair.

Like the friendship of a wolf, neither wool nor hair

قد تطلع الشمس والأقذاء تحجبها

قد تطلع الشمس والأقذاء تحجبها

أو الضباب ويحمي ورده النهر

أو الضباب ويحمي ورده النهر

The sun may rise while motes conceal it,

The sun may rise but fog hides it

or fog; and the river may bar access to its waters.

Or mist, yet the river protects its roses

وينزل الغيث في أرض مسبّخة

وينزل الغيث في أرض مسبّخة

وينثني وهي لا نبت ولا شحر

وينثني وهي لا نبت ولا شحر

And rain descends on salt-ridden ground,

And rain descends on arid land

then turns away, leaving neither plants nor trees.

Yet turns away while it has no plants or trees

إني سمعت بقوم أوطنوا هجرا

إني سمعت بقوم أوطنوا هجرا

والدومتين وطابت عندهم هجر

والدومتين وطابت عندهم هجر

I have heard of people who settled in Hajar

I heard of a people who settled the wilderness,

and al-Dumatayn, and found Hajar pleasant.

And al-Dumatayn became pleasant to inhabit

باعوا المنازل والأوطان وانتقلوا

باعوا المنازل والأوطان وانتقلوا

سوء الجوار جلاهم بعد ما صبروا

سوء الجوار جلاهم بعد ما صبروا

They sold their dwellings and homelands and moved away;

They sold their dwellings and homelands and moved

bad neighborliness drove them out after they had endured.

The evil of a neighbor expelled them after they endured

تقدّس الله فالأرزاق قد قسمت

تقدّس الله فالأرزاق قد قسمت

ما حمّ آت وما لم يقضه عسر

ما حمّ آت وما لم يقضه عسر

Holy is God: livelihoods have already been apportioned;

Holy is God, livelihoods have been apportioned

what is decreed will come; what He has not ordained is hard to obtain.

What has been brought and what hardship has not judged

حظّ الأديب اللبيب الماء والكسر

حظّ الأديب اللبيب الماء والكسر

وحظّ ذي الجهل فيه المال والبدر

وحظّ ذي الجهل فيه المال والبدر

The cultured, intelligent man's share is water and crusts,

The share of the intelligent scholar is water and crumbs

and the ignorant man's share in it is wealth and moneybags.

And the share of the ignorant is wealth and full moons

وكم أديب غبيّ في تقلّبه

وكم أديب غبيّ في تقلّبه

وكم غبيّ فقير ماله كسر

وكم غبيّ فقير ماله كسر

And many a cultivated man is inept in his dealings,

How many a foolish scholar in his turns

and many a poor fool has crusts for his wealth.

And many a poor fool, his wealth is broken

إن المبخّل يستغني ويحتكر

إن المبخّل يستغني ويحتكر

والحرّ ما عاش يستغني ويفتقر

والحرّ ما عاش يستغني ويفتقر

The man deemed miserly grows rich and hoards,

Surely the miser acts self-sufficient and hoards

while the noble man, throughout his life, grows rich and poor.

While the noble is never self-sufficient and needs

من العلامة في الأشرار أنهمُ

من العلامة في الأشرار أنهمُ

في كل ما كثرت أموالهم كفروا

في كل ما كثرت أموالهم كفروا

One mark of the wicked is that

Of the signs of the evildoers is that whenever

whenever their wealth increases, they show ingratitude.

Their wealth increased, they disbelieved

وفي الكرام علامات إذا منعوا

وفي الكرام علامات إذا منعوا

عاذروا بصبر وإن أعطوا الغنى شكروا

عاذروا بصبر وإن أعطوا الغنى شكروا

And the noble have their marks: when they are denied,

And of the noble are signs that if they refused to give

they patiently make allowances; when given wealth, they give thanks.

They would excuse with patience, and if gave wealth, thank

لقد دفعت إلى أمر تحمّله

لقد دفعت إلى أمر تحمّله

هدم الحياة وفي أشيائه أشر

هدم الحياة وفي أشيائه أشر

I have been thrust into a plight whose endurance

Indeed I have been handed an ordeal

destroys life, and whose affairs are full of insolence.

Which destroyed life, and in its affairs the worst

أجري على الطبع في تأديب جاهلهم

أجري على الطبع في تأديب جاهلهم

ورده عن قبيح مثله غرر

ورده عن قبيح مثله غرر

I follow my nature in disciplining their ignoramus;

I act according to my nature in disciplining their ignorance

and turning one like him from wrongdoing is perilous.

And correcting him from an ugliness like it, another ugliness

وينثني مغضبا نحوي يقاتلني

وينثني مغضبا نحوي يقاتلني

وأنثني من وراء الحق أعتذر

وأنثني من وراء الحق أعتذر

And he turns angrily toward me, fighting me,

And he turns angrily toward me, fighting me

while I draw back from behind the truth, apologizing.

While I turn away behind the truth, apologizing