أب الصغد بأسٌ إِذ تعيّرني جُمل

أب الصغد بأسٌ إِذ تعيّرني جُمل

سَفاهاً ومن أَخلاق جارتيَ الجَهلُ

سَفاهاً ومن أَخلاق جارتيَ الجَهلُ

Is there any fault in the Sogdians, that Juml taunts me

The ignorant insult me and show foolishness,

My valor refused to yield when Juml reproached me,

so foolishly? Ignorance is among my neighbor's traits.

And my neighbor displays ignorance.

Foolishly—and ignorance is indeed the nature of my neighbor.

هُم فاعلموا أَصلي الَّذي منه منبتي

هُم فاعلموا أَصلي الَّذي منه منبتي

عَلى كُلِّ فرع في التُراب له أَصل

عَلى كُلِّ فرع في التُراب له أَصل

They—know this—are my root, from which I grow;

Know my origin from which my roots extended,

They are—know well—my root from which I have grown,

every branch aloft has a root in the earth.

For every branch in the soil has roots.

For every branch upon the earth must surely have a root.

فَإِن تَفخَري يا جُملُ أَو تَتَجَمّلي

فَإِن تَفخَري يا جُملُ أَو تَتَجَمّلي

فَلا فَخرَ إِلّا فَوقه الدين وَالعَقل

فَلا فَخرَ إِلّا فَوقه الدين وَالعَقل

So if you boast, Juml, or adorn yourself,

If you are arrogant, O camel, or adorn yourself,

So if you boast, O Juml, or feign superiority,

then faith and reason stand above every claim to pride.

There is no pride except above religion and reason.

There is no pride that rises higher than faith and reason.

أَرى الناس شَرعاً في الحَياة وَلا يُرى

أَرى الناس شَرعاً في الحَياة وَلا يُرى

لقبر عَلى قبر عَلاءٌ وَلا فضل

لقبر عَلى قبر عَلاءٌ وَلا فضل

I see people equal in life, and no one sees

I see people competing in life but no distinction is seen,

I see all people as equals in this life; nor can one discern,

any superiority or distinction of one grave over another.

No grave stands out over another grave.

Between one grave and another, any mark of elevation or merit.

وَما ضَرَّني أَن لَم تلدني يُحابِر

وَما ضَرَّني أَن لَم تلدني يُحابِر

وَلَم تَشتَمِل جَرم عَليّ وَلا عُكل

وَلَم تَشتَمِل جَرم عَليّ وَلا عُكل

It has not harmed me that Yuhabir did not bear me,

It does not harm me that prolific she-camels did not birth me,

It harms me not that the tribe of Yuhabir did not birth me,

nor did Jarm enfold me, nor ʿUkl.

Nor did a body bear upon me sin or blame.

Nor that neither Jarm nor 'Ukl ever claimed me.

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَحمِ القَديم بِحادِث

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَحمِ القَديم بِحادِث

مِنَ المَجدِ لَم ينفعك ما كانَ مِن قَبل

مِنَ المَجدِ لَم ينفعك ما كانَ مِن قَبل

If you do not safeguard the old with fresh

If you do not add the new to the old,

If you do not shield ancient glory with present deeds

glory, what came before will not avail you.

What was before will not benefit you.

Of honor, then what came before will profit you nothing.

وَدونَ النَدى في كُلِّ قَلب ثَنيَّة

وَدونَ النَدى في كُلِّ قَلب ثَنيَّة

لَها مَصعَد وَعرٌ وَمُنحَدِر سهل

لَها مَصعَد وَعرٌ وَمُنحَدِر سهل

Before generosity, in every heart, lies a mountain pass,

Below the dew in every heart is an inclination

Before generosity, there lies a steep pass in every heart;

with a rugged ascent and an easy descent.

With an ascent, unevenness, and easy descent.

Its ascent is rugged, while its descent is easy.

وودّ الفَتى في كُلِّ نَيل ينيله

وودّ الفَتى في كُلِّ نَيل ينيله

إِذا ما اِنقَضى لَو أَن نائله جزل

إِذا ما اِنقَضى لَو أَن نائله جزل

And a young man wishes, with every gift he bestows,

The love of a young man for everything he attains,

And a man wishes, regarding every gain he acquires,

once it is over, that his gift had been ample.

Would that its attainment were lasting.

Once it has passed, that his portion had been abundant.

وَأعلم عِلماً لَيسَ بالظنّ أَنَّهُ

وَأعلم عِلماً لَيسَ بالظنّ أَنَّهُ

لِكُلِّ أُناس من ضَرائبهم شكل

لِكُلِّ أُناس من ضَرائبهم شكل

And I know with certainty, not conjecture, that

And I know with certainty not assumption,

And I know with a certainty that is no mere conjecture,

every group has a kindred match sharing its nature,

That for every people are types from their norms.

That for all people, there is a likeness drawn from their true nature.

وَأن أَخلاءَ الزَمان غناؤهُم

وَأن أَخلاءَ الزَمان غناؤهُم

قَليل إِذا الانسان زَلّت بِهِ النعل

قَليل إِذا الانسان زَلّت بِهِ النعل

and that the friends of this age are of

And the intimate friends of time, their singing

And that the utility of the friends of these times

little help when a person's sandal slips beneath him.

Is little when humankind slips in its sandal.

Is scant indeed when a man's foot slips and he stumbles.

تزوّد من الدُنيا مَتاعاً لِغَيرِها

تزوّد من الدُنيا مَتاعاً لِغَيرِها

فَقَد شمّرت حذاءَ وانصرم الحبل

فَقَد شمّرت حذاءَ وانصرم الحبل

Take provisions from this world for a world beyond it,

Take from the world provisions for other than it,

Take provision from this world for the sake of the next,

for it has gathered up its skirts, swift to leave, and the cord is severed.

For you have worn out shoes and the rope is cut off.

For the journey has hastened briskly, and the tether is severed.

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا هامَةُ اليَومِ أَو غَدِ

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا هامَةُ اليَومِ أَو غَدِ

لِكُلِّ أُناس مِن طَوارقها الثُكلُ

لِكُلِّ أُناس مِن طَوارقها الثُكلُ

And are you anything but a skull today or tomorrow?

Are you anything but a water mirage today or tomorrow?

Are you anything but a mortal soul of today or tomorrow,

For every people, bereavement is among the world's night visitations.

For every people are their vanishing mirages.

When for all people, among fate's calamities, lies bereavement?