خَبَت نارُ نَفسي بِاشتِعالِ مَفارِقي

خَبَت نارُ نَفسي بِاشتِعالِ مَفارِقي

وَأَظلَمَ لَيلي إِذ أَضاءَ شِهابُها

وَأَظلَمَ لَيلي إِذ أَضاءَ شِهابُها

The fire of my soul died down as the partings of my hair blazed;

My soul's fire faded when my beloved left,

And my night darkened when their flame shone.

And my night darkened when its meteors lit it.

أَيا بومَةً قَد عَشَّشَت فَوقَ هامَتي

أَيا بومَةً قَد عَشَّشَت فَوقَ هامَتي

عَلى الرُغمِ مِنّي حينَ طارَ غُرابُها

عَلى الرُغمِ مِنّي حينَ طارَ غُرابُها

O owl that has nested atop my head,

O owl nested arrogantly on my resolve -

Against my will, when its raven flew away.

Away with you though your fledglings twitter!

رَأَيتِ خَرابَ العُمرِ مِنّي فَزُرتِني

رَأَيتِ خَرابَ العُمرِ مِنّي فَزُرتِني

وَمَأواكِ مِن كُلِّ الدِيارِ خَرابُها

وَمَأواكِ مِن كُلِّ الدِيارِ خَرابُها

You saw life's ruin in me, so you visited me;

You saw time ravage me and visited my ruins,

And of all dwellings, their ruins are your refuge.

Though ruins are your home from all lands.

أَأَنعَمُ عَيشاً بَعدَ ما حَلَّ عارِضِي

أَأَنعَمُ عَيشاً بَعدَ ما حَلَّ عارِضِي

طَلائِعُ شَيبٍ لَيسَ يُغني خَضابُها

طَلائِعُ شَيبٍ لَيسَ يُغني خَضابُها

Can I enjoy life after there has settled on my cheek

Can I live in comfort when gray appears,

The vanguard of gray hair, whose dyeing is of no avail?

Though henna's disguise may profit it naught?

إِذا اِصفَرَّ لَونُ المَرءِ وَاِبيَضَّ شَعرُهُ

إِذا اِصفَرَّ لَونُ المَرءِ وَاِبيَضَّ شَعرُهُ

تَنَغَّصَ مِن أَيّامِهِ مُستَطابُها

تَنَغَّصَ مِن أَيّامِهِ مُستَطابُها

When a man's complexion yellows and his hair turns white,

When a man's hue pales and his hair whitens,

The pleasures of his days are soured.

The sweet days of his life become bitter.

فَدَع عَنكَ سَوآتِ الأُمورِ فَإِنَّها

فَدَع عَنكَ سَوآتِ الأُمورِ فَإِنَّها

حَرامٌ عَلى نَفسِ التَقيِّ اِرتِكابُها

حَرامٌ عَلى نَفسِ التَقيِّ اِرتِكابُها

So leave shameful deeds behind, for they are

Leave the moral faults alone, for piety

Forbidden for a pious soul to commit.

Forbids the righteous soul to commit them.

وَأَدِّ زَكاةَ الجاهِ وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّها

وَأَدِّ زَكاةَ الجاهِ وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّها

كَمِثلِ زَكاةِ المالِ تَمَّ نِصابُها

كَمِثلِ زَكاةِ المالِ تَمَّ نِصابُها

And pay the alms due on rank, and know that they

Give your fame its alms, and understand

Are like alms on wealth: their threshold has been reached.

It's like the alms upon wealth when due.

وَأَحسِن إِلى الأَحرارِ تَملِك رِقابَهُم

وَأَحسِن إِلى الأَحرارِ تَملِك رِقابَهُم

فَخَيرُ تِجاراتِ الكِرامِ اِكتِسابُها

فَخَيرُ تِجاراتِ الكِرامِ اِكتِسابُها

And be kind to free men: you will possess their necks;

Do good unto the noble and gain their necks -

For the best trade of noble men is acquiring them.

To gain them is the best commerce of honor.

وَلا تَمشِيَن في مَنكِبِ الأَرضِ فاخِراً

وَلا تَمشِيَن في مَنكِبِ الأَرضِ فاخِراً

فَعَمّا قَليلٍ يَحتَويكَ تُرابُها

فَعَمّا قَليلٍ يَحتَويكَ تُرابُها

And do not walk boastfully upon the earth's shoulder,

Walk not haughtily upon the earth's surface

For before long its dust will enfold you.

For soon enough it will hold you in its dust.

وَمَن يَذُقِ الدُنيا فَإِنّي طَعَمتُها

وَمَن يَذُقِ الدُنيا فَإِنّي طَعَمتُها

وَسيقَ إِلَينا عَذبُها وَعَذابِها

وَسيقَ إِلَينا عَذبُها وَعَذابِها

And whoever tastes this world—indeed, I have tasted it,

I have tasted of this world - it proffered

And its sweetness and its torment were brought to us.

To us its sweet and bitter, pleasure and pain.

فَلَم أَرَها إِلّا غُروراً وَباطِلاً

فَلَم أَرَها إِلّا غُروراً وَباطِلاً

كَما لاحَ في ظَهرِ الفَلاةِ سَرابُها

كَما لاحَ في ظَهرِ الفَلاةِ سَرابُها

So I found it nothing but delusion and falsehood,

I found it naught but vanity and falseness,

Like the mirage that gleams on the desert's back.

Like mirages upon the horizon's breadth.

وَماهِيَ إِلّا جِيَفَةٌ مُستَحيلَةٌ

وَماهِيَ إِلّا جِيَفَةٌ مُستَحيلَةٌ

عَلَيها كِلابٌ هَمُّهُنَّ اِجتِذابُها

عَلَيها كِلابٌ هَمُّهُنَّ اِجتِذابُها

And it is nothing but a rotting carcass,

It is but a vile carcass fought over

With dogs upon it, intent on dragging it away.

By dogs whose only care is to drag at it.

فَإِن تَجتَنِبها كُنتَ سِلماً لِأَهلِها

فَإِن تَجتَنِبها كُنتَ سِلماً لِأَهلِها

وَإِن تَجتَذِبها نازَعَتكَ كِلابُها

وَإِن تَجتَذِبها نازَعَتكَ كِلابُها

So if you avoid it, you will be at peace with its people;

If you avoid it you'll live in peace with its people,

But if you drag it away, its dogs will fight you.

But if you seek it its hounds will contest you.

فَطوبى لِنَفسٍ أُولِعَت قَعرَ دارِها

فَطوبى لِنَفسٍ أُولِعَت قَعرَ دارِها

مُغَلِّقَةَ الأَبوابِ مُرخَىً حِجابُها

مُغَلِّقَةَ الأَبوابِ مُرخَىً حِجابُها

So blessed is a soul devoted to the depths of its home,

Happy the soul that lodged in its home's depth,

Shutting the doors tight, with its curtain lowered.

Doors barred, curtains drawn, hidden from all.