يَبكي لِما قَلَبَ الزَمانُ جَديدَهُ

يَبكي لِما قَلَبَ الزَمانُ جَديدَهُ

خَلقاً وَلَيسَ عَلى الزَمانِ مُعَوَّلُ

خَلقاً وَلَيسَ عَلى الزَمانِ مُعَوَّلُ

He weeps because time has turned what was new in him

He weeps for what time has changed anew

Into something worn; there is no relying on time.

In people, though time cannot be blamed

وَالرَأسُ شامِلُهُ البَياضُ كَأَنَّهُ

وَالرَأسُ شامِلُهُ البَياضُ كَأَنَّهُ

بَعدَ السوادِ بِهِ الثَغامُ المُحوِلُ

بَعدَ السوادِ بِهِ الثَغامُ المُحوِلُ

And whiteness covers his head, as though

His head's white hair makes it seem

After its blackness, it bore withered thughām grass.

After black hair, like transformed wool

وَسَفيهَةٍ هَبَّت عَلَيَّ بِسُحرَةٍ

وَسَفيهَةٍ هَبَّت عَلَيَّ بِسُحرَةٍ

جَهلاً تَلُومُ عَلى الثَواءِ وَتَعذِلُ

جَهلاً تَلُومُ عَلى الثَواءِ وَتَعذِلُ

And a foolish woman assailed me before dawn,

And a foolish woman assailed me with magic

Ignorantly reproaching me for staying, and scolding me.

Ignorantly blaming me and impudently complaining

فَأَجَبتُها أَن قُلتُ لَستِ مُطاعَةً

فَأَجَبتُها أَن قُلتُ لَستِ مُطاعَةً

فَذَري تَنَصُّحَكِ الَّذي لا يُقبَلُ

فَذَري تَنَصُّحَكِ الَّذي لا يُقبَلُ

So I answered her, saying: you are not to be obeyed;

So I answered her saying I cannot be coerced

So leave your proffered counsel, which will not be accepted.

Leave your preaching, it will not be accepted

إِنّي كَفاني أَن أُعالِجَ رِحلَةً

إِنّي كَفاني أَن أُعالِجَ رِحلَةً

عُمَرٌ وَنَبوَةَ مَن يَضنُّ وَيَبخَلُ

عُمَرٌ وَنَبوَةَ مَن يَضنُّ وَيَبخَلُ

Indeed, I have been spared the trouble of undertaking a journey

It is enough that I endure a journey

By Umar, and the rebuff of those who begrudge and withhold,

Of a lifetime and the prophecy of a miserly jealous one

بنوالِ ذي فَجرٍ تَكونُ سِجالُهُ

بنوالِ ذي فَجرٍ تَكونُ سِجالُهُ

عَمَماً إِذا نَزَلَ الزَمانُ المُمحِلُ

عَمَماً إِذا نَزَلَ الزَمانُ المُمحِلُ

Through the bounty of a lavish giver, whose bucketfuls are

Whose dawn boasts will be, when time changes,

Copious when barren times descend.

Generalities, though he descends polished and angry

ماضٍ عَلى حَدَثِ الأُمورِ كَأَنَّهُ

ماضٍ عَلى حَدَثِ الأُمورِ كَأَنَّهُ

ذو رَونَقٍ عَضبٌ جَلاهُ الصَيقَلُ

ذو رَونَقٍ عَضبٌ جَلاهُ الصَيقَلُ

Resolute amid the turns of affairs, as though he were

Men show reverence when his greatness appears

A gleaming, keen-edged sword burnished by the polisher.

Fearing disaster, the slender ones are his lovers

تُبدي الرِجالُ إِذا بَدا إِعظامَهُ

تُبدي الرِجالُ إِذا بَدا إِعظامَهُ

حَذَرَ البُغاثِ هَوى لَهُنَّ الأَجدَلُ

حَذَرَ البُغاثِ هَوى لَهُنَّ الأَجدَلُ

Men, when he appears, display their awe of him—

So they see he has a chapter over them

The fear of weak birds when a falcon swoops upon them.

And a virtue preceding him, not unknown

فَيَرَونَ أَنَّ لَهُ عَلَيهِم سورَةً

فَيَرَونَ أَنَّ لَهُ عَلَيهِم سورَةً

وَفَضيلَةً سَبَقَت لَهُ لا تُجهَلُ

وَفَضيلَةً سَبَقَت لَهُ لا تُجهَلُ

So they see that he has ascendancy over them,

Bearing the weight of affairs, preceded in nobility

And an excellence already his that cannot go unrecognized.

By a deliberate pioneer, poised and patient

مُتَحَمِّلٌ ثِقَلَ الأُمورِ حَوى لَهُ

مُتَحَمِّلٌ ثِقَلَ الأُمورِ حَوى لَهُ

سَبقَ المَكارِمِ سَابِقٌ مُتَمَهِّلُ

سَبقَ المَكارِمِ سَابِقٌ مُتَمَهِّلُ

He bears the weight of affairs; for him was won

And when Quraysh are mentioned, he has

First place in noble deeds by an unhurried frontrunner.

The glory of leadership and the finest deeds

وَلَهُ إِذا نُسِبَت قُرَيشٌ مِنهُمُ

وَلَهُ إِذا نُسِبَت قُرَيشٌ مِنهُمُ

مَجدُ الأَرومَةِ والفَعالُ الأَفضَلُ

مَجدُ الأَرومَةِ والفَعالُ الأَفضَلُ

And when Quraysh's lineages are traced, he has among them

In Mecca, when Umayyah are its people

The glory of ancestry and the noblest deeds.

An inheritance, if the old is enumerated

وَلَهُ بِمَكَّةَ إِذ أُمَيَّةُ أَهلُها

وَلَهُ بِمَكَّةَ إِذ أُمَيَّةُ أَهلُها

إِرثٌ إِذا عُدَّ القَديمُ مُؤَثَّلُ

إِرثٌ إِذا عُدَّ القَديمُ مُؤَثَّلُ

And in Mecca, where Umayya are its people, he has

His kinship enriched him, and his adherence

A firmly rooted legacy, when ancient honors are reckoned.

Was wise, as the reasonable person knows

أَغنَت قَرابَتُهُ وَكانَ لزومُهُ

أَغنَت قَرابَتُهُ وَكانَ لزومُهُ

أَمراً أَبانَ رَشادَهُ مَن يَعقِلُ

أَمراً أَبانَ رَشادَهُ مَن يَعقِلُ

His kinship sufficed, and staying beside him was

I transcended their morals, so I left them

A course whose soundness anyone with sense made plain.

To your blame, for the judicious one changes

وَسَمَوتُ عَن أَخلاقِهِم فَتَرَكتُهُم

وَسَمَوتُ عَن أَخلاقِهِم فَتَرَكتُهُم

لِنَداكَ إِنَّ الحازِمَ المُتَحَوِّلُ

لِنَداكَ إِنَّ الحازِمَ المُتَحَوِّلُ

And I rose above their ways, so I left them

And indeed I began wanting the love of friends

For your bounty; indeed, the prudent man is one who moves on.

And the keeping of appointments that were not kept when fulfilled

وَلَقَد بَدَأتُ أُريدُ وُدَّ مَعاشِرٍ

وَلَقَد بَدَأتُ أُريدُ وُدَّ مَعاشِرٍ

وَعَدوا مَواعِدَ أُخلِفَت إِذ حُصِّلوا

وَعَدوا مَواعِدَ أُخلِفَت إِذ حُصِّلوا

And indeed, I began by seeking the friendship of people

Until certainty returned my hopes to despair

Who made promises, broken when they were put to the test,

And those I hoped for disappointed me

حَتّى إِذا رَجَعَ اليَقينُ مَطامِعي

حَتّى إِذا رَجَعَ اليَقينُ مَطامِعي

يَأساً وَأَخلَفَني الَّذينَ أُؤَمِّلُ

يَأساً وَأَخلَفَني الَّذينَ أُؤَمِّلُ

Until certainty turned my hopes

To despair, and those I counted on failed me.