أَنسِل أَوِ اِعقُم فَالتَوَحُّدُ راحَةٌ

أَنسِل أَوِ اِعقُم فَالتَوَحُّدُ راحَةٌ

سَيّانَ نَجلُكَ وَالخَبيثُ الناسِلُ

سَيّانَ نَجلُكَ وَالخَبيثُ الناسِلُ

Beget children or remain barren, for solitude is rest.

Be gentle or be still, for solitude is rest;

Your son and the vile, loping wolf are alike.

Both the wicked and the pure are equal in the end.

وَالشَرُّ أَغلَبُ عُصبَةٌ جَمَعَت لَنا

وَالشَرُّ أَغلَبُ عُصبَةٌ جَمَعَت لَنا

أَقذاءَ دُنيانا وَفَذٌّ غاسِلُ

أَقذاءَ دُنيانا وَفَذٌّ غاسِلُ

And evil prevails: a band has gathered for us

Evil oft conquers through banding together

our world's filth, while a lone one washes it away.

Meager worldly goods and one who washes them away.

عَسَلَت قَناً وَخَوامِعٌ وَثَعالِبٌ

عَسَلَت قَناً وَخَوامِعٌ وَثَعالِبٌ

أَعقَت هَناً وَأَطابَ نَحلٌ عاسِلُ

أَعقَت هَناً وَأَطابَ نَحلٌ عاسِلُ

Spears quivered, and hyenas and foxes

Honeybees have built hives and humble abodes,

made something bitter, while honey-making bees made it sweet.

While hornets here contrived and industrious bees toiled.

وَالنَفعُ لَم يَكمُل بِهِ لَكِن لَهُ

وَالنَفعُ لَم يَكمُل بِهِ لَكِن لَهُ

ضَيرٌ وَكَم أَردى الغَريقَ سُلاسِلُ

ضَيرٌ وَكَم أَردى الغَريقَ سُلاسِلُ

And its benefit is not complete; it also brings

Good is not perfected in one, yet causes him grief -

harm—and how often sweet-flowing water has killed a drowning man!

How many has its fetter drowned and its chain submerged?

أَنتَ الجَبانُ إِذا المَنِيَّةُ أَعرَضَت

أَنتَ الجَبانُ إِذا المَنِيَّةُ أَعرَضَت

وَعَلى ثَنِيَّتِكَ الشُجاعُ الباسِلُ

وَعَلى ثَنِيَّتِكَ الشُجاعُ الباسِلُ

You are the coward when death comes into view,

You are a coward if death turns its back to you,

and on your mountain pass is the deadly serpent.

While the valiant man charges on his swift steed.

نَهجُ العُلا يُنضي الرِكابَ وَكُلُّنا

نَهجُ العُلا يُنضي الرِكابَ وَكُلُّنا

كَسلانُ دونَ المَجدِ أَو مُتَكاسِلُ

كَسلانُ دونَ المَجدِ أَو مُتَكاسِلُ

The path to eminence wears out the riding camels, and all of us

The path of glory spurs on the rider, though we are all

are lazy before reaching glory, or feign laziness.

Either lagging from glory or growing lackadaisical.

وَالنَفسُ في جِسمٍ تَعَلَّلُ بِالمُنى

وَالنَفسُ في جِسمٍ تَعَلَّلُ بِالمُنى

وَمُنىً يُلاحِظُ يَومَها وَيُراسِلُ

وَمُنىً يُلاحِظُ يَومَها وَيُراسِلُ

And the soul within a body consoles itself with hopes,

The soul in a body is tempted by wishes,

and hopes—one watches for their day and sends them messages.

And a wisher watches o’er its days and corresponds.

لَم يَمنَعِ اِبنَ المَلكِ مِن آفاتِهِ

لَم يَمنَعِ اِبنَ المَلكِ مِن آفاتِهِ

عُوَذٌ تُناطُ بِكَشحِهِ وَمَراسِلُ

عُوَذٌ تُناطُ بِكَشحِهِ وَمَراسِلُ

The king's son was not protected from his afflictions

No talisman tied on the arm of a prince

by amulets hung at his flank, nor by necklaces.

Wards off harms that beset him or his retinue.

سَقياً لِطيبِ العَصرِ لَو أَنَّ الفَتى

سَقياً لِطيبِ العَصرِ لَو أَنَّ الفَتى

بِالمُرغِباتِ إِلى بَقاءٍ واسِلُ

بِالمُرغِباتِ إِلى بَقاءٍ واسِلُ

May rain bless the sweetness of the age—if only a young man

It would have sustained the flower of the age if only

could, through its delights, find a way to lasting life.

The youth had clung through enticements to lasting existence.

فَالرَوضُ مَجنونٌ وَما حَمَلَ الثَرى

فَالرَوضُ مَجنونٌ وَما حَمَلَ الثَرى

غِلّاً وَلَكِن لِلوَميضِ سَلاسِلُ

غِلّاً وَلَكِن لِلوَميضِ سَلاسِلُ

For the meadow is mad with growth, and the earth does not bear

The meadow has gone mad, and earth bore no malice,

rancor; yet lightning has chains.

But rather had fetters to restrain its flashing light.

أَجَأٌ أُجيءَ إِلى الحُتوفِ قَطينُهُ

أَجَأٌ أُجيءَ إِلى الحُتوفِ قَطينُهُ

فَمَضى وَواسَلَ بِالمَنونِ مَواسِلُ

فَمَضى وَواسَلَ بِالمَنونِ مَواسِلُ

Aja—its inhabitants were driven to their deaths;

A heavy rain comes flooding the furrows -

so they passed away, and Mawasil joined them in death.

It passes, and a stream mingles with the fleeting stream.