غَدَوتَ مَريضَ العَقلِ وَالدينِ فَاِلقَني

غَدَوتَ مَريضَ العَقلِ وَالدينِ فَاِلقَني

لِتَسمَعَ أَنباءَ الأُمورِ الصَحائِحِ

لِتَسمَعَ أَنباءَ الأُمورِ الصَحائِحِ

You have grown sick in mind and faith; so meet me

You have become sick in mind and religion, so leave me

to hear reports of matters that are true.

To hear news of truthful matters

فَلا تَأكُلَن ما أَخرَجَ الماءُ ظالِماً

فَلا تَأكُلَن ما أَخرَجَ الماءُ ظالِماً

وَلا تَبغِ قوتاً مِن غَريضِ الذَبائِحِ

وَلا تَبغِ قوتاً مِن غَريضِ الذَبائِحِ

So never eat, unjustly, what the water has brought forth,

So do not eat what the water has produced unjustly

nor seek sustenance from the fresh flesh of slaughtered beasts,

And do not seek sustenance from the slaughter of sacrifices

وَأَبيَضَ أُمّاتٍ أَرادَت صَريحَهُ

وَأَبيَضَ أُمّاتٍ أَرادَت صَريحَهُ

لِأَطفالِها دونَ الغَواني الصَرائِحِ

لِأَطفالِها دونَ الغَواني الصَرائِحِ

nor mothers' white milk, which they intended in its purity

And the milk of mothers who wanted it clear

for their young, not for fair women of noble birth.

For their children, not the strange infants

وَلا تَفجَعَنَّ الطَيرَ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

وَلا تَفجَعَنَّ الطَيرَ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

بِما وَضَعَت فَالظُلمُ شَرُّ القَبائِحِ

بِما وَضَعَت فَالظُلمُ شَرُّ القَبائِحِ

And never bereave the birds, while they are unsuspecting,

And do not make the birds grieve while they are absent

of what they have laid; for injustice is the worst of vile deeds.

With what they have laid, for oppression is the worst of evils

وَدَع ضَربَ النَحلِ الَّذي بَكَرَت لَهُ

وَدَع ضَربَ النَحلِ الَّذي بَكَرَت لَهُ

كَواسِبَ مِن أَزهارِ نَبتٍ فَوائِحِ

كَواسِبَ مِن أَزهارِ نَبتٍ فَوائِحِ

And leave the bees' honey, for which they went out early,

And leave striking the bees that woke early for it

gathering from the fragrant flowers of plants.

Like earners from the blossoms of plants beginning to bloom

فَما أَحرَزَتهُ كَي يَكونَ لِغَيرِها

فَما أَحرَزَتهُ كَي يَكونَ لِغَيرِها

وَلا جَمَعَتهُ لِلنَدى وَالمَنائِحِ

وَلا جَمَعَتهُ لِلنَدى وَالمَنائِحِ

For they did not store it to belong to others,

For what they have gained, how can it be for others

nor gather it for generosity and gifts.

And they did not gather it for the dew and the drizzles

مَسَحتُ يَدَي مِن كُلِّ هَذا فَلَيتَني

مَسَحتُ يَدَي مِن كُلِّ هَذا فَلَيتَني

أَبَهتُ لِشَأني قَبلَ شَيبِ المَسائِحِ

أَبَهتُ لِشَأني قَبلَ شَيبِ المَسائِحِ

I have wiped my hands of all this; if only I

I have washed my hands of all this, if only I

had heeded my own affairs before my locks turned gray.

Had become confused about my affair before the graying of temples

بَني زَمني هَل تَعلَمونَ سَرائِراً

بَني زَمني هَل تَعلَمونَ سَرائِراً

عَلِمتُ وَلَكِنّي بِها غَيرُ بائِحِ

عَلِمتُ وَلَكِنّي بِها غَيرُ بائِحِ

Sons of my age, do you know secrets

Oh people of my time, do you know secrets

that I have learned, but do not disclose?

That I have known, but I do not expose them

سَرَيتُم عَلى غَيٍّ فَهَلّا اِهتَدَيتُمُ

سَرَيتُم عَلى غَيٍّ فَهَلّا اِهتَدَيتُمُ

بِما خَيَّرتُكُم صافِياتُ القَرائِحِ

بِما خَيَّرتُكُم صافِياتُ القَرائِحِ

You traveled by night in error; why did you not find guidance

You have insisted on going astray, why have you not been guided

through what clear intellects offered you to choose?

By what I presented you clearly?

وَصاحَ بِكُم داعِيَ الضَلالِ فَما لَكُم

وَصاحَ بِكُم داعِيَ الضَلالِ فَما لَكُم

أَجَبتُم عَلى ما خَيَّلَت كُلَّ صائِحِ

أَجَبتُم عَلى ما خَيَّلَت كُلَّ صائِحِ

And the caller to error shouted to you; what ails you,

And the caller to misguidance called you, so why did you

that you answered every caller as fancy prompted?

Respond to what every screamer imagined?

مَتّى ماكَشَفتُم عَن حَقائِقِ دينِكُم

مَتّى ماكَشَفتُم عَن حَقائِقِ دينِكُم

تَكَشَّفتُم عَن مُخزَياتِ الفَضائِحِ

تَكَشَّفتُم عَن مُخزَياتِ الفَضائِحِ

Whenever you uncover the truths of your religion,

When will you uncover the truths of your religion?

you expose yourselves, revealing shameful scandals.

You will uncover your shameful disgraces

فَإِن تَرشُدوا لا تَخضِبوا السَيفَ مِن دَمٍ

فَإِن تَرشُدوا لا تَخضِبوا السَيفَ مِن دَمٍ

وَلا تُلزِموا الأَميالَ سَبرَ الجَرائِحِ

وَلا تُلزِموا الأَميالَ سَبرَ الجَرائِحِ

So, if you follow right guidance, do not stain the sword with blood,

So if you are rightly guided, do not redden the sword with blood

nor make surgical probes explore wounds.

And do not obligate miles to probe wounds

وَيُعجِبُني دَأبُ الَّذينَ تَرَهَّبوا

وَيُعجِبُني دَأبُ الَّذينَ تَرَهَّبوا

سِوى أَكلِهِم كَدَّ النُفوسِ الشَحائِحِ

سِوى أَكلِهِم كَدَّ النُفوسِ الشَحائِحِ

And I admire the way of life of those who become monks,

And I like the way of those who became devout

except that they consume the toil of miserly souls.

Except their eating, the squeezing of stingy souls

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُم مَطعَماً في حَياتِهِ

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُم مَطعَماً في حَياتِهِ

سُعاةُ حَلالٍ بَينَ غَادٍ وَرائِحِ

سُعاةُ حَلالٍ بَينَ غَادٍ وَرائِحِ

And purer than they in what they eat throughout life

And more pleasant food in his life than them

are seekers of lawful earnings, going out morning and evening.

Is the seekers of lawful gains between present and coming

فَما حَبَسَ النَفسَ المَسيحُ تَعَبُّداً

فَما حَبَسَ النَفسَ المَسيحُ تَعَبُّداً

وَلَكِن مَشى في الأَرضِ مِشيَةَ سائِحِ

وَلَكِن مَشى في الأَرضِ مِشيَةَ سائِحِ

For the Messiah did not shut himself away in worship,

For the Christ did not detain the soul in devotion

but walked the earth with a wanderer's gait.

But walked the earth walking like a wanderer

يُغَيِّبُني في التُربِ مَن هُوَ كارِهٌ

يُغَيِّبُني في التُربِ مَن هُوَ كارِهٌ

إِذا لَم يُغَيِّبني كَريهُ الرَوائِحِ

إِذا لَم يُغَيِّبني كَريهُ الرَوائِحِ

One who is reluctant will bury me in the dust,

Burying me in dirt is he who hates me

if foul odors do not themselves bring about my burial;

If the stench does not bury me first

وَمَن يَتَوَقّى أَن يُجاوِرَ أَعظُماً

وَمَن يَتَوَقّى أَن يُجاوِرَ أَعظُماً

كَأَعظُمِ تِلكَ الهالِكاتِ الطَرائِحِ

كَأَعظُمِ تِلكَ الهالِكاتِ الطَرائِحِ

and so will one wary of dwelling beside bones

And whoever fears neighborly the greatest

like the bones of those dead, cast-off creatures.

Like the greatest of those vanished civilizations

وَمِن شَرِّ أَخلاقِ الأَنيسِ وَفِعلِهِم

وَمِن شَرِّ أَخلاقِ الأَنيسِ وَفِعلِهِم

خُوارُ النَواعي وَاِلتِدامُ النَوائِحِ

خُوارُ النَواعي وَاِلتِدامُ النَوائِحِ

And among the worst of people's traits and deeds

And of the worst morals of a companion and their actions

are the death-announcers' bellowing and the mourners' self-beating.

Is vile chanting and prolonged wailing

وَأَصفَحُ عَن ذَنبِ الصَديقِ وَغَيرِهِ

وَأَصفَحُ عَن ذَنبِ الصَديقِ وَغَيرِهِ

لِسُكنايَ بَيتَ الحَقِّ بَينَ الصَفائِحِ

لِسُكنايَ بَيتَ الحَقِّ بَينَ الصَفائِحِ

And I pardon the fault of a friend and of others,

And I pardon a friend's sin and another's

for I shall dwell in the house of truth, among stone slabs.

To settle the house of truth among the pure

وَأَزهَدُ في مَدحِ الفَتى عِندَ صِدقِهِ

وَأَزهَدُ في مَدحِ الفَتى عِندَ صِدقِهِ

فَكَيفَ قُبولي كاذِباتِ المَدائِحِ

فَكَيفَ قُبولي كاذِباتِ المَدائِحِ

And I shun a young man's praise even when he is truthful;

And I care little for praising the youth in his honesty

how, then, could I accept false praises?

So how can I accept the liars' praises?

وَما زالَت النَفسُ اللَجوجُ مَطِيَّةً

وَما زالَت النَفسُ اللَجوجُ مَطِيَّةً

إِلى أَن غَدَت إِحدى الرَذايا الطَلائِحِ

إِلى أَن غَدَت إِحدى الرَذايا الطَلائِحِ

And the obstinate soul remained a riding beast,

And the stubborn soul has not stopped being led

until it became one of the broken-down, exhausted beasts.

To become one of the scattered perversities

وَما يَنفَعُ الإِنسانَ أَنَّ غَمائِماً

وَما يَنفَعُ الإِنسانَ أَنَّ غَمائِماً

تَسُحُّ عَلَيهِ تَحتَ إِحدى الضَرائِحِ

تَسُحُّ عَلَيهِ تَحتَ إِحدى الضَرائِحِ

And it does a person no good that clouds

And it does not benefit man that clouds

pour down upon him beneath one of the tombs.

Pass over him under one of the tents

وَلَو كانَ في قُربٍ مِنَ الماءِ رَغبَةٌ

وَلَو كانَ في قُربٍ مِنَ الماءِ رَغبَةٌ

لَنافَسَ ناسٌ في قُبورِ البَطائِحِ

لَنافَسَ ناسٌ في قُبورِ البَطائِحِ

And if nearness to water were something to desire,

And if there was a desire in some for water

people would vie for graves in the marshlands.

People would compete in the graves of the fallen