ما أَقبَحَ المَينَ قُلتُم لَم يَشِب أَحَدٌ

ما أَقبَحَ المَينَ قُلتُم لَم يَشِب أَحَدٌ

حَتّى أَتى الشَيبُ إِبراهيمَ عَن أُمَمِ

حَتّى أَتى الشَيبُ إِبراهيمَ عَن أُمَمِ

How ugly falsehood is! You said no one had grown gray

How ugly is blame! You said no one grows old

Until gray hair came upon Abraham at close quarters.

Until old age came upon Abraham among the nations

كَذَبتُمُ وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ شاهِدَةٌ

كَذَبتُمُ وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ شاهِدَةٌ

إِنَّ المَشيبَ قَديماً حَلَّ في اللِمَمِ

إِنَّ المَشيبَ قَديماً حَلَّ في اللِمَمِ

You lied, and the stars of night bear witness:

You lied, and the stars of the night bear witness

Indeed, gray hair settled in locks long ago.

That gray hair has long dwelled in the tents

هَذا البَياضُ رَسولُ المَوتِ يَبعَثُهُ

هَذا البَياضُ رَسولُ المَوتِ يَبعَثُهُ

في كُلِّ عَصرٍ إِلى الأَجيالِ وَالأُمَمُ

في كُلِّ عَصرٍ إِلى الأَجيالِ وَالأُمَمُ

This whiteness is Death's messenger, whom he sends

This whiteness is a messenger of death sent

In every age to generations and nations.

In every age to generations and tribes

وَما أَسيتُ عَلى الدُنيا مُزايَلَةً

وَما أَسيتُ عَلى الدُنيا مُزايَلَةً

وَلا تَأَسَّت عَلى البالي مِنَ الرِمَمِ

وَلا تَأَسَّت عَلى البالي مِنَ الرِمَمِ

And I did not grieve for the world when we parted,

And I have not grieved over parting with this world

Nor did she mourn the decaying one among the crumbling bones.

Nor has the ruined one grieved over rubble

شَقَّت وَعَقَّت وَلَم أَحمُد وَلا حَمَدَت

شَقَّت وَعَقَّت وَلَم أَحمُد وَلا حَمَدَت

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفنا كِلانا سَيِّئُ الهِمَمِ

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفنا كِلانا سَيِّئُ الهِمَمِ

She caused hardship and was disloyal; I praised her not, nor she me.

It cracked and collapsed, and I neither praised nor was praised

Then we turned away, both of us base in our intentions.

Then we both turned away, both wretched of purpose

وَرَغبَتي في بَنيها غَيرُ كائِنَةٍ

وَرَغبَتي في بَنيها غَيرُ كائِنَةٍ

وَكَيفَ يَرغَبُ خِدنُ العَقلِ في اللَمَمِ

وَكَيفَ يَرغَبُ خِدنُ العَقلِ في اللَمَمِ

And I have no desire for her sons;

And my desire for its children will not come to pass

And how could reason's companion desire madness?

How can the cheek of reason desire rubble?

لا خَيرَ فيهِم وَإِن هُم عَظَّموا رَجَباً

لا خَيرَ فيهِم وَإِن هُم عَظَّموا رَجَباً

دونَ الشُهورِ فَقَد شانوهُ بِالصَمَمِ

دونَ الشُهورِ فَقَد شانوهُ بِالصَمَمِ

There is no good in them, though they exalt Rajab

There is no good in them, though they exalt Rajab

Above the other months, for they have marred it with deafness.

Above the months, so they have deafened it with blindness

لَم تُعطِ قَطُّ أُنوفاً جُدِّعَت شَمَماً

لَم تُعطِ قَطُّ أُنوفاً جُدِّعَت شَمَماً

فَلَيتَ كَفَّكَ لَم تَجدَع أَخا الشَمَمِ

فَلَيتَ كَفَّكَ لَم تَجدَع أَخا الشَمَمِ

You never gave mutilated noses proud height;

Snub noses that were cut off never smelled roses

So, if only your hand had not cut off a proud man's nose!

If only your hand had not cut off the nose of the snub-nosed one

لا تُحكمِ العَقدَ في حِلفٍ وَلا عِدَةٍ

لا تُحكمِ العَقدَ في حِلفٍ وَلا عِدَةٍ

فَإِنَّ طَبعَكَ يُدعى ناقِضَ الذِمَمِ

فَإِنَّ طَبعَكَ يُدعى ناقِضَ الذِمَمِ

Do not tighten the knot of an alliance or a promise,

Do not tie the knot in an oath or period of waiting

For your nature is called a breaker of covenants.

For your nature is called violator of pacts

وَلِلزَمانِ مَغارٌ في نُفوسِهُمُ

وَلِلزَمانِ مَغارٌ في نُفوسِهُمُ

يَكفيكَ أَن تَضَعَ الهِندِيَّ بِالقِمَمِ

يَكفيكَ أَن تَضَعَ الهِندِيَّ بِالقِمَمِ

And Time has an inroad into their lives;

And time has a cave in their souls

You need only lay the Indian sword upon their heads.

It is enough for you to put the Indian in ruins