تَداوَلَني صُبحٌ وَمِسيٌ وَحِندِسٌ

تَداوَلَني صُبحٌ وَمِسيٌ وَحِندِسٌ

وَمَرَّ عَلَيَّ اليَومُ وَالغَدُ وَالأَمسُ

وَمَرَّ عَلَيَّ اليَومُ وَالغَدُ وَالأَمسُ

Morning, evening, and pitch-dark night have taken turns with me;

Morning, evening, and noon have passed me by,

and today, tomorrow, and yesterday have passed over me.

And yesterday, today, and tomorrow went by.

يُضيءُ نَهارٌ ثُمَّ يُخدِرُ مُظلِمٌ

يُضيءُ نَهارٌ ثُمَّ يُخدِرُ مُظلِمٌ

وَيَطلُعُ بَدرٌ ثُمَّ تُعقِبُهُ شَمسُ

وَيَطلُعُ بَدرٌ ثُمَّ تُعقِبُهُ شَمسُ

A day shines, then a dark night shrouds me;

A day lights up, then nighttime makes it dim,

and a full moon rises, then a sun follows it.

The full moon rises, then the sun overtakes it.

أَسيرُ عَنِ الدُنَيا وَما أَنا ذاكِرٌ

أَسيرُ عَنِ الدُنَيا وَما أَنا ذاكِرٌ

لَها بِسَلامٍ إِنَّ أَحداثَها حُمسُ

لَها بِسَلامٍ إِنَّ أَحداثَها حُمسُ

I depart from this world, and shall not bid

I depart from this world, not remembering it,

it peace: its calamities are fierce.

For its events are insignificant.

صَرورَةَ ما حالينِ ما لِكِعابِها

صَرورَةَ ما حالينِ ما لِكِعابِها

وَلا الرُكنِ تَقبيلٌ لَدَيَّ وَلا لَمسُ

وَلا الرُكنِ تَقبيلٌ لَدَيَّ وَلا لَمسُ

Uninitiated in two ways: neither its maidens

The obligatory rituals are a burden to me,

nor the Corner have I kissed or touched.

Neither kissing nor touching the Black Stone appeals to me.

وَلَم أَرِثِ النِصفَ الفَتاةَ وَلَم تَرِث

وَلَم أَرِثِ النِصفَ الفَتاةَ وَلَم تَرِث

بِيَ الرَبعَ بَل رِبعٌ تَطاوَلَ أَو خِمسُ

بِيَ الرَبعَ بَل رِبعٌ تَطاوَلَ أَو خِمسُ

I have inherited no half-share from a maiden, nor has she inherited

I did not inherit half of the girl, and she did not inherit

a quarter from me—rather, lingering quartan fever, or quintan fever.

A quarter of me, but a quarter has gone by or five.

لَعَمري لَقَد جاوَزتُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

لَعَمري لَقَد جاوَزتُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

وَحَسبِيَ عَشرٌ في الشَدائِدِ أَو خَمسُ

وَحَسبِيَ عَشرٌ في الشَدائِدِ أَو خَمسُ

By my life, I have passed fifty years;

By my life, I have certainly passed fifty pilgrimages,

and ten amid hardships would suffice me—or five.

And ten or five are enough for me in hardships.

وَإِن ذَهَبَت كَالفَيءِ فَهِيَ كَمَغنَمٍ

وَإِن ذَهَبَت كَالفَيءِ فَهِيَ كَمَغنَمٍ

يُحازُ وَلم يُفرَد لِخالِقِهِ الخُمسُ

يُحازُ وَلم يُفرَد لِخالِقِهِ الخُمسُ

And though they passed like shade, they are like booty

If it goes like war booty, then it is like a gain

seized, with no fifth set aside for its Creator.

That is kept, with a fifth not set aside for its Creator.

فَلِلخَبِرِ المَروى وَلِلعالَمِ القِلى

فَلِلخَبِرِ المَروى وَلِلعالَمِ القِلى

وَلِلجَسَدِ المَثوى وَلِلأَثَرِ الطَمسُ

وَلِلجَسَدِ المَثوى وَلِلأَثَرِ الطَمسُ

So for the experienced, the telling; for the world, loathing;

So credit is due to the narrated news and the wise scholar,

and for the body, the resting place; for the trace, erasure.

And to the body its abode, and to the trace its being covered over.

بَدارِ بَدارِ الخَيرَ يا قَلبِ تائِباً

بَدارِ بَدارِ الخَيرَ يا قَلبِ تائِباً

أَلَستَ بِدارٍ أَنَّ مَنزِلِيَ الرَمسُ

أَلَستَ بِدارٍ أَنَّ مَنزِلِيَ الرَمسُ

Hasten, hasten to goodness, O my heart, repentant!

To the Abode, the Abode of Goodness, O repentant heart,

Are you not aware that my dwelling is the grave?

Are you not in an abode whose dweller is buried in the sand?

وَأَجهَرُ حياً ثُمَّ أَهمُسُ تارَةً

وَأَجهَرُ حياً ثُمَّ أَهمُسُ تارَةً

وَسِيّانِ عِندَ الواحِدِ الجَهرُ وَالهَمسُ

وَسِيّانِ عِندَ الواحِدِ الجَهرُ وَالهَمسُ

And while alive I speak aloud, then sometimes whisper;

I call out alive, then whisper at times,

and to the One, loud speech and whispering are alike.

And to the One, speaking out and whispering are equal.

وَأَقمُسُ في لُجِّ النَوائِبِ طالِباً

وَأَقمُسُ في لُجِّ النَوائِبِ طالِباً

وَيُغرِقُني مِن دونِ لُؤلُؤِهِ القَمسُ

وَيُغرِقُني مِن دونِ لُؤلُؤِهِ القَمسُ

And I dive into the abyss of calamities, seeking,

I plunge into the depths of tribulations, seeking

and the dive drowns me before I reach its pearls.

And I am drowned by it without its pearls.

وَلَم أَكُ نِدّاً لِلكِلابيِّ أَبتَغي

وَلَم أَكُ نِدّاً لِلكِلابيِّ أَبتَغي

مِنَ السُؤرِ ما فيهِ لِذي شَنَبٍ غَمسِ

مِنَ السُؤرِ ما فيهِ لِذي شَنَبٍ غَمسِ

Nor was I a rival to al-Kilabi, seeking

I was no mocker of the dog to try to get

the leftover drink into which one with sweet, cool teeth had dipped their lips.

From the pictures what is dipped in filth for the one with a mustache.