ما يَفتَأُ المَرءُ وَالأَبرادُ يُخلِقُها

ما يَفتَأُ المَرءُ وَالأَبرادُ يُخلِقُها

بِاللُبسِ عَصراً إِلى أَن يَلبَسَ الكِبرا

بِاللُبسِ عَصراً إِلى أَن يَلبَسَ الكِبرا

A man keeps wearing his cloaks threadbare,

Man does not cease to wear out coats,

through years of use, until he puts on old age.

Until old age makes him don the coat of mail,

وَذاكَ بُردٌ إِذا ما اِجتابَهُ رَجُلٌ

وَذاكَ بُردٌ إِذا ما اِجتابَهُ رَجُلٌ

أَلغى الحُبورَ وَأَلقى بِالفَمِ الحَبَرا

أَلغى الحُبورَ وَأَلقى بِالفَمِ الحَبَرا

And that is a cloak which, when a man dons it,

And that is a coat which, when a man puts it on,

banishes joy and stains the teeth yellow.

Cancels pleasure and casts away sport,

يا ساكِني الأَرضِ كَم رَكبٍ سَأَلتُهُمُ

يا ساكِني الأَرضِ كَم رَكبٍ سَأَلتُهُمُ

بِما فَعَلتُم فَلَم أَعرِف لَكُم خَبَرا

بِما فَعَلتُم فَلَم أَعرِف لَكُم خَبَرا

O dwellers of the earth, how many bands of riders have I asked

O dwellers in the dust, how many a rider have I asked

about what became of you, yet learned no news of you!

About their deeds, but have not found news of them,

زالَت خُطوبٌ فَلَم تُذكَر شَدائِدُها

زالَت خُطوبٌ فَلَم تُذكَر شَدائِدُها

وَالعَودُ يَنسى إِذا ما أُعفِيَ الدَبَرا

وَالعَودُ يَنسى إِذا ما أُعفِيَ الدَبَرا

Calamities passed, and their hardships went unremembered;

Ordeals have passed and their afflictions are not remembered,

and the old camel forgets its saddle sores once given rest.

And the flute forgets when the patch is torn away,

وَلَن تَصيبوا مِنَ الدُنيا سِوى صَبَرٍ

وَلَن تَصيبوا مِنَ الدُنيا سِوى صَبَرٍ

حَتّى تَكونوا عَلى أَحداثِها صُبُرا

حَتّى تَكونوا عَلى أَحداثِها صُبُرا

And you will gain nothing from this world but bitter aloes,

You will only obtain from this life endurance,

until you bear its calamities patiently.

Until you become patient toward its events,

وَحُبُّها وَهِيَ مُذ كانَت مُحَبَّبَةٌ

وَحُبُّها وَهِيَ مُذ كانَت مُحَبَّبَةٌ

أَقامَ داوُدُ يَتلو لَيلَهُ الزُبُرا

أَقامَ داوُدُ يَتلو لَيلَهُ الزُبُرا

And love of the world—beloved ever since it came to be—

And its love, while it was lovable,

kept David standing through the night, reciting the Psalms.

Kept David moaning nightlong through the Psalms,

دُنياكُمُ لَكُمُ دوني حَكَمتُ بِها

دُنياكُمُ لَكُمُ دوني حَكَمتُ بِها

حُكمَ اِبنِ عَجلانَ يَجنيها الَّذي أَبَرا

حُكمَ اِبنِ عَجلانَ يَجنيها الَّذي أَبَرا

Your world is yours, not mine; I have ruled on it

Your life is yours without me, I have decreed regarding it

by Ibn Ajlan's judgment: he who pollinated it reaps it.

The decree of the son of Ajlân who harvested it when it ripened,

أَما رَأَيتَ فَقيهَ المِصرِ أَقبَلَ مِن

أَما رَأَيتَ فَقيهَ المِصرِ أَقبَلَ مِن

دَفنِ الصَديقِ فَلَم يوعَظ بِمَن قَبَرا

دَفنِ الصَديقِ فَلَم يوعَظ بِمَن قَبَرا

Have you not seen the city's jurist coming from

Have you not seen the jurist of Egypt come from

the burial of a friend, yet taking no warning from the one he buried?

Burying his friend but he did not preach to the buried,

أَنتَ اِبنُ وَقتِكَ وَالماضي حَديثُ كَرىً

أَنتَ اِبنُ وَقتِكَ وَالماضي حَديثُ كَرىً

وَلا حَلاوَةَ لِلباقي الَّذي غَبَرا

وَلا حَلاوَةَ لِلباقي الَّذي غَبَرا

You are the child of your moment; the past is a tale told in sleep,

You are the son of your time, and the past is news of ruin,

and there is no sweetness in the time that still remains.

And no sweetness is left in what is faded and dusty,

وَيَعبُرُ الحَيُّ بِالخالي فَيَعبَرُهُ

وَيَعبُرُ الحَيُّ بِالخالي فَيَعبَرُهُ

وَكَم رَأى ذاتَ أَلوانٍ فَما اِعتَبَرا

وَكَم رَأى ذاتَ أَلوانٍ فَما اِعتَبَرا

And the living man passes by the departed and weeps for him;

The living passes by the departed and so passes him,

and how often he has seen the many-hued world, yet learned no lesson!

And how many varied forms has he seen but not taken example!