حَديثٌ عَلى العالِمينَ التَبَك

حَديثٌ عَلى العالِمينَ التَبَك

فَبكِّ عَلى الناسِ أَو لا تُبك

فَبكِّ عَلى الناسِ أَو لا تُبك

An account has grown tangled for the learned.

Lament for humankind, weep or refrain,

So raise a lament for the people—or do not.

As they march unrestrained like birds in a snare.

وَهُم يَنتَزونَ وَلا يُحجَزونَ

وَهُم يَنتَزونَ وَلا يُحجَزونَ

كَأَنَّهُمُ الطَيرُ تَحتَ الشَبَك

كَأَنَّهُمُ الطَيرُ تَحتَ الشَبَك

And they leap about, unrestrained,

No molded gold nor forged steel,

Like birds beneath a net.

Immortalizes kings whose ashes time will bare.

وَما يُخلِدُ المَلِكَ الآدَميَّ

وَما يُخلِدُ المَلِكَ الآدَميَّ

لا ما أَذابَ وَلا ما سَبَك

لا ما أَذابَ وَلا ما سَبَك

And nothing makes the human king immortal—

Can the knight evade his fate?

Neither what he melted nor what he cast.

His coat of mail, however well knit, Death will tear.

وَهَل يَمنَعُ الفارِسَ المُستَمي

وَهَل يَمنَعُ الفارِسَ المُستَمي

تَ ما خاطَ زَرّادُه أَو حَبَك

تَ ما خاطَ زَرّادُه أَو حَبَك

And can the horseman fighting to the death be protected

My God! Lord of all creation, Lord of life and decay!

By what his armorer stitched or wove?

I asked one learned about You, he stumbled in what to say.

وَإِن إِلهي إِنَّهُ السَما

وَإِن إِلهي إِنَّهُ السَما

ءِ رَبُّ الوُهودِ وَرَبُّ النَبك

ءِ رَبُّ الوُهودِ وَرَبُّ النَبك

And indeed my God—He is [God of] heaven,

Exalted beyond comprehension, Your greatness encompasses

Lord of hollows and Lord of hillocks.

The frail spider web, the mighty lion's lair.

سَأَلتُ المُحَدِّثَ عَن شَأنِهِ

سَأَلتُ المُحَدِّثَ عَن شَأنِهِ

فَما زالَ يَضعُفُ حَتّى اِرتَبَك

فَما زالَ يَضعُفُ حَتّى اِرتَبَك

I asked the narrator about His nature;

In Baalbek did Amr drink to excess?

He kept growing weaker until he became confused.

He shunned his cup, was that wise or unfair?

وَعُلوَيُّ أَقدارِهِ جامِعٌ

وَعُلوَيُّ أَقدارِهِ جامِعٌ

هِزَبرَ العَرينِ وَعِلجَ الأَبَك

هِزَبرَ العَرينِ وَعِلجَ الأَبَك

And the loftiness of His decrees brings together

The lion of the lair and the wild ass among the hemp.

لَقَد بَعِلَ المَرءُ عَمرٌو بِها

لَقَد بَعِلَ المَرءُ عَمرٌو بِها

فَصُدَّ عَنِ الكاسِ في بَعلَبَك

فَصُدَّ عَنِ الكاسِ في بَعلَبَك

The man Amr was indeed bewildered by it,

So he was barred from the cup in Baalbek.