ما كانَ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا بَنو زَمَنٍ

ما كانَ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا بَنو زَمَنٍ

إِلّا وَعِندِيَ مِن أَخبارِهِم طَرَفُ

إِلّا وَعِندِيَ مِن أَخبارِهِم طَرَفُ

Never have the sons of any age lived in this world

There were no people in this world, in any age

Without my knowing some part of their stories.

That I don't have some news about them

يُخَبِّرُ العَقلُ أَنَّ القَومَ ما كَرُموا

يُخَبِّرُ العَقلُ أَنَّ القَومَ ما كَرُموا

وَلا أَفادوا وَلا طابوا وَلا عَرَفوا

وَلا أَفادوا وَلا طابوا وَلا عَرَفوا

Reason declares that those people were not noble,

Reason informs that these people were not virtuous

Nor did they bring benefit, nor were they good, nor did they know.

Or beneficial, or good natured, or discerning

عاشوا قَليلاً وَما جوا في ضَلالَتِهِم

عاشوا قَليلاً وَما جوا في ضَلالَتِهِم

وَلا يَفوزونَ إِن جُوزوا بِما اِقتَرَفوا

وَلا يَفوزونَ إِن جُوزوا بِما اِقتَرَفوا

They lived briefly and floundered in their error;

They lived briefly, lost in their misguidance

Nor will they prosper if requited for what they committed.

And will not succeed, for their misdeeds

إِذا شَقيتَ فَجِسمٌ نالَهُ نَصَبٌ

إِذا شَقيتَ فَجِسمٌ نالَهُ نَصَبٌ

وَإِن تُرِفتَ فَماذا يَنفَعُ التَرَفُ

وَإِن تُرِفتَ فَماذا يَنفَعُ التَرَفُ

If you suffer, it is a body that weariness has afflicted;

If you suffer, your body bears the hardship

And if you are pampered, what use is luxury?

And if you live soft, what good is that luxury?

يا أُمَّ دَفرٍ لَحاكِ اللَهُ والِدَةً

يا أُمَّ دَفرٍ لَحاكِ اللَهُ والِدَةً

مِنكِ الإِضاعَةُ وَالتَفريطُ وَالسَرفُ

مِنكِ الإِضاعَةُ وَالتَفريطُ وَالسَرفُ

O Mother of Stench, may God curse you as a mother!

Oh mother of Dafar, may God make you a mother

From you come waste, neglect, and excess.

From you comes waste, negligence and indulgence

لَو أَنَّكَ العِرسُ أَوقَعتُ الطَلاقَ بِها

لَو أَنَّكَ العِرسُ أَوقَعتُ الطَلاقَ بِها

لَكِنَّكَ الأُمُّ هَل لي عَنكِ مُنصَرَفُ

لَكِنَّكَ الأُمُّ هَل لي عَنكِ مُنصَرَفُ

Were you a wife, I would pronounce divorce upon her;

If you were my bride, I'd divorce you

But you are the mother: have I any escape from you?

But you're my mother - can I turn away from you?

وَلَن يُصيبَ خُفاقاً مَن يُقايِضُهُ

وَلَن يُصيبَ خُفاقاً مَن يُقايِضُهُ

يَوماً بِنُدبَةَ لَمّا فاتَها الشَرَفُ

يَوماً بِنُدبَةَ لَمّا فاتَها الشَرَفُ

Nor will anyone who barters for him obtain Khufaq

And one who trades it for a day will not lose dignity

One day in exchange for Nudbah, since nobility has eluded her.

When honor has passed it by

قالَت رِجالٌ عُقولُ الشُهُبِ وافِرَةٌ

قالَت رِجالٌ عُقولُ الشُهُبِ وافِرَةٌ

لَو صَحَّ ذَلِكَ قُلنا مَسَّها خَرَفُ

لَو صَحَّ ذَلِكَ قُلنا مَسَّها خَرَفُ

Men have said, “The bright stars have ample intelligence.”

Men say mature minds abundant

If that were true, we would say, “Senility has touched them.”

If that were true, we'd say they're senile