إِذا كانَ لَم يَقتُر عَلَيكَ عَطاءَهُ

إِذا كانَ لَم يَقتُر عَلَيكَ عَطاءَهُ

إِلَهُكَ فَليَهجُر أَنامِلَكَ القَترُ

إِلَهُكَ فَليَهجُر أَنامِلَكَ القَترُ

If He has not stinted His bounty toward you—

If your God did not grant you his gifts

your God—then let miserliness forsake your fingertips.

Then may leanness leave your fingers fruitless

وَنَحنُ بَنو الدَهرِ الَّذي هُوَ خاتِرٌ

وَنَحنُ بَنو الدَهرِ الَّذي هُوَ خاتِرٌ

فَلَيسَ بِناءٍ مِن خَلائِقِنا الخَترُ

فَلَيسَ بِناءٍ مِن خَلائِقِنا الخَترُ

And we are the sons of Time, who is treacherous;

Yet we are the sons of time that decides all

so treachery is not far removed from our natures.

So from our nature springs no barrenness

أُمورٌ شَجَت إِن لَم تَتِمَّ فَإِنَّها

أُمورٌ شَجَت إِن لَم تَتِمَّ فَإِنَّها

أَراقِمُ تُزجي الحَتفَ أَذنابُها البُترُ

أَراقِمُ تُزجي الحَتفَ أَذنابُها البُترُ

Affairs that cause grief, if left unfinished, are

Doomed affairs, if unfulfilled, still they

speckled serpents whose truncated tails bring death.

Are writs that scourge the back and dock the tail

وَلَم يَحمِ ظَبياً نافِراً كَونُ مَسكِهِ

وَلَم يَحمِ ظَبياً نافِراً كَونُ مَسكِهِ

عَتيرَةَ مِسكٍ أَن يُلِمَّ بِهِ العَترُ

عَتيرَةَ مِسكٍ أَن يُلِمَّ بِهِ العَترُ

Nor was a fleeing gazelle saved—by its hide's being

Nor did a muskbuck's bearing musk defend

a pouch of musk—from slaughter befalling it.

Its sweet breath from the plunderer's hands avails

وَحُبُّكَ هَذي الدارَ أُسُّ إِمامَةٍ

وَحُبُّكَ هَذي الدارَ أُسُّ إِمامَةٍ

لِجَهلِكَ وَالبادي عَلى باطِنٍ سِترُ

لِجَهلِكَ وَالبادي عَلى باطِنٍ سِترُ

And your love of this abode is the foundation of rule

Your love of this house is prime foolishness

for your ignorance; the outward is a veil over the inward.

For your blindness, though the cheat hides his secret well

عَجِبتُ لِرَكبِ المَوجِ يَرجونَ كَوكَباً

عَجِبتُ لِرَكبِ المَوجِ يَرجونَ كَوكَباً

وَجَيشُ المَنايا مِن نُفوسِهِمُ فِترُ

وَجَيشُ المَنايا مِن نُفوسِهِمُ فِترُ

I marvel at the riders of the waves who hope for a star,

I wonder that riders hope for a star

while death's army is a short span from their souls.

While their souls' concourse is but a crumbling shell

مُدامَةُ سِنٍّ وافَقَتها مُدامَةٌ

مُدامَةُ سِنٍّ وافَقَتها مُدامَةٌ

إِذا هِيَ دَبَّت فَالعِظامُ بِها فَترُ

إِذا هِيَ دَبَّت فَالعِظامُ بِها فَترُ

The wine of age and the wine that joins it—

A vinegary temper time has brought to bear

when it creeps through, the bones are weakened by it—

Once it gathers force the bones it gnaws bare

تَغولانِ لُبَّ المَرءِ مِن كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ

تَغولانِ لُبَّ المَرءِ مِن كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ

فَكِلتاهُما يَغشاكَ أَن يَغلِبَ الهُترُ

فَكِلتاهُما يَغشاكَ أَن يَغلِبَ الهُترُ

both ravage a man's reason from every side;

Greed and need from every side accost a man

for either brings overpowering dotage upon you.

So that each of these two threatens to rob and tan