أَمّا الزَمانُ فَأَوقاتٌ مُواصَلَةٌ

أَمّا الزَمانُ فَأَوقاتٌ مُواصَلَةٌ

يا سَعدُ وَيحَكَ هَل أَحسَستَ مَن بُلَعُ

يا سَعدُ وَيحَكَ هَل أَحسَستَ مَن بُلَعُ

As for time, it is moments joined together.

As for time, it is a series of moments,

O Saʿd, alas for you! Have you sensed who Bulaʿ, the Devourer, is?

O Saad! Woe to you! Have you felt who swallows you?

أَسرِر جَميلَكَ وَاِفعَل ما هَمَمتَ بِهِ

أَسرِر جَميلَكَ وَاِفعَل ما هَمَمتَ بِهِ

إِنَّ المَليكَ عَلى الأَسرارِ مُطَّلِعُ

إِنَّ المَليكَ عَلى الأَسرارِ مُطَّلِعُ

Conceal your good deeds, and do what you have resolved upon.

Hide your beauty and do what you intended,

Indeed, the Sovereign is aware of secrets.

Indeed the King is aware of secrets.

وَلِتَركَبِ الجِنحَ لا عَوداً وَلا فَرَساً

وَلِتَركَبِ الجِنحَ لا عَوداً وَلا فَرَساً

كَأَنَّما الشُهُبُ فيهِ الأَينَقُ الظُلُعُ

كَأَنَّما الشُهُبُ فيهِ الأَينَقُ الظُلُعُ

And ride the darkness of night, not an old camel or a horse,

To fly the wings requires no stick or horse.

As though the stars within it were limping she-camels.

As if the meteors in them the one carefully selected.

وَما الهِلالُ بِظَفرِ اللَيثِ تَرهَبُهُ

وَما الهِلالُ بِظَفرِ اللَيثِ تَرهَبُهُ

لَكِنَّهُ مِن بَقايا آكِلٍ صَلَعُ

لَكِنَّهُ مِن بَقايا آكِلٍ صَلَعُ

And the crescent is no lion's claw for you to fear;

And the crescent is not intimidated by the lion’s claws,

Rather, it is a bare scrap left by a devourer.

But it is from the remnants of a bare eater.

وَالشَريُ يوجَدُ في أَعقابِهِ ضَرَبٌ

وَالشَريُ يوجَدُ في أَعقابِهِ ضَرَبٌ

خَيرٌ مِنَ الأَريِ في أَعقابِهِ سَلَعُ

خَيرٌ مِنَ الأَريِ في أَعقابِهِ سَلَعُ

And colocynth with thick honey following in its wake

And evil is found in its consequences a kind of harm,

Is better than honey with bitter herbs in its wake.

Better than good in its consequences a kind of fault.

وَإِن جَهِلتَ هَداكَ اللَهُ مِن كِبَرٍ

وَإِن جَهِلتَ هَداكَ اللَهُ مِن كِبَرٍ

فَكُلُّ طودٍ مُنيفٍ شَأنُهُ الصَلَعُ

فَكُلُّ طودٍ مُنيفٍ شَأنُهُ الصَلَعُ

And if old age makes you foolish—may God guide you—

And if you do not know, God guides you from arrogance,

For every lofty mountain has baldness as its lot.

Then every high dune’s condition is bare.

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ إِذا طَلَّقتَها بَذَلَت

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ إِذا طَلَّقتَها بَذَلَت

رِفداً وَكانَت كَعِرسٍ حينَ تَختَلِعُ

رِفداً وَكانَت كَعِرسٍ حينَ تَختَلِعُ

And Umm Dafr—the world—when you divorce her, offers

And a divorced mother, if you divorce her, offers ransom

A gift, becoming like a wife who buys her release.

And she was like a bride when taking off her garment.

وَسِرتُ عُمري إِلى قَبري عَلى مَهلٍ

وَسِرتُ عُمري إِلى قَبري عَلى مَهلٍ

وَقَد دَنَوتُ فَحُقَّ الخَوفُ وَالهَلَعُ

وَقَد دَنَوتُ فَحُقَّ الخَوفُ وَالهَلَعُ

And all my life I have journeyed slowly toward my grave;

And I passed my life to my grave at a leisurely pace.

And now I have drawn near, so fear and panic are justified.

And I drew near so the fear and terror are rightful.

وَما نَحُنُ أُم ما بَرايا عالَمٍ كُثُرٍ

وَما نَحُنُ أُم ما بَرايا عالَمٍ كُثُرٍ

في قُدرَةٍ بَعضُها الأَفلاكَ يَبتَلِعُ

في قُدرَةٍ بَعضُها الأَفلاكَ يَبتَلِعُ

And what are we—or what are a world's many creatures—

And we are not the mother of the multitudes of a big world,

Before a power, part of which swallows the celestial spheres?

With the power for some spheres to swallow.

تَهَزَّمَ الرَعدُ حَتّى خِلتُهُ أَسَداً

تَهَزَّمَ الرَعدُ حَتّى خِلتُهُ أَسَداً

أَمامَهُ مِن بُروقٍ أَلسُنٌ دُلَعُ

أَمامَهُ مِن بُروقٍ أَلسُنٌ دُلَعُ

Thunder rumbled until I imagined it a lion;

Thunder was defeated until I saw it as a lion

Before it were outstretched tongues of lightning.

In front of which bolts of lighting are playful tongues.