لَو كُنتَ رائِدَ قَومٍ ظاعِنينَ إِلى

لَو كُنتَ رائِدَ قَومٍ ظاعِنينَ إِلى

دُنياكَ هَذي لَما أَلفَيتَ كَذّابا

دُنياكَ هَذي لَما أَلفَيتَ كَذّابا

Had I gone ahead as scout for a people journeying toward

If you were a scout for people journeying to

this world of yours, you would not have found me a liar.

this world of yours, you would not be deemed a liar.

لَقُلتَ تِلكَ بِلادٌ نَبتُها سَقَمٌ

لَقُلتَ تِلكَ بِلادٌ نَبتُها سَقَمٌ

وَماؤُها العَذبُ سُمٌّ لِلفَتى ذابا

وَماؤُها العَذبُ سُمٌّ لِلفَتى ذابا

I would have said: “That is a land whose growth is sickness,

You would say: that is a land whose vegetation is sickness,

whose sweet water is poison to the youth, who wastes away.

and its sweet water is poison dissolved for a young man.

هِيَ العَذابُ فَجُدّوا في تَرَحُّلِكُم

هِيَ العَذابُ فَجُدّوا في تَرَحُّلِكُم

إِلى سِواها وَخَلّوا الدارَ إِعذابا

إِلى سِواها وَخَلّوا الدارَ إِعذابا

It is torment itself; be resolute, then, in your departure

It is torment; so be earnest in your departure

to somewhere else, and quit the abode, renouncing it.

to somewhere else, and forsake the abode entirely.

وَما تَهَذَّبَ يَومٌ مِن مَكارِهِها

وَما تَهَذَّبَ يَومٌ مِن مَكارِهِها

أَو بَعضُ يَومٍ فَحُثّوا السَيرَ إِهذابا

أَو بَعضُ يَومٍ فَحُثّوا السَيرَ إِهذابا

Never has it been purged for a day of its afflictions,

And no day has been purged of its hardships,

nor even part of a day; so press the journey on with all speed.

nor part of a day; so hasten your journey at full speed.

خَبَّرتُكُم بِيَقينٍ غَيرِ مُؤتَشَبٍ

خَبَّرتُكُم بِيَقينٍ غَيرِ مُؤتَشَبٍ

وَلمَ أَكُن في حِبالِ المينِ جَذّابا

وَلمَ أَكُن في حِبالِ المينِ جَذّابا

I have told you this with certainty, pure and unalloyed,

I have told you with unadulterated certainty,

and never was I one to tug upon falsehood’s ropes.”

and I have not been one to tug at the ropes of falsehood.