أَرى الشَهدَ يَرجِعُ مِثلَ الصَبرِ

أَرى الشَهدَ يَرجِعُ مِثلَ الصَبرِ

فَما لِاِبنِ آدَمَ لا يَعتَبِر

فَما لِاِبنِ آدَمَ لا يَعتَبِر

I see honey turn as bitter as aloes;

I see the honey returning like patience

Why, then, does the son of Adam take no heed?

So why doesn't the son of Adam learn?

وَخَبَّرَهُ صادِقٌ بِالحَديثِ

وَخَبَّرَهُ صادِقٌ بِالحَديثِ

فَإِن شَكَّ في ذاكَ فَليَختَبِر

فَإِن شَكَّ في ذاكَ فَليَختَبِر

And a truthful speaker has told him the news;

And he was told the truth by a truthful one

If he doubts that, then let him put it to the test.

So if he doubts that, let him test

وَجَبرٌ وَكَسرٌ لَهُ في الزَمانِ

وَجَبرٌ وَكَسرٌ لَهُ في الزَمانِ

وَيُكسَرُ يَوماً فَلا يَنجَبِر

وَيُكسَرُ يَوماً فَلا يَنجَبِر

And time brings him mending and breaking;

Well-being and distress are for him in time

And one day he is broken, never to be mended.

And one day he will break down, not to mend

فَلا تُبرِ في مَأثَمٍ ناقَةً

فَلا تُبرِ في مَأثَمٍ ناقَةً

فَرَبُّكَ إِمّا يُعاقِب يُبِر

فَرَبُّكَ إِمّا يُعاقِب يُبِر

So put no nose-ring on a she-camel for sin;

So do not deny the she-camel its right

For if your Lord punishes, He destroys.

For your Lord either punishes or makes amends

وَكُلُّ الأَنامِ هَجينُ الفِعالِ

وَكُلُّ الأَنامِ هَجينُ الفِعالِ

فَأَينَ يُصابُ الجَوادُ المُبِر

فَأَينَ يُصابُ الجَوادُ المُبِر

And all mankind are base-bred in their deeds;

And all people vary in their actions

Where, then, can the noble, surpassing one be found?

So where can the excellent one be found?

وَنَفسَكَ عُقَّ بِتَركِ السُ

وَنَفسَكَ عُقَّ بِتَركِ السُ

رورِ فَإِنَّ عُقوقَكَ لِلنَفسِ بِر

رورِ فَإِنَّ عُقوقَكَ لِلنَفسِ بِر

And disobey your soul by forgoing de-

And discipline yourself by avoiding harm

light, for disobeying your soul is virtue.

For disciplining yourself benefits the soul

سَأَلنا المَعاشِرَ عَن خَيرِهِم

سَأَلنا المَعاشِرَ عَن خَيرِهِم

فَقالوا بِغَيرِ اِكتِراثٍ قُبِر

فَقالوا بِغَيرِ اِكتِراثٍ قُبِر

We asked the people about their best one;

We asked the deceased about their best

They said without concern: He was buried.

They said indifferently: “graves”

فَقُلنا وَكَيفَ أَتاهُ الحِمامُ

فَقُلنا وَكَيفَ أَتاهُ الحِمامُ

عاجَلَهُ بَغتَةً أَم صَبَر

عاجَلَهُ بَغتَةً أَم صَبَر

So we said: And how did death come to him?

We said: “How did death come upon them

Did it rush upon him suddenly, or wait?

Suddenly or did they have time?”

فَقالوا تَمادى بِهِ وَقتُهُ

فَقالوا تَمادى بِهِ وَقتُهُ

وَأَدرَكَهُ المَوتُ لَمّا كَبِر

وَأَدرَكَهُ المَوتُ لَمّا كَبِر

They said: His time stretched long,

They said: “Their time simply ran out

And death overtook him when he grew old.

And death overtook them in old age”

وَغادَرَ في أَهلِه ثَروَةً

وَغادَرَ في أَهلِه ثَروَةً

وَمالاً أُذيعَ وَنَخلاً أُبِر

وَمالاً أُذيعَ وَنَخلاً أُبِر

And he left wealth among his family,

“They left behind wealth for their families

And money scattered, and date-palms pollinated.

Money distributed and palm trees planted”

فَلا يُسقِطِ الدَمعَ سِقطُ اللِوى

فَلا يُسقِطِ الدَمعَ سِقطُ اللِوى

وَلا تَدَّكِر حَبرَةً في حَبِر

وَلا تَدَّكِر حَبرَةً في حَبِر

So let Siqt al-Liwa draw no tears,

So tears do not replace what is lost

And do not recall joy in Habir.

Nor does ink move another ink

وَلَكِنَّني أَستَعينُ المَليكَ

وَلَكِنَّني أَستَعينُ المَليكَ

وَإِن يَأتِني حادِثٌ أَصطَبِر

وَإِن يَأتِني حادِثٌ أَصطَبِر

Yet I seek the Sovereign’s help;

Rather, I seek refuge in the King

And if calamity comes to me, I endure patiently.

And if misfortune comes, I endure

وَدُنيايَ أَلقى بِطولِ الهَوانِ

وَدُنيايَ أَلقى بِطولِ الهَوانِ

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا كَجِسرٍ عُبِر

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا كَجِسرٍ عُبِر

And I meet my worldly life with lasting disdain;

I face the long humiliation of life

And is it not merely like a bridge that has been crossed?

And what is it but a bridge crossed?