لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِفائِتٍ ما واحِدٌ

لا تَأسَفَنَّ لِفائِتٍ ما واحِدٌ

يُقضى لَهُ في نَفسِهِ إيثارُ

يُقضى لَهُ في نَفسِهِ إيثارُ

Never grieve for anything lost: no one

Do not grieve for what is lost; no one

is granted special favor where his own life is concerned.

Is granted what he would choose for himself.

وَيَوَدُّ أَن لا تَنقَضي آثارُهُ

وَيَوَدُّ أَن لا تَنقَضي آثارُهُ

وَلتُدرَسَنَّ كَشَخصِهِ الآثارُ

وَلتُدرَسَنَّ كَشَخصِهِ الآثارُ

Each would surely wish that his traces never fade,

And he wishes that his traces would never vanish,

yet the traces shall surely be effaced, as his person is.

Yet those traces, like his body, will surely be effaced.

تَمشي عَلَينا الحادِثاتُ وَوَطؤُها

تَمشي عَلَينا الحادِثاتُ وَوَطؤُها

كَسَنا البَوارِقِ لَيسَ فيهِ عِثارُ

كَسَنا البَوارِقِ لَيسَ فيهِ عِثارُ

Calamities march over us, and their tread

Calamities walk upon us, and their tread

is like lightning’s flash: there is no stumbling in it.

Is like lightning's gleam, with no stumbling in it.

أَظَنَنتَ دَهرَكَ عَن خِطابِكَ صامِتاً

أَظَنَنتَ دَهرَكَ عَن خِطابِكَ صامِتاً

وَإِذا أَبَهتَ فَإِنَّهُ مِكثارُ

وَإِذا أَبَهتَ فَإِنَّهُ مِكثارُ

Did you think Time had fallen silent, ceasing to address you?

Did you think Time was silent, not addressing you?

Try to strike it speechless, and it proves prodigiously talkative.

Yet if you pay heed, it is talkative indeed.

هَذا اِمرُؤُ القيسِ بنُ حُجرٍ في الثَرى

هَذا اِمرُؤُ القيسِ بنُ حُجرٍ في الثَرى

دَثَرَت مَعالِمُهُ فَأَينَ دِثارُ

دَثَرَت مَعالِمُهُ فَأَينَ دِثارُ

Here lies Imruʾ al-Qays ibn Hujr in the dust;

Here is Imruʾ al-Qays, son of Hujr, in the dust;

his landmarks have vanished—where, then, is his mantle?

His traces have vanished—where, then, is Dithar?

إِن كانَ مَن قَتَلَ المُحارِبَ مُجبَراً

إِن كانَ مَن قَتَلَ المُحارِبَ مُجبَراً

يُسطى عَلَيهِ فَأَينَ يُبغى الثارُ

يُسطى عَلَيهِ فَأَينَ يُبغى الثارُ

If the man who killed the warrior acted under compulsion,

If one who killed the warrior under compulsion

and is then set upon—where, then, is vengeance to be sought?

Is assailed, where, then, is vengeance to be sought?

تُلفي الكَبيرَ عَلى تَقادُمِ سِنِّهِ

تُلفي الكَبيرَ عَلى تَقادُمِ سِنِّهِ

وَالطَبعُ فيهِ طَماعَةٌ وَكِثارُ

وَالطَبعُ فيهِ طَماعَةٌ وَكِثارُ

You find the old man, though his years have long advanced,

You find the old man, despite his advancing years,

his nature still greedy within him, eager to amass more.

And his nature is greed and rivalry for more.

وَتَخافُ مِن كَونِ الرَدى وَكَأَنَّهُ

وَتَخافُ مِن كَونِ الرَدى وَكَأَنَّهُ

صَيدٌ لِضارِيَةِ الخُطوبِ مُثارُ

صَيدٌ لِضارِيَةِ الخُطوبِ مُثارُ

You dread the very occurrence of death, as though it were

And you fear death's coming, and he is like

quarry flushed for the ravening hound of calamities.

Prey roused for the ravening beast of calamities.

فَاِبعِد مِنَ الثَرثارِ حَتّى الوِردَ

فَاِبعِد مِنَ الثَرثارِ حَتّى الوِردَ

مِنَ نَهرٍ عَلى الظَمَإِ اِسمُهُ الثَرثارُ

مِنَ نَهرٍ عَلى الظَمَإِ اِسمُهُ الثَرثارُ

So shun the Chatterer—even forgo drawing water

So shun the chatterbox—even drinking

from a river fed by rainclouds whose name is al-Tharthār.

From a river named al-Tharthar, despite your thirst.