أَسُرِرتَ إِذا مَرَّ السَنيحُ تَفاؤُلاً

أَسُرِرتَ إِذا مَرَّ السَنيحُ تَفاؤُلاً

وَالفالُ مِن رَأيٍ لَعَمرُكَ فائِلِ

وَالفالُ مِن رَأيٍ لَعَمرُكَ فائِلِ

Did you rejoice when a creature crossed to the right, taking it as a good omen?

You rejoiced when the breeze blew, full of hope,

Yet augury, by your life, springs from faulty judgment.

Yet fate’s fortunes, my friend, are ever fickle.

أَرَأَيتَ فِعلَ الدَهرِ في أُمَمٍ مَضَت

أَرَأَيتَ فِعلَ الدَهرِ في أُمَمٍ مَضَت

قَبلاً وَمَرجَ قَبائِلٍ بِقَبائِلِ

قَبلاً وَمَرجَ قَبائِلٍ بِقَبائِلِ

Have you seen Time's deeds among nations that passed away

Have you not seen what time has done to nations past?

In times past, and its mingling of tribes with tribes?

Tribes replaced tribes in endless cycle.

أَسرِج كُمَيتَكَ في الكَتائِبِ جائِلاً

أَسرِج كُمَيتَكَ في الكَتائِبِ جائِلاً

وَدَعِ الكُمَيتَ أَخا الحَبابِ الجائِلِ

وَدَعِ الكُمَيتَ أَخا الحَبابِ الجائِلِ

Saddle your bay horse to range among the battalions,

Ride your sand-mare amid the raiding parties unchecked,

And leave the dark-red wine, companion of swirling bubbles.

And leave the sand-mare, O brother of raiding clans.

خَسِرَ الَّذي باعَ الخُلودَ وَعَيشَهُ

خَسِرَ الَّذي باعَ الخُلودَ وَعَيشَهُ

بِنَعيمِ أَيّامٍ تُعَدُّ قَلائِلِ

بِنَعيمِ أَيّامٍ تُعَدُّ قَلائِلِ

He has lost who sold eternity and its life

Lost is he who sold eternity and his life’s joy

For the bliss of days counted few.

For the bliss of days that number but a few.

وَتَخَيَّرَ المَغرورُ طولَ بَقائِهِ

وَتَخَيَّرَ المَغرورُ طولَ بَقائِهِ

سَفَهاً وَما طولُ البَقاءِ بِطائِلِ

سَفَهاً وَما طولُ البَقاءِ بِطائِلِ

And the deluded man chose a long life for himself,

Yet the fool chose length of days in his illusion,

Foolishly; yet length of life is of no avail.

For the long road of life leads not to glory.

وَتَفاوُتُ الأَجسامِ ثُمَّ جَميعُها

وَتَفاوُتُ الأَجسامِ ثُمَّ جَميعُها

مُتَقارِباتٌ في نُهىً وَخَصائِلِ

مُتَقارِباتٌ في نُهىً وَخَصائِلِ

And bodies differ, yet all of them

Bodies differ—then all are made equal

Are similar in intellect and character.

In qualities and faults at the journey’s end.

حُرٌّ يَضيقُ عَنِ الوَليدَةِ طَولُهُ

حُرٌّ يَضيقُ عَنِ الوَليدَةِ طَولُهُ

وَسِواهُ لَم يَقنَع بِتِسعِ حَلائِلِ

وَسِواهُ لَم يَقنَع بِتِسعِ حَلائِلِ

A free man's means fall short of affording a slave girl,

The free man is cramped by his great height

While another is not content with nine wives.

While another is not content with nine concubines.

جَمَدَ النُضارُ لَهُ فَما هُوَ سائِلٌ

جَمَدَ النُضارُ لَهُ فَما هُوَ سائِلٌ

مِن جودِ راحَتِهِ بِراحَةِ سائِلِ

مِن جودِ راحَتِهِ بِراحَةِ سائِلِ

His gold has frozen, and it does not flow

The delicate one hoards his ease, asking nothing

From his palm's generosity into a beggar's palm.

Of his cozy comfort to give a supplicant.

ما المَرءُ نائِلُ رُتبَةٍ مِن سُؤدُدٍ

ما المَرءُ نائِلُ رُتبَةٍ مِن سُؤدُدٍ

حَتّى يُصَيَّرَ مالُهُ في النائِلِ

حَتّى يُصَيَّرَ مالُهُ في النائِلِ

No man attains a rank of eminence

No man attains a rank of glory

Until his wealth is devoted to largesse.

Until he makes his wealth the means to aid the needy.

لَو عُدتُ مِن أَسَدِ النُجومِ بِجَبهَةٍ

لَو عُدتُ مِن أَسَدِ النُجومِ بِجَبهَةٍ

أَو بُتُّ في ذَنَبٍ لِشَبوَةِ شائِلِ

أَو بُتُّ في ذَنَبٍ لِشَبوَةِ شائِلِ

Were I to become the forehead of the Lion among the stars,

Had I returned from the Lion of the stars triumphant,

Or spent the night in Shabwa's raised tail,

Or lodged in the tail of the Swooping Eagle,

أَو كُنتُ رَأسَ الغولِ وَهوَ مُوَقَّرٌ

أَو كُنتُ رَأسَ الغولِ وَهوَ مُوَقَّرٌ

في الشُهبِ لَم آمَن تَهَجُّمَ غائِلِ

في الشُهبِ لَم آمَن تَهَجُّمَ غائِلِ

Or were I the Ghoul's Head, held in honor

Or were I the Ghoul King revered

Among the bright stars, I would not be safe from a destroyer's assault.

In the comets, I'd not be safe from a sudden raid.

كانَ الشَبابُ ظَلامَ جِنحٍ فَاِنجَلى

كانَ الشَبابُ ظَلامَ جِنحٍ فَاِنجَلى

وَالشَيبُ يَذهَبُ في النَهارِ الزائِلِ

وَالشَيبُ يَذهَبُ في النَهارِ الزائِلِ

Youth was nightfall's darkness; then it cleared,

Youth was the darkness of sheltering wings—now it clears,

And gray hair vanishes in the passing day.

And old age walks in the waning light.

وَالغِرُّ يُرسِلُ قَولَهُ بِمَواعِدٍ

وَالغِرُّ يُرسِلُ قَولَهُ بِمَواعِدٍ

وُلُدٍ فَتَنتِجُ عَن يَمينٍ حائِلِ

وُلُدٍ فَتَنتِجُ عَن يَمينٍ حائِلِ

And the naive man sends forth his words with promises,

Age sends its words by stages

Fertile, yet born of a barren oath.

To offspring who spring from a serried line.

وَأَقَلُّ أَهلِ الأَرضِ حَظّاً في العُلا

وَأَقَلُّ أَهلِ الأَرضِ حَظّاً في العُلا

مَن يَكتَفي مِنها بِخُطبَةِ قائِلِ

مَن يَكتَفي مِنها بِخُطبَةِ قائِلِ

And the least fortunate of earth's people in glory

The least lucky mortal on earth

Is he who settles for a speaker's oration about it.

Is he content with the speech of but one praiser.

وَالحَيُّ شاهِدُ رُزءِ خَطبٍ هائِلٍ

وَالحَيُّ شاهِدُ رُزءِ خَطبٍ هائِلٍ

مِن كَونِ مَيتٍ تَحتَ أُنمُلٍ هائِلِ

مِن كَونِ مَيتٍ تَحتَ أُنمُلٍ هائِلِ

And the living man witnesses the grief of a dreadful calamity,

The living witness the mockery of words once grand

In a dead man lying beneath the fingertips of one heaping earth.

Over dust beneath clawing fingers.

قَد خِلتَ أَنَّكَ مُحسِنٌ فيما مَضى

قَد خِلتَ أَنَّكَ مُحسِنٌ فيما مَضى

وَالخالُ يَكذِبُ فيهِ ظَنُّ الخائِلِ

وَالخالُ يَكذِبُ فيهِ ظَنُّ الخائِلِ

Indeed, you thought you had done good in the past,

You were benevolent, they say. But the ruins

Yet in conjecture the conjecturer's judgment proves false.

Belie that claim by the deluded praiser.

لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِدَولَةٍ أوتَيَها

لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِدَولَةٍ أوتَيَها

إِنَّ المُدالَ عَلَيهِ مِثلُ الدائِل

إِنَّ المُدالَ عَلَيهِ مِثلُ الدائِل

Do not rejoice at a turn of fortune one is granted;

Rejoice not in power that comes your way—

For the vanquished is like the victor.

The risen and the fallen are much the same.

وَمَتى حَظَيتَ بِنِعمَةٍ مِن مُنعِمٍ

وَمَتى حَظَيتَ بِنِعمَةٍ مِن مُنعِمٍ

فَتَوَقَّ وَاِحذَر صَولَةً مِن صائِلِ

فَتَوَقَّ وَاِحذَر صَولَةً مِن صائِلِ

And whenever you gain a blessing from a benefactor,

When a benefactor grants you a boon, beware

Be wary, and beware an assailant's onslaught.

Lest reversal strike from an unexpected blow.

وَعَقائِلُ الأَلبابِ غَيرُ أَوامِرٍ

وَعَقائِلُ الأَلبابِ غَيرُ أَوامِرٍ

بِأَذاةِ أَيتامٍ وَهَتكِ عَقائِلِ

بِأَذاةِ أَيتامٍ وَهَتكِ عَقائِلِ

And the noblest minds do not command

Wise minds permit no injury to orphans

Harm to orphans and the violation of noble women.

Or violation of inviolable bonds.

وَإِذالَةُ الإِنسانِ لَيسَ بِمانِعٍ

وَإِذالَةُ الإِنسانِ لَيسَ بِمانِعٍ

مِنها تُحَرِّزُهُ بِدِرعٍ ذائِلِ

مِنها تُحَرِّزُهُ بِدِرعٍ ذائِلِ

And a man's debasement cannot be prevented

Humiliating humans cannot prevent

By your shielding him in a trailing coat of mail.

Affliction—so arm yourself with a coat of mail.

وَحَبائِلُ الدُنيا تَزيدُ عَلى الحَصى

وَحَبائِلُ الدُنيا تَزيدُ عَلى الحَصى

وَأَقَلُّ أَنفاسي أَدَقُّ حَبائِلي

وَأَقَلُّ أَنفاسي أَدَقُّ حَبائِلي

And the world's snares outnumber the pebbles,

The world's knots are more than the grains of sand,

And my slightest breath is my subtlest snare.

Yet my briefest breath measures my longest tether.