عَبيطُ ضَوائِنٍ نَحيرُ جُزرِ

عَبيطُ ضَوائِنٍ نَحيرُ جُزرِ

عَلى مَن أَيُّها الإِنسانُ تَزري

عَلى مَن أَيُّها الإِنسانُ تَزري

Fresh-slain flesh of sheep, flesh of slaughtered camels—

The foolish buzz of mean cottages, the croaking of small islands

Whom do you disparage, O human?

O man! On whom will you heap reproach?

قَدِ اِحتالَت عَلى السَفَهِ البَرايا

قَدِ اِحتالَت عَلى السَفَهِ البَرايا

بِما اِتَّخَذَتهُ مِن راحٍ وَمِزرِ

بِما اِتَّخَذَتهُ مِن راحٍ وَمِزرِ

Humankind has indeed contrived to indulge in folly

The deserts have conspired against the foolish with the comfort and livelihood they have acquired

through the wine and beer it has adopted.

You have concealed your sins with feeble hands

أَخَفتَ عَلى المَآثِمِ ضَعفَ أَيدٍ

أَخَفتَ عَلى المَآثِمِ ضَعفَ أَيدٍ

وَرُمتَ بِشُربِ ذَلِكَ شَدَّ أَزرِ

وَرُمتَ بِشُربِ ذَلِكَ شَدَّ أَزرِ

Did you fear you lacked the strength for sins,

And rushed into drinking that strongly, seeking succor

and seek, by drinking that, to strengthen your back?

A bitter life of ebbs and flows

حَياةٌ مُرَّةٌ وَرَداً ذُعافٌ

حَياةٌ مُرَّةٌ وَرَداً ذُعافٌ

كَأَنّا مِنهُ في مَدٍّ وَجَزرِ

كَأَنّا مِنهُ في مَدٍّ وَجَزرِ

Life is bitter, and death is deadly poison,

As if we are in perpetual rise and fall

as though we were in its flood and ebb.

So why do my hands pass their days fumbling?

فَما صُنعي تُمِرُّ يَدايَ شَزَراً

فَما صُنعي تُمِرُّ يَدايَ شَزَراً

وَتَنقِضُ مِرَّةُ الأَيّامِ شَزري

وَتَنقِضُ مِرَّةُ الأَيّامِ شَزري

What use is my work? My hands tightly twist a cord,

And the bitterness of days crushes my fumbling

and the might of the days unravels my twist.

Are princes anything but losers?

هَلِ الأُمَراءُ إِلّا في خَسارٍ

هَلِ الأُمَراءُ إِلّا في خَسارٍ

أَوِ الوُزَراءُ إِلّا أَهلُ وِزرِ

أَوِ الوُزَراءُ إِلّا أَهلُ وِزرِ

Are princes in anything but ruin,

Or ministers anything but burdensome?

or ministers anything but bearers of guilt?

Everyone has a flaw, and from warding off

لِكُلٍّ شيمَةٌ وَإِلى التَغاضي

لِكُلٍّ شيمَةٌ وَإِلى التَغاضي

أُجيءَ الكُلُّ مِن خوصٍ وَخُزرِ

أُجيءَ الكُلُّ مِن خوصٍ وَخُزرِ

Each has a disposition; and to turn a blind eye

All are brought, from nobility and commons

all are compelled, sunken-eyed and narrow-eyed alike.

The daughters of Shem have chosen fine clothes

تَخَيَّرَتِ اللِباسَ بَناتُ سامٍ

تَخَيَّرَتِ اللِباسَ بَناتُ سامٍ

وَنُسوَةُ حامَ لَم تُستَر بِإِزرِ

وَنُسوَةُ حامَ لَم تُستَر بِإِزرِ

Shem's daughters have chosen their clothing,

While the women of Ham did not cover with a loincloth

and Ham's women were not covered with waistcloths.

I wish death would snatch you

بِوِدّي أَن تَهُبُّ مِنَ المَنايا

بِوِدّي أَن تَهُبُّ مِنَ المَنايا

فَتَعلَمَ أَنَّني لَم يَشوِ حَزري

فَتَعلَمَ أَنَّني لَم يَشوِ حَزري

I wish you would awaken from death,

So you may know I have not been bereaved

so you would know my surmise did not miss the mark.

Rulers of the world are vicious wolves

وُلاةُ العالَمينَ ذِئابٌ خَتلٍ

وُلاةُ العالَمينَ ذِئابٌ خَتلٍ

تَكونُ مِنَ الشَقاءِ رَعاةَ فِزرِ

تَكونُ مِنَ الشَقاءِ رَعاةَ فِزرِ

The rulers of humankind are deceitful wolves,

Becoming, through misfortune, shepherds of rats

who, by ill fortune, are shepherds of a goat herd.

The nights did not allow the disabled among them

وَما سَمَحَت لِيَعرُبِها اللَيالي

وَما سَمَحَت لِيَعرُبِها اللَيالي

وَحَيِّ نِزارِها إِلّا بَنزَرِ

وَحَيِّ نِزارِها إِلّا بَنزَرِ

And the nights have given nothing to their Ya'rub

Anything but very little livelihood

and the clan of their Nizar but a pittance.

But if the sincere stars have been miserly to you

فَإِن بَخُلَت عَلَيكَ نُجومُ صِدقٍ

فَإِن بَخُلَت عَلَيكَ نُجومُ صِدقٍ

فَقَد مَطَرَتكَ أَنواءٌ بِغُزرِ

فَقَد مَطَرَتكَ أَنواءٌ بِغُزرِ

So if true stars have been miserly toward you,

Then the clouds have showered you with plenty

then rain-bearing stars have showered you abundantly.