سَأَلتُ رِجالاً عَن مَعَدٍّ وَرَهطِهِ

سَأَلتُ رِجالاً عَن مَعَدٍّ وَرَهطِهِ

وَعَن سَبَإٍ ما كانَ يَسبي وَيَسبَأُ

وَعَن سَبَإٍ ما كانَ يَسبي وَيَسبَأُ

I asked men about Maʿadd and his clan,

I asked men about Ma'add and his tribe,

And about Sabaʾ—the captives he would take and the wine he would buy.

And about Saba - what he seized and laid waste.

فَقالوا هِيَ الأَيّامُ لَم يُخلِ صَرفُها

فَقالوا هِيَ الأَيّامُ لَم يُخلِ صَرفُها

مَليكاً يُفَدّى أَو تَقِيّاً يُنَبَّأُ

مَليكاً يُفَدّى أَو تَقِيّاً يُنَبَّأُ

They said: “It is Time; its vicissitudes have spared neither

They said: Those are the days whose course

A king for whom ransom is offered nor a devout man granted prophecy.”

Did not spare a king to be ransomed or a devotee to be warned.

أَرى فَلَكاً مازالَ بِالخَلقِ دائِراً

أَرى فَلَكاً مازالَ بِالخَلقِ دائِراً

لَهُ خَبَرٌ عَنّا يُصانُ ويُخبَأُ

لَهُ خَبَرٌ عَنّا يُصانُ ويُخبَأُ

I see a celestial sphere that has never ceased revolving around creation;

I see the heavens constantly revolving round creation,

It holds news of us, guarded and concealed.

With news about us kept secret and concealed.

فَلا تَطلُبِ الدُنِيا وَإِن كُنتَ ناشِئاً

فَلا تَطلُبِ الدُنِيا وَإِن كُنتَ ناشِئاً

فَإِنّيَ عَنها بِالأَخلّاءِ أَربَأُ

فَإِنّيَ عَنها بِالأَخلّاءِ أَربَأُ

So do not pursue this world, even if you are young,

So do not seek the world even if you are a youth,

For I deem my close friends too noble for it.

For I have found solace in detachment from it.

وَما نُوَبُ الأَيّامِ إِلّا كَتائِبٌ

وَما نُوَبُ الأَيّامِ إِلّا كَتائِبٌ

تُبَثُ سَرايا أَو جُيوشٌ تُعَبَّأُ

تُبَثُ سَرايا أَو جُيوشٌ تُعَبَّأُ

And the calamities of time are nothing but battalions,

The vicissitudes of time are but advancing troops

Sent out as raiding parties, or armies mustered.

Spread out or armies on the march.