أَدينُ بِرَبٍّ واحِدٍ وَتَجَنُّبٍ

أَدينُ بِرَبٍّ واحِدٍ وَتَجَنُّبٍ

قَبيحَ المَساعي حينَ يُظلَمُ دائِنُ

قَبيحَ المَساعي حينَ يُظلَمُ دائِنُ

I profess faith in one Lord, and in shunning

I believe in the One God, and avoid

vile deeds when a believer is wronged.

Evil ways when oppressed is the creditor

لَعَمري لَقَد خادَعتُ نَفسِيَ بُرهَةً

لَعَمري لَقَد خادَعتُ نَفسِيَ بُرهَةً

وَصَدَّقتُ في أَشياءَ مَن هُوَ مائِنُ

وَصَدَّقتُ في أَشياءَ مَن هُوَ مائِنُ

By my life, I deceived myself for a while,

By my life, I have fooled myself for a while

and in some matters believed someone who was a liar.

And believed things about one who is owing

وَخانَتَنِيَ الدُنيا مِراراً وَإِنَّما

وَخانَتَنِيَ الدُنيا مِراراً وَإِنَّما

يُجَهَّزُ بِالذَمِّ الغَواني الخَوائِنُ

يُجَهَّزُ بِالذَمِّ الغَواني الخَوائِنُ

The world has betrayed me time and again; and only

The world has betrayed me time and again

with reproach are faithless beauties outfitted.

Only the treacherous are blamed for their treason

أُعَلِّلُ بِالآمالِ قَلباً مُضَلَّلاً

أُعَلِّلُ بِالآمالِ قَلباً مُضَلَّلاً

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَشعُر بِأَنِّيَ حائِنُ

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَشعُر بِأَنِّيَ حائِنُ

I soothe with hopes a deluded heart,

With false hopes I justify a misguided heart

as though I did not know that I am doomed to die.

As if I'm not aware that I have been disloyal

يُحَدِّثُنا عَمّا يَكونُ مُنَجِّمٌ

يُحَدِّثُنا عَمّا يَكونُ مُنَجِّمٌ

وَلَم يَدرِ إِلّا اللَّهُ ماُ هُوَ كائِنُ

وَلَم يَدرِ إِلّا اللَّهُ ماُ هُوَ كائِنُ

An astrologer tells us what will happen,

An astrologer tells us of what will come

yet none but God knows what will come to pass.

But only God knows what is destined to happen

وَيَذكُرُ مِن شَأنِ القِرانِ شَدائِداً

وَيَذكُرُ مِن شَأنِ القِرانِ شَدائِداً

وَفي أَيِّ دَهرٍ لَم تُبَتَّ القَرائِنُ

وَفي أَيِّ دَهرٍ لَم تُبَتَّ القَرائِنُ

And he mentions calamities attending the conjunction,

And recalls the adversities of fate

yet in what age have companions not been parted?

In which era were constellations ever constant?

أَرى الحيرَةَ البَيضاءَ حارَت قُصورُها

أَرى الحيرَةَ البَيضاءَ حارَت قُصورُها

خَلاءً وَلم تَثبُت لِكِسرى المَدائِنُ

خَلاءً وَلم تَثبُت لِكِسرى المَدائِنُ

I see white al-Hira: its palaces have become

I see the White Fort, its palaces are deserted

deserted; nor did al-Mada'in endure for Kisra.

And the dynasties of kings could not withstand

وَهَجَّنَ لَذّاتِ المُلوكِ زَوالُها

وَهَجَّنَ لَذّاتِ المُلوكِ زَوالُها

كَما غَدَرَت بِالمُنذِرينَ الهَجائِنُ

كَما غَدَرَت بِالمُنذِرينَ الهَجائِنُ

And their passing has marred the pleasures of kings,

Their fleeting pleasures caused their downfall

just as the noble she-camels betrayed the Mundhirs.

As did the treason of the treacherous and vain

رَكِبنا عَلى الأَعمارِ وَالدَهرُ لُجَّةٌ

رَكِبنا عَلى الأَعمارِ وَالدَهرُ لُجَّةٌ

فَما صَبَرَت لِلمَوجِ تِلكَ السَفائِنُ

فَما صَبَرَت لِلمَوجِ تِلكَ السَفائِنُ

We rode upon our lifespans, while time is a deep sea,

We rode the ages as time is tumultuous

and those ships did not withstand the waves.

Those ships did not endure the waves serene

لَقَد حَمِدَ الأَبناءَ قَومٌ وَطالَما

لَقَد حَمِدَ الأَبناءَ قَومٌ وَطالَما

أَتَتكَ مِنَ الأَهلِ الشُرورُ الدَفائِنُ

أَتَتكَ مِنَ الأَهلِ الشُرورُ الدَفائِنُ

Some people have indeed praised sons; yet often

Some people have praised progeny yet

hidden evils have come to you from your kin.

The evils of family are often unseen

كَنائِنُ صِدقٍ كَثَّرَت عَدَدَ الفَتى

كَنائِنُ صِدقٍ كَثَّرَت عَدَدَ الفَتى

فَهُنَّ بِحَقٍّ لِلسِهامِ كَنائِنُ

فَهُنَّ بِحَقٍّ لِلسِهامِ كَنائِنُ

Worthy daughters-in-law have enlarged a man's household;

Sincere comrades multiplied the number of a lad

thus they are truly quivers for arrows.

Then with truth became targets for arrows keen

تَجيءُ الرَزايا بِالمَنايا كَأَنَّما

تَجيءُ الرَزايا بِالمَنايا كَأَنَّما

نُفوسُ البَرايا لِلحِمامِ رَهائِنُ

نُفوسُ البَرايا لِلحِمامِ رَهائِنُ

Calamities come bearing death, as though

Calamities bring deaths as if

the souls of creatures were hostages to death.

The souls of the innocent are hostage therein

تَنَطَّسَ في كَتبِ الوَثائِقِ خائِفٌ

تَنَطَّسَ في كَتبِ الوَثائِقِ خائِفٌ

مَنِيَّتُهُ وَالمَرءُ لا بُدَّ بائِنُ

مَنِيَّتُهُ وَالمَرءُ لا بُدَّ بائِنُ

A man was meticulous in drafting documents, fearing

In records of documents a timid one

his death; yet man must inevitably depart.

Has consigned his death, for man's end is destined

يَضُنُّ عَلَيها بِالثَمينِ حَليلُها

يَضُنُّ عَلَيها بِالثَمينِ حَليلُها

وَنودَعُ في الأَرضِ الشُخوصُ الثَمائِنُ

وَنودَعُ في الأَرضِ الشُخوصُ الثَمائِنُ

Her husband begrudges her the eighth share,

He begrudges her the precious adornments

while we, precious persons, are laid in the earth.

While the valued corpses are buried unseen

يَخافُ إِذا حَلَّ الثَرى أَن يَقينَها

يَخافُ إِذا حَلَّ الثَرى أَن يَقينَها

لِآخَرَ مِن بَعضِ الرجالِ القَوائِنُ

لِآخَرَ مِن بَعضِ الرجالِ القَوائِنُ

He fears, when he lies in the dust, that she will be adorned

He fears when the earth covers her

for some other man by the bridal dressers.

That another of treacherous men will disinter

يَصونُ الكَريمُ العِرضَ بِالمالِ جاهِداً

يَصونُ الكَريمُ العِرضَ بِالمالِ جاهِداً

وَذو اللُؤمِ لِلأَموالِ بِالعِرضِ صائِنُ

وَذو اللُؤمِ لِلأَموالِ بِالعِرضِ صائِنُ

The noble man strives to guard his honor with wealth,

The generous protect honor with wealth, striving

while the base man shields his wealth with his honor.

While the ignoble pawn honor for riches obscene

مَتى ما تَجِد مُستَرفِدَ الجودِ شاتِماً

مَتى ما تَجِد مُستَرفِدَ الجودِ شاتِماً

فَفي البُخلِ لِلوَجهِ الَّذي ذينَ ذائِنُ

فَفي البُخلِ لِلوَجهِ الَّذي ذينَ ذائِنُ

Whenever you find a seeker of generosity reviling,

When you find a sponger criticizing generosity

then in stinginess lies what disgraces the face already disgraced.

Blame the miserly face that is debased and unclean