أَراكَ حَسِبتَ النِجمَ لَيسَ بِواعِظٍ

أَراكَ حَسِبتَ النِجمَ لَيسَ بِواعِظٍ

لَبيباً وَخِلتَ البَدرَ لا يَتَكَلَّمُ

لَبيباً وَخِلتَ البَدرَ لا يَتَكَلَّمُ

I see you thought the star was no admonisher,

You think a star doesn't preach wisdom

wise though you are, and imagined the full moon does not speak.

A moon isn't eloquent? But yes

بَلى قَد أَتانا أَنَّ ماكانَ زائِلٌ

بَلى قَد أَتانا أَنَّ ماكانَ زائِلٌ

وَلَكِنَّنا في عالَمٍ لَيسَ يَعلَمُ

وَلَكِنَّنا في عالَمٍ لَيسَ يَعلَمُ

Yes, word has reached us that whatever exists will pass away,

What was fleeting did come to us

but we are in a world that does not know.

Though we're in a world unaware

وَإِنَّ أَخا دُنياكَ أَعمى يَرى السُهى

وَإِنَّ أَخا دُنياكَ أَعمى يَرى السُهى

عَليلٌ مُعافىً ظالِمٌ يَتَظَلَّمُ

عَليلٌ مُعافىً ظالِمٌ يَتَظَلَّمُ

And indeed the man of your world is blind, yet sees al-Suhā,

Your fellow man is blind and sees ghosts

ill yet healthy, an oppressor who complains of being wronged.

He's ill but acts healthy, wronged but blames others

فَهَل تَألَمُ الشَمسُ الحَوادِثَ مِثلَنا

فَهَل تَألَمُ الشَمسُ الحَوادِثَ مِثلَنا

أَمِ اِتَّسَقَت كَالهَضبِ لايَتَأَلَّمُ

أَمِ اِتَّسَقَت كَالهَضبِ لايَتَأَلَّمُ

Does the sun, then, suffer calamities as we do,

Does the sun feel pain like we do

or has it become whole, like the crags, which feel no pain?

Or is it equanimous, unable to suffer?

وَهَل فيكُم مِن باخِلٍ يُظهِرُ النَدى

وَهَل فيكُم مِن باخِلٍ يُظهِرُ النَدى

رِياءً بِهِ أَو جاهِلٍ يَتَحَلَّمُ

رِياءً بِهِ أَو جاهِلٍ يَتَحَلَّمُ

And is there among you a miser who displays generosity,

Is there among you a miser feigning dew

making a show of it, or a fool who feigns forbearance?

Out of hypocrisy, or an ignorant babbler?

وَما سالَمَ الحَيَّ القَضاءُ وَإِنَّما

وَما سالَمَ الحَيَّ القَضاءُ وَإِنَّما

إِلى الحَتفِ يَرقى وَالسَلامَةُ سُلَّمُ

إِلى الحَتفِ يَرقى وَالسَلامَةُ سُلَّمُ

And fate has never made peace with the living; rather,

Fate spares no living soul, but rather

one climbs toward death, and safety is a ladder.

We climb to our demise, and safety's a ladder

فَيا مُطلَقاً لِلنَفعِ يَفصِدُ كَفَّهُ

فَيا مُطلَقاً لِلنَفعِ يَفصِدُ كَفَّهُ

أَبِالكَلمِ يَستَشفي الأَسيرُ المُكَلَّمُ

أَبِالكَلمِ يَستَشفي الأَسيرُ المُكَلَّمُ

So, O free man who bleeds his palm for benefit,

So you, loose-handed with aid, clenching your palm

does the wounded captive seek healing through wounds?

Can a prisoner plead with his guard or assail him?

لَعَمري لَقَد أَعيا المَقايِيسَ أَمرُنا

لَعَمري لَقَد أَعيا المَقايِيسَ أَمرُنا

فَحِندِسُنا عِندَ الظَهيرَةِ مُظلِمُ

فَحِندِسُنا عِندَ الظَهيرَةِ مُظلِمُ

By my life, our condition has indeed confounded all standards of comparison;

By my life, our plight has wearied all measures

for our night is dark even at noon.

Our noon is darkened, our standards muddled

فَمِن مُحرِمٍ لا يَحرِمُ العَلَقَ الظُبى

فَمِن مُحرِمٍ لا يَحرِمُ العَلَقَ الظُبى

وَمِن مُحرِمٍ أَظفارُهُ لا تُقَلَّمُ

وَمِن مُحرِمٍ أَظفارُهُ لا تُقَلَّمُ

So some in ritual consecration do not deny the sword-edges blood,

Some pilgrims don't forbid antelope hunting

and some inviolable lions have claws that go untrimmed.

While others' nails are uncut, unkempt

ضَعفُنا عَنِ الأَشياءِ إِلّا عَنِ الأَذى

ضَعفُنا عَنِ الأَشياءِ إِلّا عَنِ الأَذى

وَقَد يَسِمُ الوَجهَ الكهامُ المُثَلَّمُ

وَقَد يَسِمُ الوَجهَ الكهامُ المُثَلَّمُ

We are weak in everything except doing harm,

We're helpless to all but harm

and even a blunt, notched sword may scar the face.

Scars can mar the face of the blameless

وَإِنَّ ظَليمَ القَفرِ يُرضيهِ زِفُّهُ

وَإِنَّ ظَليمَ القَفرِ يُرضيهِ زِفُّهُ

وَيَفهَمُ عَن أَخدانِهِ وَهوَ أَصلَمُ

وَيَفهَمُ عَن أَخدانِهِ وَهوَ أَصلَمُ

And indeed the desert's male ostrich is pleased with his down,

The desert shadow is pleased by its shade

and understands his companions, though he is earless.

And understands nothing of its fangs or blindness