إِذا كانَ عِلمُ الناسِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ

إِذا كانَ عِلمُ الناسِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ

وَلا دافِعٍ فَالخُسرُ لِلعُلَماءِ

وَلا دافِعٍ فَالخُسرُ لِلعُلَماءِ

If people's knowledge is of no benefit,

If people's knowledge brings no benefit

and offers no protection, then the learned bear the loss.

Or drive away harm, loss befalls the learned

قَضى اللَهُ فينا بِالَّذي هُوَ كائِنٌ

قَضى اللَهُ فينا بِالَّذي هُوَ كائِنٌ

فَتَمَّ وَضاعَت حِكمَةُ الحُكَماءِ

فَتَمَّ وَضاعَت حِكمَةُ الحُكَماءِ

God decreed for us what was to be,

God has decreed what is to be

and it came to pass, while the sages' wisdom was wasted.

So it happened and the wisdom of the wise faded

وَهَل يَأبَقُ الإِنسانُ مِن مُلكِ رَبِّهِ

وَهَل يَأبَقُ الإِنسانُ مِن مُلكِ رَبِّهِ

فَيَخرُجَ مِن أَرضٍ لَهُ وَسَماءِ

فَيَخرُجَ مِن أَرضٍ لَهُ وَسَماءِ

And can man flee his Lord's dominion,

Can man escape from his Lord's kingdom

and so leave His earth and heaven?

And exit a land or sky that's his?

سَنَتبَعُ آثارَ الَّذينَ تَحَمَّلوا

سَنَتبَعُ آثارَ الَّذينَ تَحَمَّلوا

عَلى ساقَةٍ مِن أَعبُدٍ وَإِماءِ

عَلى ساقَةٍ مِن أَعبُدٍ وَإِماءِ

We shall follow the tracks of those who departed,

We will follow the path of those who endured

in the wake of male and female slaves.

On the backs of slaves and servant girls

لَقَد طالَ في هَذا الأَنامُ تَعَجُّبي

لَقَد طالَ في هَذا الأَنامُ تَعَجُّبي

فَيا لِرَواءٍ قوبِلوا بِظِماءِ

فَيا لِرَواءٍ قوبِلوا بِظِماءِ

Long indeed has my wonder at this human race endured:

Long has my wonder in these days increased

ah, those sated with water, confronted by the thirsty!

Oh quenchers of thirst who met thirst!

أُرامي فَتُشويَ مَن أُعاديهِ أَسهُمي

أُرامي فَتُشويَ مَن أُعاديهِ أَسهُمي

وَما صافَ عَنّي سَهمُهُ بِرِماءِ

وَما صافَ عَنّي سَهمُهُ بِرِماءِ

I trade arrow-shots, but my arrows strike my foe without killing him,

My arrows roast those I oppose

while his arrow has not swerved from me in our exchange.

No arrow misses with a throw

وَهَل أَعظُمٌ إِلّا غُصونٌ وَريقَةٌ

وَهَل أَعظُمٌ إِلّا غُصونٌ وَريقَةٌ

وَهَل ماؤُها إِلّا جَنِيُّ دِماءِ

وَهَل ماؤُها إِلّا جَنِيُّ دِماءِ

And are bones anything but leafy boughs?

Is anything greater than twigs and leaves?

And is their sap anything but a fresh harvest of blood?

Is their water anything but blood?

وَقَد بانَ أَنَّ النَحسَ لَيسَ بِغافِلٍ

وَقَد بانَ أَنَّ النَحسَ لَيسَ بِغافِلٍ

لَهُ عَمَلٌ في أَنجُمِ الفُهَماءِ

لَهُ عَمَلٌ في أَنجُمِ الفُهَماءِ

And it has become clear that ill fortune is not heedless:

It's clear misfortune does not sleep

it is at work in the stars of the discerning.

It works in the stars of the enlightened

وَمَن كانَ ذا جودٍ وَلَيسَ بِمُكثِرٍ

وَمَن كانَ ذا جودٍ وَلَيسَ بِمُكثِرٍ

فَلَيسَ بِمَحسوبٍ مِنَ الكُرَماءِ

فَلَيسَ بِمَحسوبٍ مِنَ الكُرَماءِ

And whoever is generous, yet has no great wealth,

One with generosity, not frequent giving

is not counted among the generous.

Is not counted among the generous

نَهابُ أُموراً ثُمَّ نَركَبُ هَولُها

نَهابُ أُموراً ثُمَّ نَركَبُ هَولُها

عَلى عَنَتٍ مِن صاغِرين قِماءِ

عَلى عَنَتٍ مِن صاغِرين قِماءِ

We dread things, then ride into their terror,

We fear matters then ride their horrors

suffering at the hands of abject, contemptible men.

On the stubbornness of despicable tyrants

أَفيقوا أَفيقوا يا غُواةُ فَإِنَّما

أَفيقوا أَفيقوا يا غُواةُ فَإِنَّما

دِيانَتَكُم مَكرٌ مِنَ القُدَماءِ

دِيانَتَكُم مَكرٌ مِنَ القُدَماءِ

Awake, awake, you misguided ones, for

Awake, awake o heedless ones, your religion

your religion is nothing but a ruse of the ancients.

Is a trick by the ancients

أَرادوا بِها جَمعَ الحُطامِ فَأَدرَكوا

أَرادوا بِها جَمعَ الحُطامِ فَأَدرَكوا

وَبادوا وَماتَت سُنَّةُ اللُؤَماءِ

وَبادوا وَماتَت سُنَّةُ اللُؤَماءِ

They sought through it to amass worldly chaff, and succeeded;

They wanted with it to gather rubble, and attained

and they perished, and the custom of the ignoble died.

Passed away, and the ways of the wicked died

يَقولونَ إِنَّ الدَهرَ قَد حانَ مَوتُهُ

يَقولونَ إِنَّ الدَهرَ قَد حانَ مَوتُهُ

وَلَم يَبقَ في الأَيّامِ غَيرُ ذَماءِ

وَلَم يَبقَ في الأَيّامِ غَيرُ ذَماءِ

They say that Time's hour of death has come,

They say time itself is nearing death

and nothing remains in the days but a last flicker of life.

And nothing remains in the days but disgrace

وَقَد كَذَبوا ما يَعرِفونَ اِنقِضاءَهُ

وَقَد كَذَبوا ما يَعرِفونَ اِنقِضاءَهُ

فَلا تَسمَعوا مِن كاذِبِ الزُعَماءِ

فَلا تَسمَعوا مِن كاذِبِ الزُعَماءِ

But they have lied: they do not know its end.

They lied, not knowing its end

So do not listen to the liar among the leaders.

So listen not to lying leaders

وَكَيفَ أُقَضّي ساعَةً بِمَسَرَّةٍ

وَكَيفَ أُقَضّي ساعَةً بِمَسَرَّةٍ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ المَوتَ مِن غُرَمائي

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ المَوتَ مِن غُرَمائي

And how can I spend an hour in joy,

How can I spend an hour in pleasure

when I know that death is one of my creditors?

When I know death is one of my creditors?

خُذوا حَذَراً مِن أَقرَبينَ وَجانِبٍ

خُذوا حَذَراً مِن أَقرَبينَ وَجانِبٍ

وَلا تَذهَلوا عَن سيرَةِ الحُزماءِ

وَلا تَذهَلوا عَن سيرَةِ الحُزماءِ

Be wary of those closest to you and of strangers,

Beware of relatives and companions

and do not lose sight of the ways of the prudent.

And do not neglect the path of the prudent