إِذا عِشتَ مُفتَكِراً في الأَنامِ

إِذا عِشتَ مُفتَكِراً في الأَنامِ

غَدَوتَ عَلى المَدرَجِ السابِلِ

غَدَوتَ عَلى المَدرَجِ السابِلِ

If you live reflecting on humankind,

If you live reflecting on people

You find yourself on the well-trodden path.

You will go down a slippery slope

فَتِلكَ الثُرَيّا وَهذا الثَرى

فَتِلكَ الثُرَيّا وَهذا الثَرى

شَبيهانِ في قَبضَةِ الجابِلِ

شَبيهانِ في قَبضَةِ الجابِلِ

For those Pleiades and this soil

For that star and this dust

Are alike in the Creator's grasp.

Are alike in the Grasper's fist

حَبَوتَ بِنُصحِكَ مُستَكبِراً

حَبَوتَ بِنُصحِكَ مُستَكبِراً

وَما هُوَ لِلنُصحِ بِالقابِلِ

وَما هُوَ لِلنُصحِ بِالقابِلِ

You favored an arrogant man with your counsel,

You admonished an arrogant one with advice

Yet he is not one to accept counsel.

Yet he is not receptive to advice

وَسُخطُ الظِباءِ بِما نالَها

وَسُخطُ الظِباءِ بِما نالَها

تَوَلَّدَ مِنهُ رِضى الحابِلِ

تَوَلَّدَ مِنهُ رِضى الحابِلِ

And the gazelles' anger at what befell them

And the anger of the hyenas from what befell them

Gave rise to the trapper's satisfaction.

Gave rise to the satisfaction of the Powerful

هُوَ المَوتُ مَن يَنجُ مِن رامِحٍ

هُوَ المَوتُ مَن يَنجُ مِن رامِحٍ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن أَسهُمِ النابِلِ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن أَسهُمِ النابِلِ

It is death: whoever escapes a spearman

Death is he who escapes a lancer

Cannot escape the archer's arrows.

So arrows from the shooter are inevitable

لَنا أُسوَةٌ في رِجالٍ مَضَوا

لَنا أُسوَةٌ في رِجالٍ مَضَوا

وَهَل أَنا إِلّا أَخو الآبِلِ

وَهَل أَنا إِلّا أَخو الآبِلِ

We have an example in men who have passed away;

We have exemplars among men now gone

And am I anything but the camel-herder's brother?

And am I not but a camel's brother?

مَتى لُمتُماني عَلى زَلَّةٍ

مَتى لُمتُماني عَلى زَلَّةٍ

رَجَعتُ عَلى أُمِّيَ الهابِلِ

رَجَعتُ عَلى أُمِّيَ الهابِلِ

Whenever you two blame me for a misstep,

Whenever you blame me for a slip

I turn the blame upon my bereaved mother.

I return to my mother, the camel rider

وَهاروتُ كَيفَ عَصى رَبَّهُ

وَهاروتُ كَيفَ عَصى رَبَّهُ

بِتَعليمِهِ السِحرَ في بابِلِ

بِتَعليمِهِ السِحرَ في بابِلِ

And Harut—how did he disobey his Lord

And Harut, how he disobeyed his Lord

By teaching magic in Babylon?

By teaching magic in Babylon

إِذا العامُ حادَ بِأَدنى اليَسا

إِذا العامُ حادَ بِأَدنى اليَسا

رِ أَمَلتُ أَسناهُ في القابِلِ

رِ أَمَلتُ أَسناهُ في القابِلِ

If the year turns aside with the slightest prosperity,

When the year veers towards the slightest crookedness

I hope for its fullest measure in the next.

I aim its mouth towards the next

فَإِنَّ القَليلَ يَوُمُّ الكَثي

فَإِنَّ القَليلَ يَوُمُّ الكَثي

رَ كَالطَلِّ بَشَّرَ بِالوابِلِ

رَ كَالطَلِّ بَشَّرَ بِالوابِلِ

For the little tends toward the plentiful,

For the little makes the much overflow

Like drizzle that heralds a downpour.

Like rain promising abundance