أَجمِل فَعالَكَ إِن وُليتَ وَلا تَجُر

أَجمِل فَعالَكَ إِن وُليتَ وَلا تَجُر

سُبلَ الهُدى فَلِكُلِّ والٍ عازِلُ

سُبلَ الهُدى فَلِكُلِّ والٍ عازِلُ

Make your conduct noble if given rule, and do not stray

Do your best when trusted, and do not drag

from the paths of guidance: every ruler has someone to depose him.

The paths of guidance, for every arrival has a departure.

لِلعالَمِ العُلوِيِّ فيما خَبَّروا

لِلعالَمِ العُلوِيِّ فيما خَبَّروا

شِيَمٌ بِها قَدرُ الكَواكِبِ نازِلُ

شِيَمٌ بِها قَدرُ الكَواكِبِ نازِلُ

The world above, according to what they have reported,

For the sublime world, in what they have narrated,

has traits that lower the standing of the stars.

Are attributes by which the stars' worth is determined.

أَتَرى الهِلالَ وَلَيسَ فيهِ مَظَنَّةٌ

أَتَرى الهِلالَ وَلَيسَ فيهِ مَظَنَّةٌ

يَصبو إِلى جَوزائِهِ وَيُغازِلُ

يَصبو إِلى جَوزائِهِ وَيُغازِلُ

Do you suppose the crescent—though there is no cause for suspicion—

Do you see the crescent, though in it there is no surety?

yearns for its Jawza and woos her?

It inclines towards its fullness and flirts.

وَيَنالُهُ نَصَبٌ يُطيلُ عَناءَهُ

وَيَنالُهُ نَصَبٌ يُطيلُ عَناءَهُ

فَلَهُ كَساري المُدلِجينَ مَنازِلُ

فَلَهُ كَساري المُدلِجينَ مَنازِلُ

And fatigue afflicts it, prolonging its toil;

And it meets with hardship that prolongs its suffering,

so it has stations, like a traveler among nightfarers.

So for it are the lodgings of those who spend the night adorning.

وَيُقيمُ في الدارِ المُنيفَةِ لَيلَةً

وَيُقيمُ في الدارِ المُنيفَةِ لَيلَةً

وَإِذا تَرَحَّلَ لَم يَعُقهُ الآزِلُ

وَإِذا تَرَحَّلَ لَم يَعُقهُ الآزِلُ

And it stays a night in the lofty dwelling;

And it stays for a night in the coveted house.

and when it departs, no restrainer holds it back.

When it moves on, no misfortune befalls it.

وَالبَدرُ أَنضَتهُ الغَياهِبُ وَالسَرى

وَالبَدرُ أَنضَتهُ الغَياهِبُ وَالسَرى

فَليَرضَ إِن يُنَضَّ الفَنيقُ البازِلُ

فَليَرضَ إِن يُنَضَّ الفَنيقُ البازِلُ

And the full moon has been worn thin by darkness and night travel;

The full moon - its light dimmed by clouds and the Pleiades -

so let the pampered, full-grown camel be content if it is worn thin.

Should be content if the transient Phoenix is ruined.

عَلَّ السَماكَ إِذا اِستَقَلَّ بِرُمحِهِ

عَلَّ السَماكَ إِذا اِستَقَلَّ بِرُمحِهِ

بَطَلٌ يُمارِسُ قِرنَهُ وَيُنازِلُ

بَطَلٌ يُمارِسُ قِرنَهُ وَيُنازِلُ

Perhaps al-Simak, when he rises with his lance,

The fish, when it controls its spear,

is a hero who contends with his rival and meets him in combat.

Is a hero conversing with its like and contending.

أَيقَنتَ مِن قَبلِ النُهى أَنَّ السُهى

أَيقَنتَ مِن قَبلِ النُهى أَنَّ السُهى

ساهٍ يُضاحِكُ جارَهُ وَيُهازِلُ

ساهٍ يُضاحِكُ جارَهُ وَيُهازِلُ

You were certain, before reason, that al-Suha

Were you certain before the prohibition that temptation

is heedless, laughing with his neighbor and jesting.

Is a distracter jesting with its neighbor and flirting?

وَالشَمسُ غازلَةٌ تَمُدُّ خُيوطَها

وَالشَمسُ غازلَةٌ تَمُدُّ خُيوطَها

فَلِذاكَ نِسوانُ الأَنامِ غَوازِلُ

فَلِذاكَ نِسوانُ الأَنامِ غَوازِلُ

And the sun is a spinner, stretching out her threads;

The sun is a flirt extending its threads,

so for that reason the women of humankind are spinners.

Thus the women of the world are flirts.

أَمّا النُجومُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ رَكائِبٌ

أَمّا النُجومُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ رَكائِبٌ

تَحتَ الزَمانِ فَهَل لَهُنَّ هَوازِلُ

تَحتَ الزَمانِ فَهَل لَهُنَّ هَوازِلُ

As for the stars, they are riding camels

As for the stars, they are riders

beneath Time—so are there things that wear them thin?

Under time - do they have any descents?

يا حَبَّذا العَيشُ الأَنيقُ وَلَم تَرُم

يا حَبَّذا العَيشُ الأَنيقُ وَلَم تَرُم

هَدمَ السُرورِ مِنَ الخُطوبِ زَلازِلُ

هَدمَ السُرورِ مِنَ الخُطوبِ زَلازِلُ

Ah, how lovely the pleasant life, when they had not sought

O excellent is the refined life, if tremors

to destroy joy—the earthquakes of calamity!

Did not demolish the joy from afflictions.

أَيّامَ سُنبُلَةُ البُروجِ غَضيضَةٌ

أَيّامَ سُنبُلَةُ البُروجِ غَضيضَةٌ

وَاللَيثُ شِبلٌ وَالنُسورُ جَوازِلُ

وَاللَيثُ شِبلٌ وَالنُسورُ جَوازِلُ

In the days when the zodiac's Ear of Grain was tender,

Days when the stars of the constellations are still young,

and the Lion was a cub, and the Vultures were nestlings.

And the lion a cub, and the eagles fledglings.

وَهَمَمتَ أَن تُحظى وَلَكِن طالَما

وَهَمَمتَ أَن تُحظى وَلَكِن طالَما

خَزَلَتكَ عَن نَيلِ المُرادِ خَوازِلُ

خَزَلَتكَ عَن نَيلِ المُرادِ خَوازِلُ

And you aspired to good fortune, but many a time

You wished to be fortunate but often

hindrances held you back from attaining your desire.

Caprices prevented you from attaining your desire.