أَعِكرِمَ إِن غَنَّيتِ أَلفَيتِ نادِباً

أَعِكرِمَ إِن غَنَّيتِ أَلفَيتِ نادِباً

فَلا تَتَغَنّي في الأَصائِلِ عِكرَما

فَلا تَتَغَنّي في الأَصائِلِ عِكرَما

O ʿIkrima, if you sing, you find a mourner;

Ikrima, if you sing, you will find me a mourner,

so do not sing in the late afternoons, ʿIkrima,

So do not sing sweetly in the late evenings, Ikrima.

بِنَظمٍ شَجا في الجاهِليَّةِ أَهلَها

بِنَظمٍ شَجا في الجاهِليَّةِ أَهلَها

وَراقَ مَعَ البَعثِ الحَنيفَ المُخَضرَما

وَراقَ مَعَ البَعثِ الحَنيفَ المُخَضرَما

with verse that grieved the people of the pre-Islamic age,

With poetry that stirred in the times of ignorance those people,

and, with the prophetic mission, charmed the monotheist who knew both eras,

And was pleasing along with the upright orthodox Islam.

وَقَد هاجَ في الإِسلامِ كُلَّ مُوَلِّدٍ

وَقَد هاجَ في الإِسلامِ كُلَّ مُوَلِّدٍ

وَأَطرَبَ ذا نُسكٍ وَآخَرَ مُجرِما

وَأَطرَبَ ذا نُسكٍ وَآخَرَ مُجرِما

and, in the Islamic age, has stirred every later-generation poet,

In Islam every innovator has raged,

and delighted a devout man and another, a sinner.

And another corrupted has become euphoric.

لَكِ النُصحُ مِنّي لا أُغاديكَ خاتِلاً

لَكِ النُصحُ مِنّي لا أُغاديكَ خاتِلاً

بِمَكرٍ وَلَكِنّي أُغاديكَ مُكرِما

بِمَكرٍ وَلَكِنّي أُغاديكَ مُكرِما

My counsel is yours; I do not visit you in the morning deceitfully,

My advice to you is sincere; I do not cheat you

with guile, but visit you in the morning to honor you.

With deceit, but I advise you with honor.

إِذا ما حَذِرتِ الصَقرَ يَوماً فَحاذِري

إِذا ما حَذِرتِ الصَقرَ يَوماً فَحاذِري

أَخا الإِنسِ أَيّاماً وَإِن كانَ مُحرِما

أَخا الإِنسِ أَيّاماً وَإِن كانَ مُحرِما

If you ever fear the falcon for a day, then beware

When you areware of the falcon someday, so beware

a human being for many days, even if he is a consecrated pilgrim.

Of the brother of mankind for days, even if he is forbidden.

يَصوغُ لَكِ الغاوي قِلادَةَ هالِكٍ

يَصوغُ لَكِ الغاوي قِلادَةَ هالِكٍ

مِنَ الدَمِ تُخبي وَجدَكِ المُتَضَرِّما

مِنَ الدَمِ تُخبي وَجدَكِ المُتَضَرِّما

The wayward man fashions you a doomed one's necklace

The misguided one makes for you a fatal necklace

of blood, which quenches your blazing longing.

Of blood that hides your fervor that is accumulating.

وَكَم سَحَتَت كَفّاهُ مِثلَكِ في ضُحى

وَكَم سَحَتَت كَفّاهُ مِثلَكِ في ضُحى

شَبيبَتِها إِذ لَم تَرَ الدَهرَ مُهرَما

شَبيبَتِها إِذ لَم تَرَ الدَهرَ مُهرَما

And how many like you his two hands have slain in the bright morning

And how many like you have his hands lead astray in the morn

of their youth, when they had not yet seen time grown old!

Their youth, when they did not see fate as broken down.

وَراعَ بِقَهرٍ مِن جَناحَكِ آمِناً

وَراعَ بِقَهرٍ مِن جَناحَكِ آمِناً

فَظَلَّ عَلى الريشِ النُهوضُ مُحَرَّما

فَظَلَّ عَلى الريشِ النُهوضُ مُحَرَّما

And he frightened you by force, himself safe from your wing,

And it lived safely by the might of your wing,

so taking flight remained forbidden to the feathers.

So rising above the plumage became forbidden.

وَقَد يُبرِمُ الحَينَ القَضاءُ بِناشِئٍ

وَقَد يُبرِمُ الحَينَ القَضاءُ بِناشِئٍ

يُراوِحُ خَيطاً شَدُّهُ بِكِ مُبرَما

يُراوِحُ خَيطاً شَدُّهُ بِكِ مُبرَما

And fate may seal your doom through a youngster

And the destiny may soon determine for a youth

who moves a cord to and fro, firmly fastened to you,

That will ply a thread that binding you is obligatory.

كَما قَيَّدَ السُلطانُ حِلفَ جِنايَةٍ

كَما قَيَّدَ السُلطانُ حِلفَ جِنايَةٍ

لِيَقتَصَّ مِنهُ أَو لِيُغرِمَ مَغرَما

لِيَقتَصَّ مِنهُ أَو لِيُغرِمَ مَغرَما

as the ruler shackles an accomplice in crime,

As the sultan has chained the pact of a crime

to exact retribution from him or make him pay a fine.

To take vengeance from it or to fine the fined.

فَزوري وَبارَ القَفرِ مِن كُلِّ وابِرٍ

فَزوري وَبارَ القَفرِ مِن كُلِّ وابِرٍ

وَإِلّا فَرومي خَلفَ ذَلِكَ مَخرَما

وَإِلّا فَرومي خَلفَ ذَلِكَ مَخرَما

So visit Wabār, the wilderness free of every fur-bearing creature;

So visit and spend the night in every desolate place,

otherwise, seek a mountain pass beyond it,

Otherwise, settle behind that frustrated.

بِحَيثُ تُوافينَ الصَحابِيَّ مُعوزاً

بِحَيثُ تُوافينَ الصَحابِيَّ مُعوزاً

مِنَ الناسِ وَالماءَ السَحابِيَّ خِضرِما

مِنَ الناسِ وَالماءَ السَحابِيَّ خِضرِما

where you find no companion

Where you will meet the needy companion

among humans, and cloud-borne water abundant.

And the rainwater fresh and green.

وَحِلّي بِقافٍ إِن أَطَقتِ بُلوغَهُ

وَحِلّي بِقافٍ إِن أَطَقتِ بُلوغَهُ

فَأَفني لَدَيهِ عُمرَكِ المُتَصَرِّما

فَأَفني لَدَيهِ عُمرَكِ المُتَصَرِّما

And settle at Qāf, if you can reach it;

And adorn yourself with a belt, if you can attain it

then spend your waning life beside it.

Then before it waste your life that is passing away.