رَبُّ دِرَفسٍ خَلفَهُ ذائِبٌ

رَبُّ دِرَفسٍ خَلفَهُ ذائِبٌ

أَروَحُ مِن رَبِّ الدِرفِسِ العَلَم

أَروَحُ مِن رَبِّ الدِرفِسِ العَلَم

The owner of an awl, with melted fat behind him,

The master of beasts, a wolf stalks behind,

is more at ease than the lord of a banner.

I wish to flee from beasts though great their fame,

لَيسَ الفَتى مِن رَأسِهِ مُبدِلاً

لَيسَ الفَتى مِن رَأسِهِ مُبدِلاً

رَأساً كَما يَفعَلُ باري القَلَم

رَأساً كَما يَفعَلُ باري القَلَم

A man cannot replace his own head

No youth can change the head with which he's lined,

with another head, as the pen-sharpener does.

As little as the pen its ready aim,

وَهَذِهِ الدُنيا عَلى أَنَّها

وَهَذِهِ الدُنيا عَلى أَنَّها

مَحبوبَةٌ لَم تُخلِنا مِن أَلَم

مَحبوبَةٌ لَم تُخلِنا مِن أَلَم

And this world, although it is

And though this world as lovable's designed,

beloved, has not left us free of pain.

It never left us free of grief and pain,

يُلامُ ذو اليُسرِ وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ

يُلامُ ذو اليُسرِ وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ

أَدرَكَ مِنها طَرفاً لَم يُلَم

أَدرَكَ مِنها طَرفاً لَم يُلَم

The wealthy man is blamed—and what man

And he of fortune's blamed though fate's assigned,

has gained a share of it without being blamed?

What mortal ever grasped joy free of bane?

قَد يوجَدُ الكَهلُ حَليفَ النُهى

قَد يوجَدُ الكَهلُ حَليفَ النُهى

كَأَنَّهُ مِن جَهلِهِ ما اِحتَلَم

كَأَنَّهُ مِن جَهلِهِ ما اِحتَلَم

A middle-aged man, an ally of reason, may be found,

In age a comrade finds the wise's line,

seeming, in his ignorance, never to have reached puberty.

As though till then he'd known nor wit nor brain,

كانَ تَقِيّاً قَبلَ إِمكانِهِ

كانَ تَقِيّاً قَبلَ إِمكانِهِ

حَتّى إِذا مُكِّنَ مِنها ظَلَم

حَتّى إِذا مُكِّنَ مِنها ظَلَم

He was pious before he gained power,

And pious seemed before the chance was his,

until, once given power over it, he acted unjustly.

But once empowered, justice he'd disdain,

يَحسِبُ أَنَّ الصُبحَ بادٍ لَهُ

يَحسِبُ أَنَّ الصُبحَ بادٍ لَهُ

وَهوَ نَهاراً خابِطٌ في الظُلَم

وَهوَ نَهاراً خابِطٌ في الظُلَم

He thinks the dawn is plain to him,

Believing dawn remains at his command,

while in daylight he blunders through darkness.

Though stumbling sightless in the dark's demand,

وَمِن بَديعِ الجَورِ ما بَينَنا

وَمِن بَديعِ الجَورِ ما بَينَنا

حَربُكَ مَن أَلقى إِلَيكَ السَلَم

حَربُكَ مَن أَلقى إِلَيكَ السَلَم

And among the strange injustices in our midst

Of tyranny's perfection that I've seen,

is your waging war on one who offered you peace.

Your warring those who tender peace serene,

إِنَّ إِناءَ الخَيرِ مِن عَسجَدٍ

إِنَّ إِناءَ الخَيرِ مِن عَسجَدٍ

لَو خَرَّ هَضبٌ فَوقَهُ ما اِنثَلَم

لَو خَرَّ هَضبٌ فَوقَهُ ما اِنثَلَم

Indeed, the vessel of goodness is made of gold;

Goodness' vessel made of gentlesteel,

even if a rocky hill fell upon it, it would not be chipped.

Though oxen trampled it would never kneel

إِن زَجَرَ اللَهُ حَديداً نَبا

إِن زَجَرَ اللَهُ حَديداً نَبا

أَو أَمَرَ اللَهُ حَريراً كَلَم

أَو أَمَرَ اللَهُ حَريراً كَلَم

If God restrains iron, it glances off;

Did God forbid the iron word to break,

or if God commands silk, it wounds.

Or silk to speak when God the order spake,

أَروَحُ مِن عَيشٍ جَنى لي أَذىً

أَروَحُ مِن عَيشٍ جَنى لي أَذىً

مَوتٌ أَتاني راحَةً وَاِصطَلَم

مَوتٌ أَتاني راحَةً وَاِصطَلَم

More restful than a life that yielded me harm

From life where hurt I've gathered do I crave

is death, which came to me as relief and swept me away.

A death to soothe me, set my spirit free,

طَيفُ حِمامٍ زارَني في الكَرى

طَيفُ حِمامٍ زارَني في الكَرى

فَمَرحَباً بِالطَيفِ لَمّا أَلَم

فَمَرحَباً بِالطَيفِ لَمّا أَلَم

The phantom of death visited me in sleep;

A dove's mirage came visiting my grave,

so welcome to the phantom when it came!

Welcome that ghost though it awakened me,

أَيُنكِرُ التَقليدَ مُستَبصِرٌ

أَيُنكِرُ التَقليدَ مُستَبصِرٌ

قَبَّلَ رُكنَ البَيتِ ثُمَّ اِستَلَم

قَبَّلَ رُكنَ البَيتِ ثُمَّ اِستَلَم

Does a discerning man reject unquestioning imitation,

Can one verse-wise tradition's creed deny,

having kissed the corner of the House and then touched it?

Once kissed the Kaaba's stone and said goodbye?

وَالجَذَعُ الأَزلَمُ لَم يُبقِ ذا

وَالجَذَعُ الأَزلَمُ لَم يُبقِ ذا

رُمحٍ مِنَ الناسِ وَلا ذا زَلَم

رُمحٍ مِنَ الناسِ وَلا ذا زَلَم

And Time—the short-eared yearling—has spared no bearer

No upright spear of men remains to fight,

of a spear among men, nor bearer of a divining arrow.

Nor stalwart souls to challenge evil's might.