هُوَ البَرُّ في بَحرٍ وَإِن سَكَنَ البَرّا

هُوَ البَرُّ في بَحرٍ وَإِن سَكَنَ البَرّا

إِذا هُوَ جاءَ الخَيرَ لَم يَعدَمِ الشَرّا

إِذا هُوَ جاءَ الخَيرَ لَم يَعدَمِ الشَرّا

The righteous man is in a sea, even if he dwells on dry land.

He is righteousness in a sea, even if the land is still,

When he does good, he is never without evil.

When he brought good, he did not lack for evil.

وَهَل تَظفَرُ الدُنيا عَلَيَّ بِمِنَّةٍ

وَهَل تَظفَرُ الدُنيا عَلَيَّ بِمِنَّةٍ

وَما ساءَ فيها النَفسَ أَضعافُ ما سَرّا

وَما ساءَ فيها النَفسَ أَضعافُ ما سَرّا

And can the world claim a favor over me,

How could this world bestow a favor upon me

when what has grieved the soul in it is many times what has pleased it?

When my soul was saddened by it, evils multiplied over joys.

يُلاقي حَليفُ العَيشِ ما هُوَ كارِهٌ

يُلاقي حَليفُ العَيشِ ما هُوَ كارِهٌ

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِلّا الهَواجِرَ وَالقُرّا

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِلّا الهَواجِرَ وَالقُرّا

Life's companion encounters what he loathes,

The companion of life meets what he dislikes,

even if it is only scorching noons and bitter cold.

Even if it were only locusts and grit.

نَوائِبُ مِنها عَمَّتِ الكَهلَ وَالفَتى

نَوائِبُ مِنها عَمَّتِ الكَهلَ وَالفَتى

وَطِفلَ الوَرى وَالشَيخَ وَالعَبدَ وَالحُرّا

وَطِفلَ الوَرى وَالشَيخَ وَالعَبدَ وَالحُرّا

Its calamities have encompassed the middle-aged man and the youth,

Its reversals have encompassed the grown and the young,

and the child of humankind, the old man, the slave, and the free man.

The child of the land, the old man, the slave and the free man.

إِذا وُصِلَت بِالجِسمِ روحٌ فَإِنَّها

إِذا وُصِلَت بِالجِسمِ روحٌ فَإِنَّها

وَجُثمانُها تَصلى الشَدائِدَ وَالضَرّا

وَجُثمانُها تَصلى الشَدائِدَ وَالضَرّا

When a soul is joined to the body, then it

When a soul is joined to the body, it and

and its body endure hardships and harm.

Its corpse suffer hardships and harm.

بَدا فَرَحٌ مِن مُعرِسٍ أَفَما دَرى

بَدا فَرَحٌ مِن مُعرِسٍ أَفَما دَرى

بِما اِختارَ مِن سوءِ الفِعالِ وَما جَرّا

بِما اِختارَ مِن سوءِ الفِعالِ وَما جَرّا

A bridegroom showed joy—did he then not know

Joy appeared from a wedding feast, but did he not know

the evil deeds he had chosen and what he had brought about?

What evil deeds he chose and what he dragged along?

سَعى آدَمٌ جَدُّ البَرِيَّةِ في أَذىً

سَعى آدَمٌ جَدُّ البَرِيَّةِ في أَذىً

لِذُرِّيَّةٍ في ظَهرِهِ تُشبِهُ الذَرّا

لِذُرِّيَّةٍ في ظَهرِهِ تُشبِهُ الذَرّا

Adam, humankind's forefather, strove to bring harm

Father of mankind, Adam, strove to harm

to offspring in his loins, resembling tiny ants.

Offspring that in his loins were like motes.

تَلا الناسُ في النَكراءِ نَهجَ أَبيهِمُ

تَلا الناسُ في النَكراءِ نَهجَ أَبيهِمُ

وَغُرَّ بَنوهُ في الحَياةِ كَما غُرّا

وَغُرَّ بَنوهُ في الحَياةِ كَما غُرّا

People followed their father's path in grievous wrongdoing,

People have followed the path of their father;

and his sons were deceived in life, as he was deceived.

His sons were deluded in life as he was deluded.

يَقولُ الغُواةُ الخِضرُ حَيٌّ عَلَيهِمُ

يَقولُ الغُواةُ الخِضرُ حَيٌّ عَلَيهِمُ

عَفاءٌ نِعمَ لَيلٌ مِنَ الفِتَنِ اِخضَرّا

عَفاءٌ نِعمَ لَيلٌ مِنَ الفِتَنِ اِخضَرّا

The misguided say, 'Al-Khidr is alive'—upon them

The ignorant say, "Khidhr lives," may well-being

be oblivion! What a fine night of strife has grown dark!

Be upon them! A fine night of tribulations has become verdant!

وَلَو صَدَقوا ما اِنفَكَّ في شَرِّ حالَةٍ

وَلَو صَدَقوا ما اِنفَكَّ في شَرِّ حالَةٍ

يُعاني بِها الأَسفارَ أَشعَثَ مُغبَرّا

يُعاني بِها الأَسفارَ أَشعَثَ مُغبَرّا

Even if they spoke truly, he would remain in the worst of states,

Had they told the truth, they would not have escaped from evil circumstances

enduring journeys in that state, disheveled and dust-covered.

In which they suffer travel, disheveled and covered in dust.

وَلَكِنَّ مَن أَعطاهُمُ الخَبَرَ اِفتَرى

وَلَكِنَّ مَن أَعطاهُمُ الخَبَرَ اِفتَرى

وَأُلفِيَ مِثلَ السدِ أَجمَعَ وَاِفتَرّا

وَأُلفِيَ مِثلَ السدِ أَجمَعَ وَاِفتَرّا

But whoever gave them the report fabricated it,

But he who told them the news was making it up,

and was found like a wolf that readied itself and bared its teeth.

And, like a dam, he gathered and fabricated it.

جَنى قائِلٌ بِالمَينِ يَطلُبُ ثَروَةً

جَنى قائِلٌ بِالمَينِ يَطلُبُ ثَروَةً

وَيُعذَرُ فيهِ مَن تَكَذَّبَ مُضطَرّا

وَيُعذَرُ فيهِ مَن تَكَذَّبَ مُضطَرّا

One who speaks falsehood to seek wealth commits a wrong,

A speaker obtained wealth by lying;

and one who lies under compulsion is excused for it.

One whose need drives him to it may be excused.

خُذا الآنَ فيما نَحنُ فيهِ وَخَلِّيا

خُذا الآنَ فيما نَحنُ فيهِ وَخَلِّيا

غَداً فَهُوَ لَم يَقدُم وَأَمسِ فَقَد مَرّا

غَداً فَهُوَ لَم يَقدُم وَأَمسِ فَقَد مَرّا

You two, take up what occupies us now, and leave aside

Take now to what we are in and leave

tomorrow, for it has not arrived, and yesterday, for it has passed.

Tomorrow, for it has not come, and yesterday, for it has passed.

لِنَفسِيَ ما أَطعَمتُ لَم يَدرِ آكِلٌ

لِنَفسِيَ ما أَطعَمتُ لَم يَدرِ آكِلٌ

سِوايَ أَحُلواً جازَ في الفَمِ أَم مُرّا

سِوايَ أَحُلواً جازَ في الفَمِ أَم مُرّا

What I have fed myself is mine; no eater knows—

None but I knows if what I have tasted

except me—whether it passed through the mouth sweet or bitter.

Was sweet or bitter when it passed my mouth.

وَمِن شِيَمِ الإِنسِ العُقوقُ وَجاهِلٌ

وَمِن شِيَمِ الإِنسِ العُقوقُ وَجاهِلٌ

مُحاوِلُ بِرٍّ عِندَ مَن أَكَلَ البُرّا

مُحاوِلُ بِرٍّ عِندَ مَن أَكَلَ البُرّا

Ingratitude to parents is among human traits; a fool

It is the nature of man to be ungrateful, and an ignorant man

is one who seeks kindness from someone who has eaten wheat.

Attempts kindness with one who has eaten grit.

عَجِبتُ لِهَذي الشَمسِ يَمضي نَهارُنا

عَجِبتُ لِهَذي الشَمسِ يَمضي نَهارُنا

إِذا غَرَبَت حَتّى إِذا طَلَعَت كَرّا

إِذا غَرَبَت حَتّى إِذا طَلَعَت كَرّا

I marvel at this sun: our day departs

I am amazed by this sun: our day passes,

when it sets, until, when it rises, the day returns.

When it sets, until it rises again.

لَها ناظِرٌ لَم يَدرِ ما سِنَةُ الكَرى

لَها ناظِرٌ لَم يَدرِ ما سِنَةُ الكَرى

وَلا ذُرَّ مُذ قالَ المَليكُ لَهُ ذُرّا

وَلا ذُرَّ مُذ قالَ المَليكُ لَهُ ذُرّا

It has an eye that has never known the drowsiness of slumber,

It has a watcher who does not know how many times it has circled around,

nor been treated with powder since the Sovereign said to it, 'Shine!'

Nor how many motes since the King said to it, "Circle!"

وَساعاتُنا كَالخَيلِ تَجري إِلى مَدىً

وَساعاتُنا كَالخَيلِ تَجري إِلى مَدىً

حَوالُكَ دُهماً لا مُحَجَّلَةً غُرّا

حَوالُكَ دُهماً لا مُحَجَّلَةً غُرّا

And our hours run like horses toward a limit,

And our hours race on to an extent,

pitch-black and dark-coated, not white-stockinged or white-blazed.

Your revolutions galloping, not equipped with housing.

نَعيمٌ طَما عِندَ اِمرِئٍ وَمُسَخَّرٌ

نَعيمٌ طَما عِندَ اِمرِئٍ وَمُسَخَّرٌ

لَهُ بِمَجالِ الحوتِ يَلتَمِسُ الدُرّا

لَهُ بِمَجالِ الحوتِ يَلتَمِسُ الدُرّا

Luxury overflows for one man, while another is pressed into service,

Pleasure belongs to someone, and made subservient

seeking pearls for him in the fish's domain.

To him is the expanse of the whale, that he may seek pearls.

سِوايَ الَّذي أَرعى السَوامَ وَساقَهُ

سِوايَ الَّذي أَرعى السَوامَ وَساقَهُ

وَبِالجَدِّ لا بِالسَعيِ أَحتَلِبُ الدَرّا

وَبِالجَدِّ لا بِالسَعيِ أَحتَلِبُ الدَرّا

Someone other than me has pastured the herd and driven it,

Except me, who herds the sheep and drives them

and by luck, not effort, I draw the milk.

And, in earnest, not by effort, I milk the pearls.

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَنضو لِباسَ بَقائِهِ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَنضو لِباسَ بَقائِهِ

نَقِيَّ بَياضٍ لَم يُدَنِّس لَهُ زِرّا

نَقِيَّ بَياضٍ لَم يُدَنِّس لَهُ زِرّا

And who is it that sheds the garment of his life

And who is he who will put on the garment of his permanence,

still pure white, without having soiled even a button of it?

Pure white, which no speck has soiled?