ما كانَ في الأَرضِ مِن خَيرٍ وَلا كَرَمُ

ما كانَ في الأَرضِ مِن خَيرٍ وَلا كَرَمُ

فَضَلَّ مَن قالَ إِنَّ الأَكرَمينَ فَنوا

فَضَلَّ مَن قالَ إِنَّ الأَكرَمينَ فَنوا

There was no goodness on earth, nor generosity;

There was no good nor generosity on earth,

so whoever said the noblest had perished went astray.

Superior to one who said the noblest perished,

وَإِنَّما نَحنُ في سَوداءَ طامِيَةٍ

وَإِنَّما نَحنُ في سَوداءَ طامِيَةٍ

وَهَل تُخَلِّصُ مِن أَمثالِها السُفُنُ

وَهَل تُخَلِّصُ مِن أَمثالِها السُفُنُ

And we are but in a black, surging sea;

We are merely in a dark and murky sea,

and can ships rescue us from the likes of it?

Can ships escape from such as this?

وَالشيبُ أَولى مِنَ الشُبّانِ لَو عُبِطوا

وَالشيبُ أَولى مِنَ الشُبّانِ لَو عُبِطوا

لِأَنَّهُ مُكثَبٌ مِن حَتفِهِ اليَفَنُ

لِأَنَّهُ مُكثَبٌ مِن حَتفِهِ اليَفَنُ

And the gray-haired are more deserving of death than the young, if taken untimely,

Grey hair suits the aged more than youth,

for the aged man is close to his death.

If they are chided, for it springs from the brink of demise,

أَعفى المَنازِلَ قَبرٌ يُستَراحُ بِهِ

أَعفى المَنازِلَ قَبرٌ يُستَراحُ بِهِ

وَأَفضَلُ اللُبسِ فيما أَعلَمُ الكَفَنُ

وَأَفضَلُ اللُبسِ فيما أَعلَمُ الكَفَنُ

The most restful of dwellings is a grave in which one finds repose;

The most spacious homes become a grave for rest,

and the best clothing, as far as I know, is the shroud.

And the finest garb is what we know the shroud,

إِنَّ الَّذينَ عَلى وَجهِ الثَرى وُطِئوا

إِنَّ الَّذينَ عَلى وَجهِ الثَرى وُطِئوا

يُشابِهونَ أُناساً تَحتَهُ دُفِنوا

يُشابِهونَ أُناساً تَحتَهُ دُفِنوا

Indeed, those trampled upon the face of the earth

Those trampled on the earth's face,

resemble people buried beneath it—

Resemble people buried underneath,

الضاحِكينَ إِذا ما خيضَ في سَفَهٍ

الضاحِكينَ إِذا ما خيضَ في سَفَهٍ

وَإِن أُريدوا عَلى أُكرومَةٍ شَفَنوا

وَإِن أُريدوا عَلى أُكرومَةٍ شَفَنوا

those who laugh when folly is indulged in,

The laughers, when immersed in idiocy,

and if asked to do a noble deed, look askance.

And if they aspired to nobility, interred,

وَما أَصابَهُمُ أَفِنٌ فَغَيَّرَهُم

وَما أَصابَهُمُ أَفِنٌ فَغَيَّرَهُم

لَكِن أُراهُم عَلى طولِ المَدى أَفِنوا

لَكِن أُراهُم عَلى طولِ المَدى أَفِنوا

And no loss of reason befell them to change them;

An end did not alter them,

but I deem them to have been foolish all along.

But I see them, in the long run, perished,

وَلا تُنَجّي دُروعٌ أَهلَها سُبُغٌ

وَلا تُنَجّي دُروعٌ أَهلَها سُبُغٌ

وَلا جِيادٌ عَلى أَبوابِهِم صُفُنُ

وَلا جِيادٌ عَلى أَبوابِهِم صُفُنُ

Nor can ample coats of mail save their wearers,

No coats of mail rescue their people, polished,

nor fine steeds standing at their gates with one hoof raised.

No steeds at their gates aligned,

إِنّا لَرَكبُ لَيالٍ غَيرِ وانِيَةٍ

إِنّا لَرَكبُ لَيالٍ غَيرِ وانِيَةٍ

فَقوتِلَت مِن رِكابٍ ما لَها ثَفَنُ

فَقوتِلَت مِن رِكابٍ ما لَها ثَفَنُ

We are indeed riders upon nights that never flag;

We are night riders, not eternal,

so cursed be those mounts, which have no kneeling calluses!

Some of our riders, for them no revival,