إِنّا مَعاشِرَ هَذا الخَلقِ في سَفَهٍ

إِنّا مَعاشِرَ هَذا الخَلقِ في سَفَهٍ

حَتّى كَأَنّا عَلى الأَخلاقِ نَختَلِفُ

حَتّى كَأَنّا عَلى الأَخلاقِ نَختَلِفُ

We, the people of this creation, live in folly,

We people of this age are foolish

so much so that we seem to quarrel over worn-out garments.

As if we differ in morals

إِنَّ الرِجالَ إِذا لَم يَحمِها رَشَدٌ

إِنَّ الرِجالَ إِذا لَم يَحمِها رَشَدٌ

مِثلُ النِساءِ عَراها الخُلفُ وَالخُلُفُ

مِثلُ النِساءِ عَراها الخُلفُ وَالخُلُفُ

Indeed, men, when sound judgment does not protect them,

When men lack wisdom's guidance

are like women, beset by broken promises and falsehood.

They are like women, flawed and defective

أَلا تَرى جَمعَ ما لا عَقلَ يُسنِدُهُ

أَلا تَرى جَمعَ ما لا عَقلَ يُسنِدُهُ

جَمعَ المُؤَنَّثِ فيهِ التاءُ وَالأَلِفُ

جَمعَ المُؤَنَّثِ فيهِ التاءُ وَالأَلِفُ

Do you not see that the plural of what lacks reason

Don't you see the plural of what is irrational

is the feminine plural, containing tāʾ and alif?

Is the plural feminine, with ta and alif

وَيوصَفُ القَومُ في العَلياءِ أَنَّهُمُ

وَيوصَفُ القَومُ في العَلياءِ أَنَّهُمُ

شُمُّ الأُنوفِ وَفي آنافِهِم ذَلَفُ

شُمُّ الأُنوفِ وَفي آنافِهِم ذَلَفُ

And people, in their eminence, are described as

And people of nobility are described

high-nosed, though their noses are snub.

As haughty, with conceit up their noses

كَم مِن أَخٍ بِأَخيهِ غَيرَ مُتَّصِلٍ

كَم مِن أَخٍ بِأَخيهِ غَيرَ مُتَّصِلٍ

كَالعَينِ لَيسَت بِلَفظِ الخاءِ تَأتَلِفُ

كَالعَينِ لَيسَت بِلَفظِ الخاءِ تَأتَلِفُ

How many a brother has no bond with his brother,

How many a brother isn't close to his brother

like ʿayn, which does not combine with the sound of khāʾ.

Not joined like the eye, without kha or affinity

تَلافَ أَمرَكَ مِن قِبَلِ التَلافِ بِهِ

تَلافَ أَمرَكَ مِن قِبَلِ التَلافِ بِهِ

فَغايَةُ الناسِ في دُنياهُمُ التَلَفُ

فَغايَةُ الناسِ في دُنياهُمُ التَلَفُ

Set your affairs right in the face of their ruin;

Take care lest your affairs fall apart

for people's end in their worldly life is destruction.

For people's utmost aim in life is gain

وَلا تَقولَن إِذا ما جِئتَ مُخزِيَةً

وَلا تَقولَن إِذا ما جِئتَ مُخزِيَةً

قَولَ الغُواةِ عَلى هَذا مَضى السَلَفُ

قَولَ الغُواةِ عَلى هَذا مَضى السَلَفُ

And never, when you commit a shameful deed, utter

And if you come in disgrace, don't speak

the misguided people's words: 'Our forebears followed this course.'

The words of transgressors, "the predecessors did thus"

لا تَحلِفَنَّ عَلى صِدقٍ وَلا كَذِبٍ

لا تَحلِفَنَّ عَلى صِدقٍ وَلا كَذِبٍ

فَما يُفيدُكَ إِلّا المَأثَمَ الحَلِفُ

فَما يُفيدُكَ إِلّا المَأثَمَ الحَلِفُ

Never swear an oath to truth or falsehood;

Swear not falsely or truly

for swearing brings you nothing but sin.

For nought avails you but sin in oaths

لَولا حِذارِيَ أَنَّ اللَهَ يَسأَلُني

لَولا حِذارِيَ أَنَّ اللَهَ يَسأَلُني

عَمّا فَعَلتُ لَقَلَّت عِندِيَ الكُلَفُ

عَمّا فَعَلتُ لَقَلَّت عِندِيَ الكُلَفُ

Were it not for my fear that God would question me

But for my fear God will question me

about what I have done, my burdens would be few.

About what I did, pretense would be little

كُنّا فُتوّاً فَقَد مُدَّ البَقاءُ لَنا

كُنّا فُتوّاً فَقَد مُدَّ البَقاءُ لَنا

حَتّى غَدَونا وَمِنّا الشَيبُ وَالدُلُفُ

حَتّى غَدَونا وَمِنّا الشَيبُ وَالدُلُفُ

We were young men; our lives have indeed been prolonged,

We were youths, but length of days

until we came to have the gray-haired and the shuffling among us.

Has left us graybeards and stooping

يَفنى الزَمانُ وَأَنفاسُ الأَنامُ لَهُ

يَفنى الزَمانُ وَأَنفاسُ الأَنامُ لَهُ

خُطىً بِهِنَّ إِلى الآجالِ يَزدَلِفُ

خُطىً بِهِنَّ إِلى الآجالِ يَزدَلِفُ

Time wears away, and the breaths of humankind are its

Time passes and breaths of people

steps, by which it draws near to the appointed ends.

Hasten steps toward destined ends

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ فَروكٌ وافَقَت صَلَفاً

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ فَروكٌ وافَقَت صَلَفاً

مِنّي وَكانَ جَزاءَ الفارِكِ الصَلَفُ

مِنّي وَكانَ جَزاءَ الفارِكِ الصَلَفُ

And Umm Dafr, 'Mother of Stench,' a husband-hating wife, met with disdain

The mother of Dafar, his horse went astray

from me; disdain was the due of a husband-hating wife.

I treated her harshly, the due of the deserter

وَكَم ضَحِكتُ إِلَيها وَهِيَ عابِسَةٌ

وَكَم ضَحِكتُ إِلَيها وَهِيَ عابِسَةٌ

ثُمَّ اِفتَكَرتُ فَزالَ الحُبُّ وَالكَلَفُ

ثُمَّ اِفتَكَرتُ فَزالَ الحُبُّ وَالكَلَفُ

And how often I smiled at her while she frowned!

How I laughed at her frowning

Then I reflected, and love and infatuation vanished.

Then thought better, and love and grace went

وَالناسُ مِن أَربَعٍ شَتّى إِذا اِئتَلَفَت

وَالناسُ مِن أَربَعٍ شَتّى إِذا اِئتَلَفَت

رُدَّت إِلى سَبعَةٍ في الحُكمِ تَختَلِفُ

رُدَّت إِلى سَبعَةٍ في الحُكمِ تَختَلِفُ

And people are made of four disparate natures; when these unite,

People are of four kinds; when united

they are subject to seven that differ in their rule.

They turn to seven dispositions distinct

إِقرَأ كَلامي إِذا ضَمَّ الثَرى جَسَدي

إِقرَأ كَلامي إِذا ضَمَّ الثَرى جَسَدي

فَإِنَّهُ لَكَ مِمَّن قالَهُ خَلَفُ

فَإِنَّهُ لَكَ مِمَّن قالَهُ خَلَفُ

Read my words when the soil has enfolded my body;

Read my words when earth covers my body

for they will be, for you, a successor to the one who spoke them.

For they are from one who came after