لَن تَريهِ إِن كُنتِ لِما تَريهِ

لَن تَريهِ إِن كُنتِ لِما تَريهِ

ثابِتاً خاتِماهُ في خِنصِرَيهِ

ثابِتاً خاتِماهُ في خِنصِرَيهِ

You will not see him—if you have not seen him yet—

You will not see him if you remain

with his two rings fixed on his little fingers.

With your ring fixed on your little finger.

لَم يَجِد عِندَ أَكبَرَيهِ سُموّاً

لَم يَجِد عِندَ أَكبَرَيهِ سُموّاً

فَاِعتَزى فَضلُهُ إِلى أَصغَرَيهِ

فَاِعتَزى فَضلُهُ إِلى أَصغَرَيهِ

He found no eminence in his two greater ones,

He did not find loftiness with his elders,

so his merit claimed descent from his two lesser ones.

So his excellence turned to his juniors.

ظَلَّ يَستَخبِرُ النُجومَ عَنِ الغَي

ظَلَّ يَستَخبِرُ النُجومَ عَنِ الغَي

بِ فَجاءَ اليَقينُ مِن خَبَرَيهِ

بِ فَجاءَ اليَقينُ مِن خَبَرَيهِ

He kept asking the stars about the un-

He kept asking the stars about the absent one,

seen; so certainty came from his two reports.

So certainty came from both his eyes.

قَد مَضَت عَنهُ الأَربَعونَ بِلا

قَد مَضَت عَنهُ الأَربَعونَ بِلا

حَمدٍ وَذاكَ الأَجَلُّ مِن عُمَرَيهِ

حَمدٍ وَذاكَ الأَجَلُّ مِن عُمَرَيهِ

Forty years have already passed him by without

Forty passed by him without

praise—and that is the nobler of his two lifetimes.

Any praise, and that is the greater part of his lifetime.

لَيسَ مِن خِلَّةِ الزَمانِ عَلى

لَيسَ مِن خِلَّةِ الزَمانِ عَلى

شَيءٍ وَلَو باتَ ثالِثاً قَمَرَيهِ

شَيءٍ وَلَو باتَ ثالِثاً قَمَرَيهِ

He has no share in Time's friendship

It is not the defect of time on

at all, even were he to spend the night a third alongside its two moons.

Anything, even if he stayed a third his moons.

قَد رَآهُ ما بَينَ مَوتٍ وَقتلٍ

قَد رَآهُ ما بَينَ مَوتٍ وَقتلٍ

هَل يَجوزُ النَجاءُ مِن قَدَرَيهِ

هَل يَجوزُ النَجاءُ مِن قَدَرَيهِ

It has seen him between death and killing;

He saw him between death and murder.

is escape from his two fates possible?

Can one be saved from both his fates?