عَبَرَ الشَبابُ لِأُمِّهِ العُبرُ

عَبَرَ الشَبابُ لِأُمِّهِ العُبرُ

لا غابِرٌ مِنهُ وَلا غُبرُ

لا غابِرٌ مِنهُ وَلا غُبرُ

Youth has passed—may its mother weep!

The youth passed away, leaving grief for his mother,

No remnant of it remains, nor any dregs.

Neither absent nor covered in dust.

كَالأَدهَمِ الجاري مَضى فَإِذا

كَالأَدهَمِ الجاري مَضى فَإِذا

آثارُهُ بِمَفارِقي غُبرُ

آثارُهُ بِمَفارِقي غُبرُ

Like a galloping black horse it sped away, and behold,

Like a darting colt he went, but when

Its traces are gray dust at the partings of my hair.

He left, his traces at my dwelling were dust.

وَنَعوذُ بِالخَلّاقِ مِن أُمَمٍ

وَنَعوذُ بِالخَلّاقِ مِن أُمَمٍ

أَوفى المَنازِلِ مِنهُمُ القَبرُ

أَوفى المَنازِلِ مِنهُمُ القَبرُ

And we seek refuge in the Creator from peoples

We seek refuge with the Creator from nations

For whom the grave is the most fitting abode.

Whose final abode is the grave.

إِبَرُ العَقارِبِ فَوقَ أَلسُنِهِم

إِبَرُ العَقارِبِ فَوقَ أَلسُنِهِم

مَحمولَةٌ فَكَلامُهُم أَبرُ

مَحمولَةٌ فَكَلامُهُم أَبرُ

Scorpions' needles upon their tongues

Needles above their tongues

Are borne; thus their speech is stinging.

Carry poison, so their talk is needlepoints.

مَن جَبرَئيلُ إِذا تُخَوِّفُهُم

مَن جَبرَئيلُ إِذا تُخَوِّفُهُم

لا إِيلُ عِندَهُمُ وَلا جَبرُ

لا إِيلُ عِندَهُمُ وَلا جَبرُ

Who is Gabriel, when you try to frighten them?

Who is Gabriel when they frighten him?

They acknowledge neither El nor Jabr.

They have no loyalty or obligation.

وَخَبَرتُهُم فَوَجَدتُ أَخبَرَهُم

وَخَبَرتُهُم فَوَجَدتُ أَخبَرَهُم

مِثلَ الطَريدَةِ ما لَها خُبرُ

مِثلَ الطَريدَةِ ما لَها خُبرُ

I tested them and found their most experienced

I came to know them, and found the best of them

Like hunted quarry, with no knowledge.

Like a flock with no shepherd.

هَل يَعصِمَنَّكَ مِن لِقاءِ رَدىً

هَل يَعصِمَنَّكَ مِن لِقاءِ رَدىً

بِالرُغمِ أَنَّكَ عالِمٌ حَبرُ

بِالرُغمِ أَنَّكَ عالِمٌ حَبرُ

Will it shield you from meeting death,

Can knowledge protect you from meeting harm

Against your will, that you are a learned scholar?

Though you are a learned man of esteem?

وَحَصُلتُ مِن وَرِقٍ عَلى وَرَقٍ

وَحَصُلتُ مِن وَرِقٍ عَلى وَرَقٍ

بيضٍ يَشُقُّ مُتونَها الحِبرُ

بيضٍ يَشُقُّ مُتونَها الحِبرُ

And from silver I obtained sheets of paper,

I gathered papers, paper atop paper,

White, their surfaces furrowed by ink.

White, split by the ink of my pen.

فُضَّت نُهاكَ بِفِضَّةٍ سُبِكَت

فُضَّت نُهاكَ بِفِضَّةٍ سُبِكَت

وَلَقَد قَضى بِتَبارِكَ التِبرُ

وَلَقَد قَضى بِتَبارِكَ التِبرُ

Your reason was shattered by cast silver,

Your command was carried out with pure silver

And gold has indeed dictated 'Blessed be.'

Molded, as destiny’s decree was fulfilled.

وَاللَهُ أَكبَرُ فَالوَلاءُ لَهُ

وَاللَهُ أَكبَرُ فَالوَلاءُ لَهُ

وَكَذا الوَلاءُ يَحوزُهُ الكُبرُ

وَكَذا الوَلاءُ يَحوزُهُ الكُبرُ

God is greatest, so allegiance belongs to Him;

God is Greatest – loyalty belongs to Him

Likewise, seniority lays claim to allegiance.

And likewise, seniority holds loyalty.

لَو لَم تَكُن في القَومِ أَصغَرَهُم

لَو لَم تَكُن في القَومِ أَصغَرَهُم

ما بانَ فيكَ عَلَيهِمُ كِبرُ

ما بانَ فيكَ عَلَيهِمُ كِبرُ

Had you not been the least among the people,

If you weren’t the youngest among the people

No arrogance toward them would have shown in you.

Your superiority over them wouldn’t be clear.

وَالداءُ يُطرَدُ بِالأَمَرِّ وَصَر

وَالداءُ يُطرَدُ بِالأَمَرِّ وَصَر

فُ الخَطبِ وَقتَ نُزولِهِ الصَبرُ

فُ الخَطبِ وَقتَ نُزولِهِ الصَبرُ

Disease is driven off by the bitterest remedy; and

Illness is chased away by command – the affliction

Patience averts calamity when it descends.

Is restrained, when patience comes at its descent.

وَالعَيشُ سُقمٌ لا سَآمَ لَهُ

وَالعَيشُ سُقمٌ لا سَآمَ لَهُ

وَجِراحُهُ يَعيا بِها السَبرُ

وَجِراحُهُ يَعيا بِها السَبرُ

Life is a sickness that knows no weariness,

Life is unrelenting sickness, it knows no fatigue,

And its wounds defeat probing.

And its wounds make examination woeful.

وَالناسُ خَيرُهُمُ كَشَرِّهِمُ

وَالناسُ خَيرُهُمُ كَشَرِّهِمُ

وَتَساوَتِ النَعراتُ وَالدَبرُ

وَتَساوَتِ النَعراتُ وَالدَبرُ

The people's best are like their worst,

The best and worst of people are equal,

And gadflies and bees have become alike.

As are lineages and rear ends.

ما آلُ بَبرٍ إِن وَصَفتُهُمُ

ما آلُ بَبرٍ إِن وَصَفتُهُمُ

إِلّا ضَراغِمَ جَدُّها بَبرُ

إِلّا ضَراغِمَ جَدُّها بَبرُ

The house of Babr, if I describe them,

I described them, and none issues from the womb

Are but lions, their grandsire Babr—the tiger.

But wild beasts, ancestors to the hyena.

هاوٍ إِلى وَهدٍ يُخالِفُهُ

هاوٍ إِلى وَهدٍ يُخالِفُهُ

راقي الهِضابِ كَأَنَّهُ وَبرُ

راقي الهِضابِ كَأَنَّهُ وَبرُ

One descending into a hollow finds his opposite in

Plunging to a valley, opposed to the summit,

A climber of hills, as though a hyrax.

Scaling the hills as if they were locusts.

يوفي عَلى شُرُفاتِ مِنبَرِهِ

يوفي عَلى شُرُفاتِ مِنبَرِهِ

مَن هَمُّهُ التَحقيقُ وَالنَبرُ

مَن هَمُّهُ التَحقيقُ وَالنَبرُ

On the heights of his pulpit stands

Fulfilling from his lofty pulpit

One concerned with precise enunciation and vocal stress.

One concerned with truth and clarity.

يَتلو العِظاتِ وَلَيسَ مُتَّعِظاً

يَتلو العِظاتِ وَلَيسَ مُتَّعِظاً

بَل شَدُّهُ لِحِزامِهِ ضَبرُ

بَل شَدُّهُ لِحِزامِهِ ضَبرُ

He recites admonitions, but does not heed them;

Reciting sermons while not taking heed,

Rather, he tightens his belt merely to leap.

Rather, his belt’s tightness distracts him.

قَد أَقطَعُ السَبروتَ يَملَأُ بِال

قَد أَقطَعُ السَبروتَ يَملَأُ بِال

آلِ المُروتَ فَيَشحُبُ السَبرُ

آلِ المُروتَ فَيَشحُبُ السَبرُ

Sometimes I cross the waste, which fills with

I bestowed authority, he fills it with

Mirage the barren plains; then my complexion pales.

The Family of Rot, so Esteem pales.

أَودى الزَمانُ بِذي الأَمانِ فَلا ال

أَودى الزَمانُ بِذي الأَمانِ فَلا ال

عَرجِيُّ مَوجودٌ وَلا جَبرُ

عَرجِيُّ مَوجودٌ وَلا جَبرُ

Time has swept away the once-secure man; neither

Time destroyed the Trusted One, so no

Al-'Arji remains, nor Jabr.

Virtuous man exists, nor does Obligation.