أعاذِلُ أَن يُصبِح صَدايَ بِقَفرَةٍ

أعاذِلُ أَن يُصبِح صَدايَ بِقَفرَةٍ

بَعيداً نَآني صاحِبي وَقَريبي

بَعيداً نَآني صاحِبي وَقَريبي

O reproacher, if my lifeless body should come to lie in a barren waste,

O reproacher, should my remains lie in a wilderness,

far away, with my companion and my kinsman distant from me,

Far away, deserted by my companion and my kinsman,

تَرَي أَنَّ ما أَبقَيتُ لَم أَكُ رَبَّهُ

تَرَي أَنَّ ما أَبقَيتُ لَم أَكُ رَبَّهُ

وَأَنَّ الَّذي أَمضَيتُ كانَ نَصيبي

وَأَنَّ الَّذي أَمضَيتُ كانَ نَصيبي

you will see that whatever I kept, I was never its master,

You will see that I was not master of what I kept,

and that whatever I spent was truly my allotted share.

And that what I spent was my share.

وَذي إِبِلٍ وَيَحسِبنها لَهُ

وَذي إِبِلٍ وَيَحسِبنها لَهُ

أَخي نَصَبٍ في سَقِيِّها وَدَؤوب

أَخي نَصَبٍ في سَقِيِّها وَدَؤوب

And consider a man with camels who supposes them his own,

And many an owner of camels, thinking them his,

a constant companion to hardship in watering them and unremitting toil:

A man of toil in watering them, and ceaseless labor—

غَدَت وَغَدا رَبٌّ سِواهُ يَسوقُها

غَدَت وَغَدا رَبٌّ سِواهُ يَسوقُها

وَبَدَّلَ أَحجاراً وَحالَ قَليب

وَبَدَّلَ أَحجاراً وَحالَ قَليب

they set out at dawn, while another master goes forth driving them,

They went out at dawn, and another master went out driving them;

and stones and the black mire of a grave are given him in exchange.

He exchanged them for stones, and a pit came between.

وَحَثَّت عَلى جَمع وَمَنع وَنفسُها

وَحَثَّت عَلى جَمع وَمَنع وَنفسُها

لَها في صُروفِ الدَهرِ حَقٌّ كَذوب

لَها في صُروفِ الدَهرِ حَقٌّ كَذوب

She urged amassing and withholding, though her own soul

She urged hoarding and withholding, though her own soul

asserts against time’s vicissitudes a claim that will prove false.

Has a false claim amid time’s reversals.

وَكائِن رَأَينا مِن كَريمٍ مُرَزِّأٍ

وَكائِن رَأَينا مِن كَريمٍ مُرَزِّأٍ

أَخي ثِقَةٍ طَلقُ اليَدَينِ وَهوبِ

أَخي ثِقَةٍ طَلقُ اليَدَينِ وَهوبِ

How many a generous man, sorely visited by losses, have we seen—

And how many a generous man, much drawn upon, have we seen,

trustworthy, free with both hands, lavish in giving!

Trustworthy, open-handed, lavish in giving!

شَهِدتُ وَفاتوني وَكُنت حَسبتني

شَهِدتُ وَفاتوني وَكُنت حَسبتني

فَقُلتُ إِلى أَن يَشهَدوا وَتَغيبي

فَقُلتُ إِلى أَن يَشهَدوا وَتَغيبي

I saw them pass away before me, though I had thought to myself

I witnessed them; they passed on before me, and I had thought myself...

and said, “I shall last until they witness my end—and you too pass away.”

So I said, “Until they are present and you are gone.”

وَقالَت أَلا فَاِسمَع نَعِظكَ بِخُطبَة

وَقالَت أَلا فَاِسمَع نَعِظكَ بِخُطبَة

فَقيراً سَمِعنا فَاِنطِقي وَأَصيبي

فَقيراً سَمِعنا فَاِنطِقي وَأَصيبي

She said, “Come, listen: let us admonish you with a sermon,

She said, “Come, listen; we shall counsel you with a speech,

poor man.” “We have heard; now speak—and hit the mark.”

Poor as you are.” “We have heard; so speak, and speak aright.

فَلَن تَنطقي حَقّاً وَلَستِ بِأَهلِهِ

فَلَن تَنطقي حَقّاً وَلَستِ بِأَهلِهِ

فَقُبِّحت مِمّا قائِلٍ وَخَطيبِ

فَقُبِّحت مِمّا قائِلٍ وَخَطيبِ

“Yet you will never speak the truth, nor are you fit for it;

For you will never speak truth, nor are you fit for it;

so shame upon you—what a speaker and preacher you are!”

So shame on you as a speaker and an orator!”