ما أَسرَعَ الأَيّامَ في طَيَّنا

ما أَسرَعَ الأَيّامَ في طَيَّنا

تَمضي عَلينا ثُمَّ تَمضي بِنا

تَمضي عَلينا ثُمَّ تَمضي بِنا

How swiftly the days fold us away!

How swift the days in our abode do go,

They pass over us, then carry us off.

Passing by us and with us in tow,

في كُلَّ يَومٍ أَمَلٌ قَد نَأى

في كُلَّ يَومٍ أَمَلٌ قَد نَأى

مَرامُهُ عَن أَجَلٍ قَد دَنا

مَرامُهُ عَن أَجَلٍ قَد دَنا

Each day holds a hope far out of reach,

Each day, a hope grows ever more remote,

its goal beyond an appointed end already near.

Its goal far from the fate foretold.

أَنذَرَنا الدَهرُ وَما نَرعَوي

أَنذَرَنا الدَهرُ وَما نَرعَوي

كَأَنَّما الدَهرُ سِوانا عَنى

كَأَنَّما الدَهرُ سِوانا عَنى

Time has warned us, yet we take no heed,

Time warned us but we paid no heed,

as though Time meant someone other than us.

As if it wished upon us harm and need,

تَعاشِياً وَالمَوتُ في جِدِّهِ

تَعاشِياً وَالمَوتُ في جِدِّهِ

ما أَوضَحَ الأَمرَ وَما أَبيَنا

ما أَوضَحَ الأَمرَ وَما أَبيَنا

We feign blindness while Death is in earnest—

By evening, death is at its work ahead,

how plain the matter, and how manifest!

Making the matter clear, no more in read.

وَالناسُ كَالأَجمالِ قَد قُرَّبَت

وَالناسُ كَالأَجمالِ قَد قُرَّبَت

تَنتَظِرُ الحَيَّ لِأَن يَظعَنا

تَنتَظِرُ الحَيَّ لِأَن يَظعَنا

And people are like camels brought forward,

People are like camels led to stall,

waiting for the tribe to depart.

Waiting for their slaughter, that is all,

تَدنو إِلى الشِعبِ وَمِن خَلفِها

تَدنو إِلى الشِعبِ وَمِن خَلفِها

مُغامِرٌ يَطرُدُها بِالقَنا

مُغامِرٌ يَطرُدُها بِالقَنا

They approach the mountain pass, while behind them

Drawn towards the cliff behind which looms

a daring assailant drives them with spears.

A rider driving them to their dooms.

إِنَّ الأُلى شادَوا مَبانيهِمُ

إِنَّ الأُلى شادَوا مَبانيهِمُ

تَهَدُّموا قَبلَ اِنهِدامِ البُنى

تَهَدُّموا قَبلَ اِنهِدامِ البُنى

Indeed, those who raised their buildings

The arrogant their edifices raised,

crumbled before their buildings crumbled.

Toppled before their very walls did raze.

لا مُعدِمٌ يَحميهِ إِعدامُهُ

لا مُعدِمٌ يَحميهِ إِعدامُهُ

وَلا يَقي نَفسَ الغَنِيِّ الغِنى

وَلا يَقي نَفسَ الغَنِيِّ الغِنى

No pauper is shielded by his poverty,

No destroyer can his own destruction stall,

nor does wealth preserve the rich man's life.

Nor can wealth preserve the rich through all.

كَيفَ دِفاعُ المَرءِ أَحداثَها

كَيفَ دِفاعُ المَرءِ أَحداثَها

فَرداً وَأَقرانُ اللَيالي ثِنى

فَرداً وَأَقرانُ اللَيالي ثِنى

How can a man fend off their calamities

How can one man alone life’s events parry

alone, while the nights' adversaries come in pairs?

When nights in pairs yet days solitary.

حَطَّ رِجالٌ وَرَكِبنا الذُرى

حَطَّ رِجالٌ وَرَكِبنا الذُرى

وَعُقبَةُ السَيرِ لِمَن بَعدَنا

وَعُقبَةُ السَيرِ لِمَن بَعدَنا

Men have dismounted; we have mounted the camel humps,

Great men have gone and we now bear the load,

and the turn to travel belongs to those after us.

A journey’s uphill for those who trod.

كَم مِن حَبيبٍ هانَ مِن فَقدِهِ

كَم مِن حَبيبٍ هانَ مِن فَقدِهِ

ما كُنتُ أَن أَحسَبَهُ هَيَّنا

ما كُنتُ أَن أَحسَبَهُ هَيَّنا

How many a beloved's loss has made bearable

Many a dear one, from their loss I’ve pined,

what I had never thought bearable!

I’d not thought their love could be so maligned.

أَنفَقتُ دَمعَ العَينِ مِن بَعدِهِ

أَنفَقتُ دَمعَ العَينِ مِن بَعدِهِ

وَقَلَّ دَمعُ العَينِ أَن يُخزَنا

وَقَلَّ دَمعُ العَينِ أَن يُخزَنا

I spent the tears of my eyes after him,

My tears flowed freely once they went away,

and tears are too paltry to be hoarded.

Few tears remain within my eyes to stay.

كُنتُ أُوَقَيهِ فَأَسكَنتُهُ

كُنتُ أُوَقَيهِ فَأَسكَنتُهُ

بَعدَ اللَيانِ المَنزِلَ الأَخشَنا

بَعدَ اللَيانِ المَنزِلَ الأَخشَنا

I used to shield him, yet I lodged him

I sheltered them but then made reside,

in the harshest dwelling after a life of ease.

After hardships, in graves, side by side.

دَفَنتُهُ وَالحُزنُ مِن بَعدِهِ

دَفَنتُهُ وَالحُزنُ مِن بَعدِهِ

يَأبى عَلى الأَيّامِ أَن يُدفَنا

يَأبى عَلى الأَيّامِ أَن يُدفَنا

I buried him, but grief after his passing

Grief remains, refusing to be interred,

refuses to be buried by the days.

After their loss, by days that blurred.

يا أَرضُ ناشَدتُكِ أَن تَحفَظي

يا أَرضُ ناشَدتُكِ أَن تَحفَظي

تِلكَ الوُجوهَ الغُرَّ وَالأَعيُنا

تِلكَ الوُجوهَ الغُرَّ وَالأَعيُنا

O earth, I adjure you to preserve

Oh earth, I beg you keep protected,

those radiant faces and eyes.

Those pale faces, eyes now neglected.

يا ذُلَّ ما عِندَكِ مِن أَوجُهٍ

يا ذُلَّ ما عِندَكِ مِن أَوجُهٍ

كُنَّ كِراماً أَبَداً عِندَنا

كُنَّ كِراماً أَبَداً عِندَنا

Alas for the abasement of the faces you hold,

Oh how humble, lying in your hold,

which were always honored among us!

Were once noble souls, brave and bold.

وَالحازِمُ الرَأيِ الَّذي يَغتَدي

وَالحازِمُ الرَأيِ الَّذي يَغتَدي

مُستَقلِعاً يُنذِرُ مُستَوطِنا

مُستَقلِعاً يُنذِرُ مُستَوطِنا

And prudent in judgment is he who sets out at dawn,

The prudent one who quits his abode,

ready to depart, warning the one who settles.

Warning those settled along the road,

لا يَأمَنُ الدَهرَ عَلى غِرَّةٍ

لا يَأمَنُ الدَهرَ عَلى غِرَّةٍ

وَعَزَّ لَيثُ الغابِ أَن يُؤمَنا

وَعَزَّ لَيثُ الغابِ أَن يُؤمَنا

He does not trust Time while off his guard;

Trusts not time’s trickery and its guile,

nor is the lion of the thicket easily trusted.

A jungle’s lion can never be beguiled.

كَأَنَّما يَجفُلُ مِن غارَةٍ

كَأَنَّما يَجفُلُ مِن غارَةٍ

مُلتَفِتاً يَحذَرُ أَن يُطعَنا

مُلتَفِتاً يَحذَرُ أَن يُطعَنا

As though he were fleeing a raid,

He whirls around, wary of mortal gash,

he looks back, wary of being stabbed.

Like one evading a sudden ambush.

أُخَيَّ جَبراً لَكَ مِن عَثرَةٍ

أُخَيَّ جَبراً لَكَ مِن عَثرَةٍ

لا بُدَّ لِلعاثِرُ أَن يوهَنا

لا بُدَّ لِلعاثِرُ أَن يوهَنا

My dear brother, may you recover from your stumble;

O brother, we must corrections make,

whoever stumbles cannot avoid being weakened.

The fallen at times are prone to mistake.

إِنَّ الَّتي آذَتكَ مِن ثِقلِها

إِنَّ الَّتي آذَتكَ مِن ثِقلِها

هَلُمَّها نَحمِلُها بَينَنا

هَلُمَّها نَحمِلُها بَينَنا

The burden whose weight has hurt you—

That which has burdened you, let us divide,

bring it here; we shall bear it between us.

And between us the heavy load stride.

ساقَيتُكَ الحُلوَ فَلا بِدعَةً

ساقَيتُكَ الحُلوَ فَلا بِدعَةً

إِن أَنا طاعَمتُكَ مُرَّ الجَنى

إِن أَنا طاعَمتُكَ مُرَّ الجَنى

I shared sweet drink with you; it is no novelty

I fed you bitterness, but let not that vex,

if I share bitter fruit with you.

For I’d also served you sweet honey in flex.

سَلَبتَ ما أَعجَزَنا رَدُّهُ

سَلَبتَ ما أَعجَزَنا رَدُّهُ

في قُوَّةِ السالِبِ عُذرٌ لَنا

في قُوَّةِ السالِبِ عُذرٌ لَنا

You were robbed of what we could not restore;

You've seized what we cannot reclaim,

the robber's strength is our excuse.

The victor's strength excuses our shame.

جِنايَةُ الدَهرِ لَهُ عادَةٌ

جِنايَةُ الدَهرِ لَهُ عادَةٌ

فَما لَنا نَعجَبُ لَمّا جَنى

فَما لَنا نَعجَبُ لَمّا جَنى

Wrongdoing is Time's custom;

Time’s tyranny follows a pattern on repeat,

so why should we marvel when it does wrong?

Why then, wonder at the pain we meet?

مَن كانَ حِرمانُ المُنى دَأبَهُ

مَن كانَ حِرمانُ المُنى دَأبَهُ

فَالفَضلُ إِن بَلَّغَ بَعضَ المُنى

فَالفَضلُ إِن بَلَّغَ بَعضَ المُنى

From one whose custom is denying wishes,

Who always faces denial of dreams,

it is a favor if he fulfills even some.

Then favor it is if some are redeemed.

كَم غارِسٍ أَمَّلَ في غَرسِهِ

كَم غارِسٍ أَمَّلَ في غَرسِهِ

فَأَعجَلَ المِقدارُ أَن يُجتَنى

فَأَعجَلَ المِقدارُ أَن يُجتَنى

How many a planter placed hope in his planting,

Many a planter envisioned his yield,

only for fate to forestall its harvest.

But fate hurried that his crop be felled.

ما الثَلمُ في حَدِّكَ نَقصاً لَهُ

ما الثَلمُ في حَدِّكَ نَقصاً لَهُ

قَد يُثلَمُ العَضبُ وَقَد يُقتَنى

قَد يُثلَمُ العَضبُ وَقَد يُقتَنى

A nick in your edge does not diminish it;

No flaw exists in your limits, not one dent,

a keen sword may be nicked and still treasured.

Branches may break, yet the roots are not spent.

يَأبى لَكَ الحُزنُ أَصيلَ الحِجى

يَأبى لَكَ الحُزنُ أَصيلَ الحِجى

وَيَقتَضيكَ الرُزءُ أَن تَحزَنا

وَيَقتَضيكَ الرُزءُ أَن تَحزَنا

Sound judgment forbids you grief,

Grief refuses your calm, though that’s what you need,

yet bereavement demands that you grieve.

Misfortune impels you sadness to heed.

وَالأَجرُفي الأولى وَإِن أَقلَقَت

وَالأَجرُفي الأولى وَإِن أَقلَقَت

وَرُبَّما نَستَقبِحُ الإِحسَنا

وَرُبَّما نَستَقبِحُ الإِحسَنا

The reward lies in the former, though it brings distress;

Reward lies in the first, though it shook you apart,

and often we find kindness ugly.

We may sometimes spurn a good deed at the start.

ذا الخُلُقِ الأَعلى فَخُذ نَهجَه

ذا الخُلُقِ الأَعلى فَخُذ نَهجَه

وَاِترُك إِلَيهِ الخُلُقَ الأَدوَنا

وَاِترُك إِلَيهِ الخُلُقَ الأَدوَنا

This is the nobler conduct: follow its path,

So emulate the best of mannerism,

and forsake the baser conduct in its favor.

And leave inferior etiquette the chasm.

أَبا عَلَيٍّ هَل لِأَمثالِها

أَبا عَلَيٍّ هَل لِأَمثالِها

غَيرُكَ إِن خَطبُ زَمانٍ عَنى

غَيرُكَ إِن خَطبُ زَمانٍ عَنى

Abu Ali, is there for trials like these

Abu Ali, who but you is left,

anyone but you, if a calamity of Time strikes?

When times are difficult and problems cleft.

فَاِنهَض بِها إِنَّكَ مِن مَعشَرٍ

فَاِنهَض بِها إِنَّكَ مِن مَعشَرٍ

إِن جُشِّموا الأَمرَ أَبانوا الغِنى

إِن جُشِّموا الأَمرَ أَبانوا الغِنى

So rise to meet it: you are of a people

Take charge, your clan, when events worsen,

who, when charged with a task, prove equal to it.

Has ever dispelled the gloom and proven its worth.

وَاِصبِر عَلى ضَرّائِها إِنَّما

وَاِصبِر عَلى ضَرّائِها إِنَّما

نُغالِبُ القِرنَ إِذا أَمكَنا

نُغالِبُ القِرنَ إِذا أَمكَنا

And bear its hardships patiently; only

Be patient with its troubles, we only prevail,

when possible do we contend with an adversary.

Over difficulties when we do not curtail.