ذَهَبَ الدَهرُ بِسِمطٍ وَبَرا

ذَهَبَ الدَهرُ بِسِمطٍ وَبَرا

وَجَرى دَمعِيَ سَحّاً في الرِدا

وَجَرى دَمعِيَ سَحّاً في الرِدا

Time has carried off Simt and Bara,

Time has taken the youth and innocence away,

and my tears flowed in torrents into my cloak.

My tears flowed down my cheeks.

وَتَأَيَّيتُ لِيَومٍ لاحِقٍ

وَتَأَيَّيتُ لِيَومٍ لاحِقٍ

وَمَضى في المَوتِ إِخوانُ الصَفا

وَمَضى في المَوتِ إِخوانُ الصَفا

And I waited for a day yet to come,

I prepared myself for the days yet to come,

while my true-hearted brothers passed into death.

While my brethren passed away into death.

فَفُؤادي كَجَناحَي طائِرٍ

فَفُؤادي كَجَناحَي طائِرٍ

مِن غَدٍ لا بُدَّ مِن مُرِّ القَضا

مِن غَدٍ لا بُدَّ مِن مُرِّ القَضا

So my heart is like a bird's two wings,

My heart is like the wings of a bird.

in dread of tomorrow: bitter fate is inescapable.

Tomorrow, I must face the bitterness of fate.

وَمِنَ القَومِ إِذا ناسَمتُهُم

وَمِنَ القَومِ إِذا ناسَمتُهُم

مَلِكٌ في الأَخذِ عَبدٌ في العَطا

مَلِكٌ في الأَخذِ عَبدٌ في العَطا

And among people, when I associate with them,

When I socialize with people,

is a king in taking, a slave in giving.

The ruler is a master in taking, a slave in giving.

يَسأَلُ الناسَ وَلا يُعطيهُمُ

يَسأَلُ الناسَ وَلا يُعطيهُمُ

هَمُّهُ هاتِ وَلَم يَشعُر بِها

هَمُّهُ هاتِ وَلَم يَشعُر بِها

He begs of people but gives them nothing;

He asks people for favors yet grants them nothing.

his concern is 'Give me!'—he knows nothing of 'Take!'

His only concern is to take without realizing it.

وَأَخٍ ذي نيقَةٍ يَسأَلُني

وَأَخٍ ذي نيقَةٍ يَسأَلُني

عَن خَليطَيَّ وَلَيسا بِسَوا

عَن خَليطَيَّ وَلَيسا بِسَوا

And a friend of fastidious taste asks me

A brother with a graceful disposition asked me

about my two companions, who are not alike.

About my two companions, implying they're unequal.

قُلتُ خِنزيرٌ وَكَلبٌ حارِسٌ

قُلتُ خِنزيرٌ وَكَلبٌ حارِسٌ

ذاكَ كَالناسِ وَهَذا ذو نِدا

ذاكَ كَالناسِ وَهَذا ذو نِدا

I said: a pig and a watchdog;

I said one is a pig, the other a watchful dog.

that one is like people, and this one has a bark.

The first is like people, the second has a loud bark.

فَخُذِ الكَلبَ عَلى ما عِندَهُ

فَخُذِ الكَلبَ عَلى ما عِندَهُ

يُرعِبُ اللِصَّ وَيُقعي بِالفِنا

يُرعِبُ اللِصَّ وَيُقعي بِالفِنا

So take the dog for what he offers:

Take the dog for what he has to offer.

he frightens the thief and sits on his haunches in the courtyard.

He scares away the thief and guards the ruins.

قَلَّ مَن طابَ لَهُ آباؤُهُ

قَلَّ مَن طابَ لَهُ آباؤُهُ

وَعَلى أُمّاتِهِ حُسنُ الثَنا

وَعَلى أُمّاتِهِ حُسنُ الثَنا

Few have forefathers of good repute,

Few are those whose fathers were virtuous

and foremothers who receive fair praise.

And whose mothers were praised.

اِدنُ مِنّي تَلقَني ذا مِرَّةٍ

اِدنُ مِنّي تَلقَني ذا مِرَّةٍ

ناصِحَ الجَيبِ كَريماً في الإِخا

ناصِحَ الجَيبِ كَريماً في الإِخا

Come near me: you will find me firm in resolve,

Approach me, you will find me a true friend,

pure of heart, generous in friendship.

Generous when asked for advice.

ما أَراكَ الدَهرَ إِلّا شاخِصاً

ما أَراكَ الدَهرَ إِلّا شاخِصاً

دائِبَ الرِحلَةِ في غَيرِ غَنا

دائِبَ الرِحلَةِ في غَيرِ غَنا

I never see you except on the move,

I see you journeying through life endlessly,

tirelessly journeying, to no avail.

Without rest, entertainment or song.

فَدَعِ الدُنيا وَعِش في ظِلِّها

فَدَعِ الدُنيا وَعِش في ظِلِّها

طَلَبُ الدُنيا مِنَ الداءِ العَيا

طَلَبُ الدُنيا مِنَ الداءِ العَيا

So let the world be, and live in its shade;

Leave this world and live in its shade.

pursuing the world is an incurable disease.

Seeking worldly things brings nothing but harm.

رُبَّما جاءَ مُقيماً رِزقُهُ

رُبَّما جاءَ مُقيماً رِزقُهُ

وَسَعى ساعٍ وَأَخطا في الرَجا

وَسَعى ساعٍ وَأَخطا في الرَجا

Sometimes a man's sustenance comes while he stays put,

Sometimes, provision comes without effort,

while a striver toils and fails in his hopes.

While the hard worker returns empty handed.

وَفَناءُ المَرءِ مِن آفاتِهِ

وَفَناءُ المَرءِ مِن آفاتِهِ

قَلَّ مَن يَسلَمُ مِن عِيِّ الفَنا

قَلَّ مَن يَسلَمُ مِن عِيِّ الفَنا

And a man's death is among his afflictions;

The demise of a person is caused by his own evil.

few escape the helplessness of death.

Few are those spared from the evil of demise.

وَأَرى الناسَ يَرَوني أَسَداً

وَأَرى الناسَ يَرَوني أَسَداً

فَيَقولونَ بِقَصدٍ وَهُدى

فَيَقولونَ بِقَصدٍ وَهُدى

And I see that people regard me as a lion,

People see me as a lion.

so they speak with restraint and sound judgment.

They say so deliberately, guided by their wisdom.

فَاِرضَ بِالقِسمَةِ مِن قَسّامِها

فَاِرضَ بِالقِسمَةِ مِن قَسّامِها

يُعدِمُ المَرءُ وَيَغدو ذا ثَرا

يُعدِمُ المَرءُ وَيَغدو ذا ثَرا

So accept your lot from the one who allots it:

Be content with the portions the Distributor gives you.

a man may be penniless, then become wealthy.

A person perishes then becomes nothing but dust.

أَيُّها العاني لِيُكفى رِزقَهُ

أَيُّها العاني لِيُكفى رِزقَهُ

هانَ ما يَكفيكَ مِن طولِ العَنا

هانَ ما يَكفيكَ مِن طولِ العَنا

O you who toil to secure your sustenance,

Oh you who suffers, be satisfied with your provision.

what suffices you is little beside such prolonged toil.

How little suffices you in your prolonged grief!

تَرجِعُ النَفسُ إِذا وَقَّرتَها

تَرجِعُ النَفسُ إِذا وَقَّرتَها

وَدَواءُ الهَمِّ مِن خَمرٍ وَما

وَدَواءُ الهَمِّ مِن خَمرٍ وَما

The spirit revives when you honor it,

The soul finds peace when you make it feel secure.

and the cure for care is wine and water.

The cure for worries is wine and music.

وَالدَعيُّ اِبنُ خُلَيقٍ عَجَبٌ

وَالدَعيُّ اِبنُ خُلَيقٍ عَجَبٌ

حُرِمَ المِسواكَ إِلّا مِن وَرا

حُرِمَ المِسواكَ إِلّا مِن وَرا

And the bastard Ibn Khulayq is a marvel:

Begging suits the son of a shabby woman.

he was denied the tooth-stick, except from behind.

Brushing one's teeth is forbidden except after meals.