أَما آنَ أَن يُعتِبَ المُذنِبُ

أَما آنَ أَن يُعتِبَ المُذنِبُ

وَيَرضى المُسيءُ وَلا يَغضَبُ

وَيَرضى المُسيءُ وَلا يَغضَبُ

Is it not time for the wrongdoer to make amends,

Is it not time for the sinner to feel remorse,

and for the offender to be content and not grow angry?

And for the wrongdoer to accept and not rage?

وَغولُ اللَجاجَةِ غَرّارَةٌ

وَغولُ اللَجاجَةِ غَرّارَةٌ

تَجِدُّ وَتَحسَبُها تَلعَبُ

تَجِدُّ وَتَحسَبُها تَلعَبُ

And the ghoul of obstinacy is deceptive:

Yet the stubborn persist in their deceit,

it acts in earnest, though you think it plays.

As if it were but a game they play.

أَبَعدُ الصَفاءِ وَمَحضِ الإِخاءِ

أَبَعدُ الصَفاءِ وَمَحضِ الإِخاءِ

يُقيمُ الجَفاءُ بِنا يَحطُبُ

يُقيمُ الجَفاءُ بِنا يَحطُبُ

After sincere affection and pure brotherhood,

After such harmony and pure brotherhood,

does estrangement settle among us, gathering firewood?

Estrangement has kindled its fires amongst us.

وَقَد كانَ مَشرَبُنا صافِياً

وَقَد كانَ مَشرَبُنا صافِياً

زَماناً فَقَد كَدِرَ المَشرَبُ

زَماناً فَقَد كَدِرَ المَشرَبُ

And our drinking-water had been clear

Our draught was once pure,

for a time; but the drinking-water has grown murky.

But time has since rendered it turbid.

وَكُنّا نَزَعنا إِلى مَذهَبٍ

وَكُنّا نَزَعنا إِلى مَذهَبٍ

فَسيحٍ فَضاقَ بِنا المَذهَبُ

فَسيحٍ فَضاقَ بِنا المَذهَبُ

And we had turned toward a path

We once inclined towards an open creed,

spacious; then the path grew narrow for us.

Yet for us the creed has now narrowed.

وَمَن ذا المُواتي لَهُ دَهرُهُ

وَمَن ذا المُواتي لَهُ دَهرُهُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي عاشَ لا يُنكَبُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي عاشَ لا يُنكَبُ

And who is there whose days favor him?

Who in this world has had his fill of days,

And who has lived without being struck by misfortune?

And who has lived and not fallen into pits?

فَإِن كُنتَ تَعجَبُ مِمّا تَرى

فَإِن كُنتَ تَعجَبُ مِمّا تَرى

فَما سَتَرى بَعدَهُ أَعجَبُ

فَما سَتَرى بَعدَهُ أَعجَبُ

So if you marvel at what you see,

If what you now witness gives you wonder,

then what you will see afterward is more astonishing.

What you will see later is yet more wondrous.

فَعودُكَ مِن خُدَعٍ مورِقٍ

فَعودُكَ مِن خُدَعٍ مورِقٍ

وَواديكَ مِن عِلَلٍ مُخصِبُ

وَواديكَ مِن عِلَلٍ مُخصِبُ

For your bough is leafy with deceptions,

Your return is from glistening sorcery,

and your valley is fertile with excuses.

And your valley from maladies ever fertile.

فَإِن كُنتَ تَحسَبُني جاهِلاً

فَإِن كُنتَ تَحسَبُني جاهِلاً

فَأَنتَ الأَحَقُّ بِما تَحسَبُ

فَأَنتَ الأَحَقُّ بِما تَحسَبُ

So if you think me ignorant,

If you think me ignorant,

then you deserve that judgment more.

Then you are more deserving of your assumption.

فَلا تَكُ كَالراكِبِ السَبعَ كَي

فَلا تَكُ كَالراكِبِ السَبعَ كَي

يُهابَ وَأَنتَ لَهُ أَهيَبُ

يُهابَ وَأَنتَ لَهُ أَهيَبُ

So do not be like one who rides a beast of prey to

Be not like the rider of a leopard,

be feared, while you are more afraid of it.

Whom it fears, while you are its prey.

سَتَنشَبُ نَفسَكَ أُنشوطَةٌ

سَتَنشَبُ نَفسَكَ أُنشوطَةٌ

وَأَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِما تَنشَبُ

وَأَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِما تَنشَبُ

A noose will ensnare your soul,

Your soul will be seized by calamities,

and how grievous to me that you become ensnared!

And you will be weakened by what you seize.

وَتَحمِلُها في اِتِّباعِ الهَوى

وَتَحمِلُها في اِتِّباعِ الهَوى

عَلى آلَةٍ ظَهرُها أَحدَبُ

عَلى آلَةٍ ظَهرُها أَحدَبُ

And, following desire, you carry it

It bears you in following your desires,

on a conveyance whose back is humped.

Upon a mount whose back is humped.

فَأَبصِر لِنَفسِكَ كَيفَ النُزو

فَأَبصِر لِنَفسِكَ كَيفَ النُزو

لُ في الأَرضِ عَن ظَهرِ ما تَركَبُ

لُ في الأَرضِ عَن ظَهرِ ما تَركَبُ

So see for yourself how to descend

So see how wary your descent to earth,

to the ground from the back of what you ride.

From the back of what you mount and ride.

وَلَو كُنتُ أَملِكُ عَنكَ الدِفا

وَلَو كُنتُ أَملِكُ عَنكَ الدِفا

عَ دَفَعتُ وَلَكِنَّني أُغلَبُ

عَ دَفَعتُ وَلَكِنَّني أُغلَبُ

And if I had the power to defend you,

Had I the power to defend you,

I would defend you—but I am overpowered.

I would have driven it away, but I am overpowered.