هَلِ الدَهرُ إِلّا اليَومُ أَو أَمسِ أَو غَدُ

هَلِ الدَهرُ إِلّا اليَومُ أَو أَمسِ أَو غَدُ

كَذاكَ الزَمانُ بَينَنا يَتَرَدَّدُ

كَذاكَ الزَمانُ بَينَنا يَتَرَدَّدُ

Is time anything but today, yesterday, or tomorrow?

Is time anything but today, yesterday, or tomorrow?

Thus time comes and goes among us.

Thus time oscillates between us,

يَرُدُّ عَلَينا لَيلَةً بَعدَ يَومِها

يَرُدُّ عَلَينا لَيلَةً بَعدَ يَومِها

فَلا نَحنُ ما نَبقى وَلا الدَهرُ يَنفُدُ

فَلا نَحنُ ما نَبقى وَلا الدَهرُ يَنفُدُ

It brings us a night after its day;

Returning to us night after day.

We do not endure, nor does time run out.

Neither do we remain nor does time cease.

لَنا أَجَلٌ إِمّا تَناهى إِمامُهُ

لَنا أَجَلٌ إِمّا تَناهى إِمامُهُ

فَنَحنُ عَلى آثارِهِ نَتَوَرَّدُ

فَنَحنُ عَلى آثارِهِ نَتَوَرَّدُ

We have an appointed end; when its forerunner reaches it,

We have a term, whether it ends or continues,

We follow his tracks, arriving in our turn.

And we follow its traces.

بَنو ثُعَلٍ قَومي فَما أَنا مُدَّعٍ

بَنو ثُعَلٍ قَومي فَما أَنا مُدَّعٍ

سِواهُم إِلى قَومٍ وَما أَنا مُسنَدُ

سِواهُم إِلى قَومٍ وَما أَنا مُسنَدُ

The sons of Thuʿal are my people; I claim no kinship

O people of Thu'al, my people, I make no pretense;

With any people other than them, nor am I ascribed elsewhere.

I rely on none but them, nor do I depend on others.

بِدَرئِهِمِ أَغشى دُروءَ مَعاشِرٍ

بِدَرئِهِمِ أَغشى دُروءَ مَعاشِرٍ

وَيَحنِفُ عَنّي الأَبلَجُ المُتَعَمِّدُ

وَيَحنِفُ عَنّي الأَبلَجُ المُتَعَمِّدُ

With their strength I face the resistance of other clans,

With their help I repel the evil of assemblies,

And the bright-browed, determined man turns aside from me.

And the slippery rogue turns away from me.

فَمَهلاً فِداكَ اليَومَ أُمّي وَخالَتي

فَمَهلاً فِداكَ اليَومَ أُمّي وَخالَتي

فَلا يَأمُرَنّي بِالدَنِيَّةِ أَسوَدُ

فَلا يَأمُرَنّي بِالدَنِيَّةِ أَسوَدُ

Easy now—may my mother and my maternal aunt ransom you today;

So wait, may I ransom you today, O my mother and aunt,

So let Aswad not order me to accept disgrace.

Let not the vile command me with cowardice

عَلى جُبُنٍ إِذ كُنتُ وَاِشتَدَّ جانِبي

عَلى جُبُنٍ إِذ كُنتُ وَاِشتَدَّ جانِبي

أُسامُ الَّتي أَعيَيتُ إِذ أَنا أَمرَدُ

أُسامُ الَّتي أَعيَيتُ إِذ أَنا أَمرَدُ

Out of cowardice, now that I stand with my strength grown firm,

When I have been cowardly and my side has weakened,

Am I to suffer what I resisted when I was beardless?

I endure the night that has wearied me when I was infirm.

فَهَل تَرَكَت قَبلي حُضورَ مَكانِها

فَهَل تَرَكَت قَبلي حُضورَ مَكانِها

وَهَل مَن أَبى ضَيماً وَخَسفاً مُخَلَّدُ

وَهَل مَن أَبى ضَيماً وَخَسفاً مُخَلَّدُ

Has death spared before me those present in its domain?

Did she leave her abode before me,

And is anyone who refuses oppression and humiliation immortal?

Can one who disdains harm and sinking persist?

وَمُعتَسِفٍ بِالرُمحِ دونَ صِحابِهِ

وَمُعتَسِفٍ بِالرُمحِ دونَ صِحابِهِ

تَعَسَّفتُهُ بِالسَيفِ وَالقَومُ شُهَّدُ

تَعَسَّفتُهُ بِالسَيفِ وَالقَومُ شُهَّدُ

And a man thrusting recklessly with his spear ahead of his companions—

One who is insolent with the spear, apart from his friends-

I assailed him with the sword while the men bore witness.

I disciplined him with the sword while people watched.

فَخَرَّ عَلى حُرِّ الجَبينِ وَذادَهُ

فَخَرَّ عَلى حُرِّ الجَبينِ وَذادَهُ

إِلى المَوتِ مَطرورُ الوَقيعَةِ مِذوَدُ

إِلى المَوتِ مَطرورُ الوَقيعَةِ مِذوَدُ

He fell upon his bare forehead, and was driven

He fell on his boiling forehead in protection

To death by a keen-edged, warding blade.

To death, driven by the calamity like a peg.

فَما رُمتُهُ حَتّى أَزَحتُ عَويصَهُ

فَما رُمتُهُ حَتّى أَزَحتُ عَويصَهُ

وَحَتّى عَلاهُ حالِكُ اللَونِ أَسوَدُ

وَحَتّى عَلاهُ حالِكُ اللَونِ أَسوَدُ

So I did not leave him until I had overcome his stubborn resistance,

I did not shoot him until I removed his quiver

And until pitch-black darkness covered him.

Until the garment of death covered his dark complexion.

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَمشي إِلى سِرِّ جارَةٍ

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَمشي إِلى سِرِّ جارَةٍ

مَدى الدَهرِ ما دامَ الحَمامُ يُغَرِّدُ

مَدى الدَهرِ ما دامَ الحَمامُ يُغَرِّدُ

So I swore never to seek a woman neighbor's secret intimacy,

I swear I will not walk to the secret of a neighbor

For all time, as long as doves sing.

As long as the pigeons coo,

وَلا أَشتَري مالاً بِغَدرٍ عَلِمتُهُ

وَلا أَشتَري مالاً بِغَدرٍ عَلِمتُهُ

أَلا كُلَّ مالٍ خالَطَ الغَدرُ أَنكَدُ

أَلا كُلَّ مالٍ خالَطَ الغَدرُ أَنكَدُ

Nor will I knowingly acquire wealth through treachery.

Nor will I acquire money through deceit knowingly.

Indeed, all wealth tainted with treachery brings misery.

Behold, every money mixed with deceit is bitter.

إِذا كانَ بَعضُ المالِ رَبّاً لِأَهلِهِ

إِذا كانَ بَعضُ المالِ رَبّاً لِأَهلِهِ

فَإِنّي بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مالي مُعَبَّدُ

فَإِنّي بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مالي مُعَبَّدُ

If some wealth is a master to its owners,

If some money is interest to its people,

For my part, praise be to God, my wealth is a slave.

Then my money, thank God, is pure.

يُفَكُّ بِهِ العاني وَيُؤكَلِ طَيِّباً

يُفَكُّ بِهِ العاني وَيُؤكَلِ طَيِّباً

وَيُعطى إِذا مَنَّ البَخيلُ المُطَرَّدُ

وَيُعطى إِذا مَنَّ البَخيلُ المُطَرَّدُ

With it the captive is freed, and wholesome food is eaten,

It relieves the helpless and is spent virtuously,

And it is given to the outcast when the miser flaunts his favors.

And given when the stingy driveling one is expelled.

إِذا ما البَخيلُ الخَبَّ أَخمَدَ نارَهُ

إِذا ما البَخيلُ الخَبَّ أَخمَدَ نارَهُ

أَقولُ لِمَن يُصلى بِنارِيَ أَوقِدوا

أَقولُ لِمَن يُصلى بِنارِيَ أَوقِدوا

When the crafty miser puts out his fire,

When the wretched miser's fire goes out,

I tell those warming themselves at my fire: 'Kindle it!'

I say to those who pray by my fire, kindle

تَوَسَّع قَليلاً أَو يَكُن ثَمَّ حَسبُنا

تَوَسَّع قَليلاً أَو يَكُن ثَمَّ حَسبُنا

وَموقِدُها الباري أَعَفُّ وَأَحمَدُ

وَموقِدُها الباري أَعَفُّ وَأَحمَدُ

Spread a little wider—or let what is there suffice us;

Expand a little, or suffice us,

And its kindler, the wood-whittler, is more upright and more praiseworthy.

And its kindler is the most gentle and praiseworthy.

كَذاكَ أُمورُ الناسِ راضٍ دَنِيَّةً

كَذاكَ أُمورُ الناسِ راضٍ دَنِيَّةً

وَسامٍ إِلى فَرعِ العُلا مُتَوَرِّدُ

وَسامٍ إِلى فَرعِ العُلا مُتَوَرِّدُ

Such are people's ways: one content with baseness,

Thus are the affairs of people, content with humbleness,

And one aspiring to the summit of glory, making his way there.

And aspiring to the highest branch.

فَمِنهُم جَوادٌ قَد تَلَفَّتُّ حَولَهُ

فَمِنهُم جَوادٌ قَد تَلَفَّتُّ حَولَهُ

وَمِنهُم لَئيمٌ دائِمُ الطَرفِ أَقوَدُ

وَمِنهُم لَئيمٌ دائِمُ الطَرفِ أَقوَدُ

So among them is a generous man, around whom I have turned my gaze;

Among them is a generous man whom I revolve around,

And among them is a base man, fixed of gaze and long-necked.

And among them is a miserable man, always frowning.

وَداعٍ دَعاني دَعوَةً فَأَجَبتُهُ

وَداعٍ دَعاني دَعوَةً فَأَجَبتُهُ

وَهَل يَدَعُ الداعينَ إِلّا المُبَلَّدُ

وَهَل يَدَعُ الداعينَ إِلّا المُبَلَّدُ

And a caller summoned me, and I answered him;

One called me, so I answered him,

And who ignores those who call but a dullard?

Does anyone but the apathetic spurn callers?