أَعِينا امْرَءاً نَزَحَتْ عَيْنُهُ

أَعِينا امْرَءاً نَزَحَتْ عَيْنُهُ

ولا تَعْجَبا مِن جُفُونٍ جِمادِ

ولا تَعْجَبا مِن جُفُونٍ جِمادِ

Help, you two, a man whose eye has run dry,

I helped a man whose eyes overflowed

And do not marvel at tearless eyelids.

Be not amazed at unfeeling eyelids

إِذا القَلْبُ أَحْرَقَهُ بَثُّهُ

إِذا القَلْبُ أَحْرَقَهُ بَثُّهُ

فإِنَّ المَدامِعَ شِلْوُ الفُؤادِ

فإِنَّ المَدامِعَ شِلْوُ الفُؤادِ

When the heart is burned by its anguish,

When the heart scorches him with its ardour

For the tear ducts are a fragment of the heart.

Then tears are the outpouring of the heart

يَوَدُّ الفَتى مَنْهَلاً خالِياً

يَوَدُّ الفَتى مَنْهَلاً خالِياً

وسَعْدُ المَنِيَّةِ في كُلِّ وادِ

وسَعْدُ المَنِيَّةِ في كُلِّ وادِ

The young man longs for a deserted watering place,

The youth yearns for an empty spring

Yet death’s good fortune is in every valley.

And the good fortune of death in every valley

ويَعْرِفُ للكَوْنِ ما في يَدَيْهِ

ويَعْرِفُ للكَوْنِ ما في يَدَيْهِ

وَما الكَوْنُ إِلا نَذِيرُ الفَسادِ

وَما الكَوْنُ إِلا نَذِيرُ الفَسادِ

And he recognizes what existence holds in its hands,

And he knows what's in his hands for the universe

And existence is but a herald of decay.

Yet the universe is but a harbinger of corruption

لقد عثر الدّهْرُ بالسابقي

لقد عثر الدّهْرُ بالسابقي

نَ ولم يُعْجِزِ المَوْتَ ركض الجَوادِ

نَ ولم يُعْجِزِ المَوْتَ ركض الجَوادِ

Time has indeed tripped up the forerunners,

Time has stumbled with the forerunners

Nor has the steed’s gallop outstripped death.

And death has not failed to outrun the steed

لَعَمْرُكَ ما رَدَّ رَيْبَ الرَّدَى

لَعَمْرُكَ ما رَدَّ رَيْبَ الرَّدَى

أَرِيبٌ ولا جَاهِدٌ باجْتِهادِ

أَرِيبٌ ولا جَاهِدٌ باجْتِهادِ

By your life, death’s calamities have not been repelled

By your life, ruin's suspicion is irreversible

By a shrewd man, nor by a striver through his striving.

Suspected yet no fighter with endeavor

سِهامُ المَنايا تُصِيبُ الفَتى

سِهامُ المَنايا تُصِيبُ الفَتى

ولَوْ ضَرَبُوا دُونَه بالسِّدادِ

ولَوْ ضَرَبُوا دُونَه بالسِّدادِ

Death’s arrows strike the young man,

The arrows of doom strike the youth

Even if they erect barriers before him.

Even if they shot wide of the mark

أَصَبْنَ على بَطْشِهِمْ جُرْهُما

أَصَبْنَ على بَطْشِهِمْ جُرْهُما

وأَصْمَيْنَ في دارِهِمْ قَوْمَ عَادِ

وأَصْمَيْنَ في دارِهِمْ قَوْمَ عَادِ

They struck Jurhum despite their might,

They hit their target with their onslaught

And slew the people of ʿĀd outright in their homeland.

And deafened a folk in their abode

وأَقْعَصْنَ كَلْباً على عِزِّهِ

وأَقْعَصْنَ كَلْباً على عِزِّهِ

فما اعْتَزَّ بالصّافِناتِ الجيادِ

فما اعْتَزَّ بالصّافِناتِ الجيادِ

And killed Kalb on the spot despite its might,

And crippled a dog in its prime

So it found no protection in its poised, noble steeds.

Yet it took no pride in the purebred steeds

وَلَكِنَّني خانَني مَعْشَرِي

وَلَكِنَّني خانَني مَعْشَرِي

ورُدْتُ يَفاعاً وبِيلَ المَرادِ

ورُدْتُ يَفاعاً وبِيلَ المَرادِ

But my people betrayed me,

But my comrades betrayed me

And I sought a height whose pursuit was perilous.

And I recoiled, failing my purpose

وَهل ضَرَبَ السّيْفُ مِن غَيْرِ كَفٍّ

وَهل ضَرَبَ السّيْفُ مِن غَيْرِ كَفٍّ

وهل ثَبُتَ الرَّأْسُ في غَيْرِ هادِ

وهل ثَبُتَ الرَّأْسُ في غَيْرِ هادِ

And has a sword ever struck without a hand?

Has the sword ever struck without a wrist?

And has a head ever stood firm without a neck?

Has the head ever stood without a neck?