بَلَغتُ مِن لَذَّةِ الدُّنيَا ذُرَى أرَبِي

بَلَغتُ مِن لَذَّةِ الدُّنيَا ذُرَى أرَبِي

فِي لَذَّة العَيش وَالسُّلطَانِ وَالنشَبِ

فِي لَذَّة العَيش وَالسُّلطَانِ وَالنشَبِ

I reached, in worldly pleasure, the summit of my desire—

I reached the heights of my desire in worldly pleasure,

in easeful living, authority, and wealth.

in the pleasures of life, power, and wealth.

فَأذهَبَت دُوَلُ الأيامِ مَنزلَتِي

فَأذهَبَت دُوَلُ الأيامِ مَنزلَتِي

وَزَادَ فَقديَ اللذَّات فِي كَرَبِي

وَزَادَ فَقديَ اللذَّات فِي كَرَبِي

But the turns of the days swept away my station,

Then the days' vicissitudes stripped me of my standing,

and losing those pleasures deepened my anguish.

and losing those pleasures increased my distress.

وَكَانَ مَالِي لِهَذَا كلِّه تَبَعاً

وَكَانَ مَالِي لِهَذَا كلِّه تَبَعاً

بَل صَارَ عَوناً لأعدَائِي عَلَى طَلَب

بَل صَارَ عَوناً لأعدَائِي عَلَى طَلَب

My wealth had followed upon all of this;

My wealth followed in the wake of all this;

indeed, it became an aid to my enemies in pursuing me.

rather, it became aid to my enemies in their pursuit.

لَكِن رَجَعتُ وَقَد جَدَّ الزَّمَانُ إلَى

لَكِن رَجَعتُ وَقَد جَدَّ الزَّمَانُ إلَى

كَنز مِنَ العِلم وَالأخلاَق والأدَب

كَنز مِنَ العِلم وَالأخلاَق والأدَب

Yet I returned, once Time grew earnest, to

But I returned, when Time grew harsh, to

a treasure of knowledge, character, and letters.

a treasure of knowledge, character, and letters.

فَأعجَزَ الدَّهرَ أن يؤذَى بِوَاحِدَة

فَأعجَزَ الدَّهرَ أن يؤذَى بِوَاحِدَة

مِنهَا وَأقصَرَ عَنِّي وَاهِيَ السبَب

مِنهَا وَأقصَرَ عَنِّي وَاهِيَ السبَب

Thus I made Time powerless to harm a single one

So it left Time powerless to harm me in even one

of them; its feeble means fell short of reaching me.

of them; it drew back from me, its means feeble.

لاَ أختَشِي تَضَعُ الأيامُ مَنزلَتِي

لاَ أختَشِي تَضَعُ الأيامُ مَنزلَتِي

مَدَى الزَّمَان وَعِندي أغلَبُ الطَلب

مَدَى الزَّمَان وَعِندي أغلَبُ الطَلب

I do not fear that the days may lower my station,

I do not fear that the days will lower my standing

so long as I possess the highest of all things sought.

throughout time, for most of what I seek is mine.

لاَ يَستَطِيعونَ عَزلِي عَن ولاَيَتِهَا

لاَ يَستَطِيعونَ عَزلِي عَن ولاَيَتِهَا

إذ كل وَال لَهم بِالعَزل فِي العُقَب

إذ كل وَال لَهم بِالعَزل فِي العُقَب

They cannot depose me from its dominion,

They cannot dismiss me from its governorship,

for every governor among them is deposed in the end.

for every governor of theirs faces dismissal in the end.

هَذَا بِلاَ كلفَة مِنِّي وَلاَ حَرَس

هَذَا بِلاَ كلفَة مِنِّي وَلاَ حَرَس

وَلاَ عَديدٍ وَلاَ إنفاق مُكتَسَبِ

وَلاَ عَديدٍ وَلاَ إنفاق مُكتَسَبِ

And this costs me no hardship and requires no guards,

All this without expense on my part, or guards,

no troops, and no wealth expended to acquire it.

or a host of followers, or spending earned wealth.

وَكَم أخ لِيَ مصف غَير مضطَربٍ

وَكَم أخ لِيَ مصف غَير مضطَربٍ

لأنَّ مَا فِيه آخَى غَيرُ مضطَرب

لأنَّ مَا فِيه آخَى غَيرُ مضطَرب

How many a sincere, unwavering brother I have,

And many a brother I have, sincere and unwavering,

because that in him which I befriend never wavers.

for what made him my brother does not waver.

وَكل مَن كَانَ فِي دُنيَايَ يَصحَبنِي

وَكل مَن كَانَ فِي دُنيَايَ يَصحَبنِي

نَادَيتُهُ حِينَ خَانَتنِي فَلَم يُجِب

نَادَيتُهُ حِينَ خَانَتنِي فَلَم يُجِب

Yet everyone who accompanied me in my worldly days—

And everyone who kept me company in my worldly life—

I called to him when fortune betrayed me, but he did not answer.

I called him when it betrayed me, but he did not answer.

كَلاَمُ مَن جَرَّبَ الأمرَين وَانفَتَحَت

كَلاَمُ مَن جَرَّبَ الأمرَين وَانفَتَحَت

له المَذاهِبُ من جِدّ وَمن لَعِب

له المَذاهِبُ من جِدّ وَمن لَعِب

These are the words of one who has experienced both conditions,

These are the words of one who tried both, to whom were opened

and for whom every path opened, in earnestness and in play.

the paths of earnestness and play.

أنَا ابنُ مَن دَبَّرَ الدنيَا بِخَاتَمِه

أنَا ابنُ مَن دَبَّرَ الدنيَا بِخَاتَمِه

عِشرينَ عَاماً وَعَشرٌ بَعدُ لَم يَرب

عِشرينَ عَاماً وَعَشرٌ بَعدُ لَم يَرب

I am the son of one who governed the world with his signet

I am the son of one who governed the world with his seal

for twenty years, then ten more—no further.

for twenty years, and ten thereafter—no more.

وَإنَّ مَنزلَتِي فِي العِلم مَنزلَةٌ

وَإنَّ مَنزلَتِي فِي العِلم مَنزلَةٌ

فِي المُلك خَطُّ كَخَطّ الصَّادق النسَب

فِي المُلك خَطُّ كَخَطّ الصَّادق النسَب

And the station I possess in knowledge is a station

Indeed, my rank in knowledge is a rank

equivalent in kingship to the portion of one of proven lineage.

in kingship—a line like that of one of genuine lineage.

مَازَلتُ أدخِرُهُ دَهري وَأنفِقُهُ

مَازَلتُ أدخِرُهُ دَهري وَأنفِقُهُ

كَفِعلِه في اللجَين المَحض وَالذَّهضب

كَفِعلِه في اللجَين المَحض وَالذَّهضب

All my life I have stored it up and spent it

I have always stored it up throughout my life and spent it,

as he did pure silver and gold.

as he did with pure silver and gold.

وَإننِي لَبَخِيلٌ بِالسلاَم إذَا

وَإننِي لَبَخِيلٌ بِالسلاَم إذَا

بَخِلتُ بِالعِلم مِن لَفظِي وَمن كُتُبِي

بَخِلتُ بِالعِلم مِن لَفظِي وَمن كُتُبِي

Indeed, I would be stingy even with a greeting if

I would indeed be miserly with greetings if

I withheld knowledge from my speech or from my books.

I withheld knowledge from my speech and my books.

لَوَاستَطَعتُ مَنَحتُ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

لَوَاستَطَعتُ مَنَحتُ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

مَا قَد تَجَمعُ فِي حَفظِي وَفي كَسَبِي

مَا قَد تَجَمعُ فِي حَفظِي وَفي كَسَبِي

If I could, I would grant to all humanity

If I could, I would give to everyone

everything amassed in my memory and acquired through my striving.

all that has accumulated in my memory and my acquired learning.

أأبذُلُ المَالَ يُفنِي البَذلُ حَاصِلَهُ

أأبذُلُ المَالَ يُفنِي البَذلُ حَاصِلَهُ

وَلَستُ أبدلُ مَا يَنمِي عَلَى النهَب

وَلَستُ أبدلُ مَا يَنمِي عَلَى النهَب

Should I give away wealth, whose store is exhausted by giving,

Should I give away wealth, whose store giving exhausts,

yet not give what grows the more it is taken?

yet not give what grows the more it is plundered?

وَكَيفَ أستُرُ مُعلِي رُتبَتِي أبَداً

وَكَيفَ أستُرُ مُعلِي رُتبَتِي أبَداً

وَمَن يُخَلِّدُ ذِكري آخِرَ الحِقب

وَمَن يُخَلِّدُ ذِكري آخِرَ الحِقب

How could I ever conceal what continually raises my rank,

And how could I ever conceal what raises my rank,

what preserves my memory to the end of the ages,

and what immortalizes my memory to the end of the ages,

وَمَن يُكَثِّرُ لِي أهلِي وَيَجعَلُنِي

وَمَن يُكَثِّرُ لِي أهلِي وَيَجعَلُنِي

صَديقَ مَن شئِتُ مِن عُجمٍ وَمن عَرَب

صَديقَ مَن شئِتُ مِن عُجمٍ وَمن عَرَب

what multiplies my family and makes me

and what adds to my kin and makes me

the friend of whomever I wish, non-Arab or Arab—

the friend of whomever I choose, non-Arab or Arab?

أنِيسُ رُوحِي إذَا ما الدَّهرُ أوحَشَنِي

أنِيسُ رُوحِي إذَا ما الدَّهرُ أوحَشَنِي

وَنُورُ عَقلِي وَجَالِي غُمةَ النكَب

وَنُورُ عَقلِي وَجَالِي غُمةَ النكَب

the companion of my spirit when Time makes me lonely,

My spirit's companion whenever Time leaves me lonely,

the light of my mind and the clearer of affliction's gloom?

and my mind's light, and the dispeller of calamities' gloom.

سَائِل بِأيّ عُلُوم العَالَمِينَ تَجِد

سَائِل بِأيّ عُلُوم العَالَمِينَ تَجِد

عِندي يَنَابِيعَ ذاكَ العِلم من كُتُب

عِندي يَنَابِيعَ ذاكَ العِلم من كُتُب

Ask about any of the sciences of all the world: you will find

Ask about any of humankind's sciences, and you will find

with me the wellsprings of that knowledge, drawn from books.

with me springs of that knowledge drawn from books.

لاَ أنثَنِي لِسِوَى البُرهَان أسألُهث

لاَ أنثَنِي لِسِوَى البُرهَان أسألُهث

وَلاَ إلَى مَقَال البَاحِث اللجِبِ

وَلاَ إلَى مَقَال البَاحِث اللجِبِ

I do not turn aside to ask anything but proof,

I turn to nothing but proof, which I seek,

nor toward the assertion of a clamorous disputant.

nor to the words of a clamorous disputant.

لَكِن إذَا أشكَلَت دُنيَا مُعَضّلَةٌ

لَكِن إذَا أشكَلَت دُنيَا مُعَضّلَةٌ

قَابَلتُهَا بِسَنَا ذَِهنِي وَحَسبُكَ بِي

قَابَلتُهَا بِسَنَا ذَِهنِي وَحَسبُكَ بِي

But when some difficult worldly problem becomes obscure,

But when a perplexing world grows obscure,

I meet it with the radiance of my mind—and I suffice.

I confront it with my mind's radiance—and I am enough for you.

مِن فِكرَتِي لِيَ عَينٌ لاَ تَغِيضُ وَمِن

مِن فِكرَتِي لِيَ عَينٌ لاَ تَغِيضُ وَمِن

مَاضِي لِسَانِي مَا يَمضِي مَضَى الشُّهُبِ

مَاضِي لِسَانِي مَا يَمضِي مَضَى الشُّهُبِ

From my thought I have a spring that never runs dry, and from

From my thought I have a spring that never runs dry, and from

my keen tongue, words that speed onward like meteors.

my keen tongue, words that speed like shooting stars.

فَإن أضَفتُ إلَى ذَا الحَظّ مِن عَمَلِي

فَإن أضَفتُ إلَى ذَا الحَظّ مِن عَمَلِي

شَيئاً أفُوزُ بِهِ فِي يَومِ مُنقَلَبِ

شَيئاً أفُوزُ بِهِ فِي يَومِ مُنقَلَبِ

If I add to this portion of mine some deed

So if I add to this fortune, from my deeds,

by which I triumph on the Day of Return,

something that brings me success on the day of return,

فَقَد حَصُلتُ عَلَى الآمَالِ أجمَعِهَا

فَقَد حَصُلتُ عَلَى الآمَالِ أجمَعِهَا

وَخَابَ مَن فِي سِوَى ذَا كَانَ ذا تَعَبِ

وَخَابَ مَن فِي سِوَى ذَا كَانَ ذا تَعَبِ

then I have attained every hope together,

then I have attained all my hopes,

while whoever toils for anything besides this is disappointed.

and whoever toiled for anything else has failed.