سَقى رَصَدُ الاشراطِ ساكنَ حفرةٍ

سَقى رَصَدُ الاشراطِ ساكنَ حفرةٍ

بفارسَ مردودٍ عليها الرَّدائِدُ

بفارسَ مردودٍ عليها الرَّدائِدُ

May the rain of al-Ashrat water the dweller of a grave

The watcher of fate waters a grave's pit

in Persia, with the grave-coverings laid back over it.

With a knight returned to it, overlapped by winding sheets,

ولا زال يُجدي قبرَه وهو معدِمٌ

ولا زال يُجدي قبرَه وهو معدِمٌ

كما كان يُجدي كفَّه وهو واحدُ

كما كان يُجدي كفَّه وهو واحدُ

And may it never cease enriching his grave, though he is destitute,

And he still maintains his grave while he is perishing,

as he once enriched its palm, he alone.

As he used to maintain his palm while he was alone,

عليلٌ أَسَرَّ اليأسُ منه طبيبَه

عليلٌ أَسَرَّ اليأسُ منه طبيبَه

وغيبَ عنه رهطُه والعوائدُ

وغيبَ عنه رهطُه والعوائدُ

An ailing man whose physician concealed his despair of him,

Ill, despair has defeated his doctor,

and whose kinsmen and visiting women were kept away from him.

And his friends and visitors have been absent from him.

خليليَّ ما بعدَ الغرامِ تجلدٌ

خليليَّ ما بعدَ الغرامِ تجلدٌ

ولا بعد فيضِ الدمعِ للدمعِ ذائِدُ

ولا بعد فيضِ الدمعِ للدمعِ ذائِدُ

My two friends, after anguish there is no fortitude,

My intimate, after passion there is no endurance,

nor, after tears overflow, anyone to restrain them.

Nor after the outpouring of tears is there a repeller of tears.

أَقِلاَّ فانَّ العيشَ مالٌ وصحةٌ

أَقِلاَّ فانَّ العيشَ مالٌ وصحةٌ

اذا عُدِمَا لَمْ يحمَدِ العَيشَ حامِدُ

اذا عُدِمَا لَمْ يحمَدِ العَيشَ حامِدُ

Desist, you two: life is wealth and health;

Take it easy, for life is money and health,

if both are lost, no one praises life.

If they are missing, no praiser praises life.

ولا تأمنا لُبسَ السَّقامِ أَمنتما

ولا تأمنا لُبسَ السَّقامِ أَمنتما

جريرتَه فالسقم للموتِ رَائِدُ

جريرتَه فالسقم للموتِ رَائِدُ

Nor deem yourselves safe from sickness's garb, though you have felt safe

Do not feel secure from wearing disease's clothes,

from its harm: sickness is death's scout.

Its friendship, for disease is the guide of death.

هما الطالبانِ المدركانِ كلاهما

هما الطالبانِ المدركانِ كلاهما

غَزِيٌّ على قَبضِ النفوسِ مسانِدُ

غَزِيٌّ على قَبضِ النفوسِ مسانِدُ

They are the two pursuers who overtake; each of them

They are both seekers, comprehending each together,

is a raider allied in seizing souls.

A raider upon grasping the souls, supported.

أَلم تألما أَنَّ الديارَ تنكرتْ

أَلم تألما أَنَّ الديارَ تنكرتْ

وأوحشَ منها ربعُها والمَعَاهِدُ

وأوحشَ منها ربعُها والمَعَاهِدُ

Have you two not grieved that the dwellings have grown strange,

Are you not pained that the dwellings have become unrecognizable

and their campsite and familiar haunts have become desolate?

And their outskirts and covenants more desolate?

وانَّ أَثافيها على الهجرِ والقِلى

وانَّ أَثافيها على الهجرِ والقِلى

سَلمنَ ولم يَسلم من الحيِّ ناشدُ

سَلمنَ ولم يَسلم من الحيِّ ناشدُ

And that their hearthstones, amid abandonment and aversion,

That their good-byes have made peace with separation and scantiness,

survived, while no seeker from the tribe was spared?

While the living have not made peace with the wailing mourner.

أَيادي سَبا طارتْ بهم غربةُ النوى

أَيادي سَبا طارتْ بهم غربةُ النوى

فهم بين آفاقِ البلادِ بَدَائِدُ

فهم بين آفاقِ البلادِ بَدَائِدُ

Like Saba's scattered bands, distant exile bore them away;

The hands of fate have flown with the estrangement of intimacy,

so they lie scattered across the horizons of the lands.

So they are between the horizons of countries, scattered,

فقبرٌ بشيرازَ يهيلُ تُرابُهُ

فقبرٌ بشيرازَ يهيلُ تُرابُهُ

وقبرٌ بجيٍّ فوقه التُربُ لا بدُ

وقبرٌ بجيٍّ فوقه التُربُ لا بدُ

Then a grave in Shiraz, its earth spilling in heaps,

Thus a grave in Shiraz, its soil sinks down,

and a grave in Jayy, with earth inevitably above it;

And a grave in Jayy, over it the soil will not go away.

وبالرملِ من غربي دجلة ماجدٌ

وبالرملِ من غربي دجلة ماجدٌ

أربَّ عليه الواكفُ المتعاهدُ

أربَّ عليه الواكفُ المتعاهدُ

and in the sand west of the Tigris lies a noble man:

And in the sand west of the Tigris lies Majid,

may the dripping, ever-returning rain linger over him.

Upon him the frequent visitor who makes covenants.

رأَيتُ أَبا الريانِ لم تحمِ نفسَه

رأَيتُ أَبا الريانِ لم تحمِ نفسَه

من الدهرِ زَبُّوناتُهُ والمكائدُ

من الدهرِ زَبُّوناتُهُ والمكائدُ

I saw Abu al-Rayyan: his life was not shielded

I saw Abu al-Rayyan, his soul did not protect itself

from Time by his defenses and stratagems.

From time's deceits and plots.

تَدَيَّرَ بالزوراءِ داراً مزارُها

تَدَيَّرَ بالزوراءِ داراً مزارُها

قريبٌ ولكن نفعُها متباعدُ

قريبٌ ولكن نفعُها متباعدُ

He took a dwelling in al-Zawra; the visit to it

He circled around Zurraa with a house of pilgrimage,

is near, but its benefit lies far away.

Nearby, but its benefit is remote.

فتى بليتْ أَوصالُه وعظامُه

فتى بليتْ أَوصالُه وعظامُه

وما بليتْ آثارُه والمحامدُ

وما بليتْ آثارُه والمحامدُ

A young man whose limbs and bones have decayed,

A youth whose limbs and bones are worn out,

yet whose deeds and praiseworthy qualities have not decayed.

Yet his traces and praises are not worn out.

مجاورَ حيِّ من لؤي بنِ غالبٍ

مجاورَ حيِّ من لؤي بنِ غالبٍ

قبورهم للزائرينَ مساجدُ

قبورهم للزائرينَ مساجدُ

A neighbor to a clan of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib,

A neighbor of the alive from Lu'ay ibn Ghalib,

whose graves are places of prostration for visitors.

Their graves are mosques for visitors.

رَبَا تُربها الزاكي ورشَّحَ نبتُه

رَبَا تُربها الزاكي ورشَّحَ نبتُه

ورنَّح منه غصنُه المتعائدُ

ورنَّح منه غصنُه المتعائدُ

May their fertile soil swell, and its plants bead with moisture,

Maybe its pure soil will be watered and its vegetation will thrive,

and its ever-renewing bough sway forth from it.

And its leaning branch will become accustomed to return.

اذا أَقلعتْ خرساءُ واهية الكُلى

اذا أَقلعتْ خرساءُ واهية الكُلى

حَدَاهَا حَبيٌّ جلجلتْهُ الرواعدُ

حَدَاهَا حَبيٌّ جلجلتْهُ الرواعدُ

Whenever a silent cloud, its kidneys leaking, clears away,

When the mute camel passes by the weary ruins,

a low-creeping cloud, rattled by thunderclaps, drives it onward.

It is restrained by a loving friend who has been struck by lightning.

ألا ليتَ شِعري ما يريدُ بنسله

ألا ليتَ شِعري ما يريدُ بنسله

وثروته هذا الدبا المُسَافِدُ

وثروته هذا الدبا المُسَافِدُ

Ah, would that I knew what it seeks through its offspring

Oh, I wish I knew what this deluded hyena wants

and its wealth—this mating locust brood!

With his progeny and wealth.

يَهَابُ الفتَى فقدانَ ما هو واجدٌ

يَهَابُ الفتَى فقدانَ ما هو واجدٌ

ولو لم يجد ما هابَ ما هو فاقدُ

ولو لم يجد ما هابَ ما هو فاقدُ

A man fears losing what he possesses;

The young man fears losing what he already has,

yet had he not possessed it, he would not fear what he lacks.

And had he not found it, he would not have feared losing it.

أَرى المرءَ فيما يبتغيه كأَنما

أَرى المرءَ فيما يبتغيه كأَنما

مداولةُ الأيامِ فيهِ مَبَاردُ

مداولةُ الأيامِ فيهِ مَبَاردُ

I see man, in what he seeks, as though

I see people in what they seek as if

the alternation of days were files wearing him down.

The taking turns of days with them is a polo mallet.

اذا ما قضى يوماً من الدهرِ حاجةً

اذا ما قضى يوماً من الدهرِ حاجةً

طوى طرفاً من عمره وهو جَاهدُ

طوى طرفاً من عمره وهو جَاهدُ

Whenever he fulfills a need on some day of Time,

When the days fulfill a desire,

he folds away a portion of his life, striving all the while.

He folds up a part of his life while he is struggling.

تعلةَ لاهٍ ما تعمَّدَ كونه

تعلةَ لاهٍ ما تعمَّدَ كونه

فَيُجزَى فساداً بالذي هو عامدُ

فَيُجزَى فساداً بالذي هو عامدُ

A heedless man's diversion—he did not intend this outcome,

The mistake of an oblivious one, he deliberately commits it,

so he is repaid with decay through what he intends.

So he is rewarded with corruption for what he purposely does.

ويصطدِمُ الجمعانِ والنقع ثائرٌ

ويصطدِمُ الجمعانِ والنقع ثائرٌ

فيسلم مقدامٌ ويهلكُ حائدُ

فيسلم مقدامٌ ويهلكُ حائدُ

And the two armies clash as dust rises;

And the two groups clash while the melee rages,

a bold man survives, while one who turns aside perishes.

So the valiant survives and the deviator perishes.

ومن لم يمت بالسيفِ ماتَ بغيرهِ

ومن لم يمت بالسيفِ ماتَ بغيرهِ

تنوعتِ الأسبابُ والداءُ واحِدُ

تنوعتِ الأسبابُ والداءُ واحِدُ

And whoever does not die by the sword dies by something else;

Whoever does not die by the sword dies by other than it.

the causes vary, but the malady is one.

The causes vary while the malady is one.

وفتكَ الليالي يا ابن حمدٍ صروفها

وفتكَ الليالي يا ابن حمدٍ صروفها

ولا عادِ من مكروهها لكَ عائدُ

ولا عادِ من مكروهها لكَ عائدُ

May the nights keep faith with you, O son of Hamd, through their changes,

The killings of nights, O Ibn Hamd, their circumstances vary

and may none of their misfortunes return to you.

And none of their hated things returns to you.

ولا قطرت من ماءِ جفنكَ قطرةٌ

ولا قطرت من ماءِ جفنكَ قطرةٌ

على هالكٍ الا ولبّكَ شاهدُ

على هالكٍ الا ولبّكَ شاهدُ

And may no drop from the water of your eyelid fall

Not a tear has dropped from your eyelid

over one dead unless your reason remains present.

Over a perished one unless your heart was a witness.

وكيفَ تُرى مستخذياً لمصيبةٍ

وكيفَ تُرى مستخذياً لمصيبةٍ

يعزيكَ فيها خاذلٌ أَو مساعدُ

يعزيكَ فيها خاذلٌ أَو مساعدُ

And how can you be seen cowed by a calamity

How do you expect to be consoled for a tragedy

over which a deserter or a helper consoles you?

In which a deserter or a helper consoles you?

وعن مثلها عزيتَ بالأمسِ صاحباً

وعن مثلها عزيتَ بالأمسِ صاحباً

فهل أَنتَ فيما قلتَ بالأمسِ زاهدُ

فهل أَنتَ فيما قلتَ بالأمسِ زاهدُ

Yet yesterday you consoled a companion over one like it;

And about its like you consoled a companion yesterday,

so are you averse to what you said yesterday?

So are you regarding what you said yesterday as ascetic?

أَقيموا لها يا آل حمدٍ ظهوركُم

أَقيموا لها يا آل حمدٍ ظهوركُم

وان قيلَ انَّ العمَّ والخالَ والدُ

وان قيلَ انَّ العمَّ والخالَ والدُ

Straighten your backs to face it, O house of Hamd,

Take a stance for it, O family of Hamd,

even if it is said that paternal and maternal uncles are fathers.

Even if it is said that the paternal uncle, uncle, and grandfather will do.

وصبراً على رَيبِ الزمانِ فانَما

وصبراً على رَيبِ الزمانِ فانَما

لكم خُلقتْ أَهوالُه والشدائِدُ

لكم خُلقتْ أَهوالُه والشدائِدُ

And bear Time's vicissitudes patiently, for

And be patient with the suspicion of time, for only

its terrors and hardships were created for you alone.

Its horrors and difficulties were created for you.