إِذا اتَّقى القَومُ قَبلَ الصَّيدِ في حَرَم

إِذا اتَّقى القَومُ قَبلَ الصَّيدِ في حَرَم

جَعَلتُ كُلَّ مَكانٍ حَلَّهُ حَرَما

جَعَلتُ كُلَّ مَكانٍ حَلَّهُ حَرَما

If people are wary before hunting in a sanctuary,

If people avoid hunting before the lawful season is due,

I made every place it inhabited a sanctuary.

I shall make every place they frequent a sanctuary.

لا تَحمَدِ الدَّهرَ في فِعلٍ يَجودُ بِهِ

لا تَحمَدِ الدَّهرَ في فِعلٍ يَجودُ بِهِ

فَلَيسَ يَقصِدُ لا بُخلاً وَلا كَرَما

فَلَيسَ يَقصِدُ لا بُخلاً وَلا كَرَما

Do not praise Time for a deed it generously bestows:

Do not praise Time for any generosity it shows;

For it intends neither stinginess nor generosity.

It aims neither at stinginess nor at bounty.

قالوا أَتَيناهُ لَما نالَهُ هَرَمٌ

قالوا أَتَيناهُ لَما نالَهُ هَرَمٌ

وَما أَصابوا وَلَكِن لَم يَزَل هَرِما

وَما أَصابوا وَلَكِن لَم يَزَل هَرِما

They said, “We came to it when old age overtook it.”

They said, "We found him (already) aged when success befell him";

And they were mistaken; rather, it has always been decrepit.

But they were wrong - he had always been aged.

ما سَرَّ كِسرى وَلَم تذهَب مَدائِنه

ما سَرَّ كِسرى وَلَم تذهَب مَدائِنه

ولا سناناً وَقَد أَنقى لَه الهَرَما

ولا سناناً وَقَد أَنقى لَه الهَرَما

It brought Kisra no joy, though his cities have not vanished,

Neither Ctesiphon nor its cities have passed away,

Nor Sinan, though it had cleansed the pyramid for him.

Nor any column, though the centuries have crumbled them to dust.

تأتي لَيالِيهِ إِسعافاً وَكُلُّهُمُ

تأتي لَيالِيهِ إِسعافاً وَكُلُّهُمُ

أَصغى إِلى البَينِ مُغتَراً فَلا جَرَما

أَصغى إِلى البَينِ مُغتَراً فَلا جَرَما

Its nights come bringing aid, and every one of them

By night their fortunes come to their aid, yet they

Lent an ear to parting, beguiled—so, without doubt.

Listen enthralled to separation's tale - and no wonder!