أهجُرِ النَومَ في طِلابِ العَلاءِ

أهجُرِ النَومَ في طِلابِ العَلاءِ

وَصلِ الصُبحَ دائِباً بِالمَساءِ

وَصلِ الصُبحَ دائِباً بِالمَساءِ

Forsake sleep in pursuit of glory,

Forsake sleep in pursuit of eminence,

and tirelessly join morning to evening.

and join morning to evening in ceaseless effort.

وَالتَمِس بِالمسير في كل قُطرٍ

وَالتَمِس بِالمسير في كل قُطرٍ

رُتبةَ العارِفين وَالحُكماءِ

رُتبةَ العارِفين وَالحُكماءِ

Seek, by journeying through every land,

And seek, by journeying through every land,

the rank of the learned and the wise.

the rank of the knowledgeable and the sages.

إِن غَضَّ الشَباب فَقَّهَهُ التَر

إِن غَضَّ الشَباب فَقَّهَهُ التَر

حالُ شَيخٌ في أَعيُنِ العُقَلاءِ

حالُ شَيخٌ في أَعيُنِ العُقَلاءِ

If a tender youth is schooled by trav—

Indeed, a tender youth whom travel has taught wisdom

el, he is an elder in the eyes of the discerning.

is an elder in the eyes of the discerning.

وَمُقامُ الحُسامِ في الغِمدِ يُزري

وَمُقامُ الحُسامِ في الغِمدِ يُزري

بِالذي حازَ مَتنُه من جَلاءِ

بِالذي حازَ مَتنُه من جَلاءِ

A sword's remaining in its sheath diminishes

And a keen sword's remaining in its scabbard detracts

the polish possessed by its blade.

from the lustre its blade has acquired.

فَدَعِ الغِمدَ يَبدُ لِلعَينِ مِن فَض

فَدَعِ الغِمدَ يَبدُ لِلعَينِ مِن فَض

لِكَ ما كانَ في زَوايا الخَفاءِ

لِكَ ما كانَ في زَوايا الخَفاءِ

Then cast off the sheath, so that of your mer—

So leave the scabbard, revealing to the eye that part of your merit

it what lay in hidden corners may appear to the eye.

which lay in the corners of concealment.

إِنَّ أَمضى الرِجال مَن كانَ سهماً

إِنَّ أَمضى الرِجال مَن كانَ سهماً

نافِذاً في حُشاشَةِ الغَبراءِ

نافِذاً في حُشاشَةِ الغَبراءِ

The keenest of men is he who becomes an arrow,

Indeed, the keenest of men is he who is an arrow

piercing the very heart of the dust-brown earth.

piercing the vital heart of the dust-colored earth.

وَاللَبيبُ اللَبيبُ مَن دارَ في الأَر

وَاللَبيبُ اللَبيبُ مَن دارَ في الأَر

ضِ لِعلمٍ يناله أَو ثَراء

ضِ لِعلمٍ يناله أَو ثَراء

The truly discerning—truly discerning—is he who roams the ear—

And the truly discerning man is he who roams the earth

th for knowledge he may gain, or wealth.

for knowledge he may gain, or wealth.

إِنما الأَرضُ وَالفَضاءُ كِتابٌ

إِنما الأَرضُ وَالفَضاءُ كِتابٌ

فَاِقرَأوهُ معاشِرَ الأَذكِياءِ

فَاِقرَأوهُ معاشِرَ الأَذكِياءِ

Earth and the firmament are but a book;

Earth and the expanse are but a book;

so read it, company of the intelligent.

so read it, O keen-minded people!

وَاِقرِنوا العِلمَ بِالسُرى رُبَّ علمٍ

وَاِقرِنوا العِلمَ بِالسُرى رُبَّ علمٍ

لم تَحُزهُ قَرائِحُ العُلَماءِ

لم تَحُزهُ قَرائِحُ العُلَماءِ

Wed knowledge to night journeying—many a truth

And couple learning with night journeys: many a piece of knowledge

the minds of scholars have failed to possess.

the gifted minds of scholars have never attained.

وَأَطيلوا ما كانَ من قِصَرِ العَي

وَأَطيلوا ما كانَ من قِصَرِ العَي

شِ بحَثِّ الرِكابِ في الأَنحاءِ

شِ بحَثِّ الرِكابِ في الأَنحاءِ

Lengthen what is brief in li—

And lengthen the short span of life

fe by urging your mounts through every region.

by spurring your mounts through the regions.

وَطَنُ المَرءِ مَهدُه وَبَقايا ال

وَطَنُ المَرءِ مَهدُه وَبَقايا ال

كَونِ بَيتٌ له رَفيعُ البِناءِ

كَونِ بَيتٌ له رَفيعُ البِناءِ

A person's homeland is his cradle; the rest of the uni—

A man's homeland is his cradle; the rest

verse is his house, loftily built.

of the universe is his house, loftily built.

وَمَعيبٌ أَن تَصرِفَ العُمرَ في المَه

وَمَعيبٌ أَن تَصرِفَ العُمرَ في المَه

دِ وَتَنسى البَيتَ الوَسيعَ الفِناءِ

دِ وَتَنسى البَيتَ الوَسيعَ الفِناءِ

It is shameful to spend one's lifetime in the cra—

And it is shameful to spend your life in the cradle

dle and forget the house with its spacious courtyard.

and forget the house with its spacious courtyard.

هذه الفُلكُ يَستَحِثُّ خُطاها

هذه الفُلكُ يَستَحِثُّ خُطاها

هَزَجُ الريحِ في صحارى الماء

هَزَجُ الريحِ في صحارى الماء

This ship hastens her steps,

These ships—their steps are urged onward

to the wind's lilting song across the deserts of water.

by the wind's song in the deserts of water.

كَم أَطالَت مدى الرَحيل وَوالَت

كَم أَطالَت مدى الرَحيل وَوالَت

هُ فعادَت بِالخَير وَالسَرّاءِ

هُ فعادَت بِالخَير وَالسَرّاءِ

How often she has prolonged the journey and pursued

How often they have lengthened the span of travel and continued

it, then returned with bounty and prosperity.

it, then returned with bounty and gladness!

وَهلالُ السَماءِ يَزدادُ نوراً

وَهلالُ السَماءِ يَزدادُ نوراً

كلَّما خاضَ لُجَّة الظُلماء

كلَّما خاضَ لُجَّة الظُلماء

The crescent of heaven increases in light

And the sky's crescent grows brighter

whenever it wades into the abyss of darkness.

whenever it plunges into the depths of darkness.

لَو وَنى عَزمهُ لما فازَ بِالقِد

لَو وَنى عَزمهُ لما فازَ بِالقِد

حِ المُعَلّى في القُبَّةِ الزَرقاء

حِ المُعَلّى في القُبَّةِ الزَرقاء

Had its resolve weakened, it would not have won the lo—

Had its resolve faltered, it would not have won the lot

t held highest in the blue dome.

of highest value in the blue dome.

خُلِقَ المرءُ لِلتَنَقُّلِ في الأَر

خُلِقَ المرءُ لِلتَنَقُّلِ في الأَر

ضِ وَلِلسَعيِ لا لِمَحضِ الثَواء

ضِ وَلِلسَعيِ لا لِمَحضِ الثَواء

Humankind was created to roam the ear—

Man was created to move about the earth

th and to strive, not merely to remain.

and to strive, not merely to stay put.

فَتَحَرَّك بِحُكم طَبعِك أَو كُن

فَتَحَرَّك بِحُكم طَبعِك أَو كُن

حَجرا في مَجاهلِ البَيداء

حَجرا في مَجاهلِ البَيداء

So move in accordance with your nature, or be

So move as your nature dictates, or be

a stone in the unknown reaches of the desert.

a stone in the uncharted wastes of the desert.

حَبَّذا رِحلةٌ تُمَثِّلُ تَمثي

حَبَّذا رِحلةٌ تُمَثِّلُ تَمثي

لاً مزايا الأَسفارِ لِلقُرّاء

لاً مزايا الأَسفارِ لِلقُرّاء

How excellent a journey—one that vividly re—

How fine a travel account that vividly portrays

presents to readers the merits of travel.

the merits of journeys for readers!

قد أَجادَت فيها يَراعةُ مُنشي

قد أَجادَت فيها يَراعةُ مُنشي

ها اِختِيارَ الأَخبارِ وَالأَنباء

ها اِختِيارَ الأَخبارِ وَالأَنباء

The pen of its au—

In it, its author's reed pen has excelled

thor has excelled in choosing its accounts and tidings.

in choosing accounts and reports.

فَأَجِل في جَمالِها نَظراتٍ

فَأَجِل في جَمالِها نَظراتٍ

فهيَ بِكرُ الآدابِ وَالإِنشاء

فهيَ بِكرُ الآدابِ وَالإِنشاء

Let your gaze roam across its beauty,

So let your glances roam over its beauty,

for it is a maiden among works of literature and composition.

for it is the maiden of literature and composition.

وَتَفَهَّم حديثَها ثم سافِر

وَتَفَهَّم حديثَها ثم سافِر

ليس مَن يَسمعُ الحديثَ كرائي

ليس مَن يَسمعُ الحديثَ كرائي

Grasp its discourse, and then set out:

And understand its account, then travel:

one who hears the tale is not like one who sees.

one who hears the account is not like an eyewitness.