غاضَ ماءُ الحياءِ من كلِّ وجهٍ

غاضَ ماءُ الحياءِ من كلِّ وجهٍ

فغَدا كالِحَ الجَوانِبِ قَفرا

فغَدا كالِحَ الجَوانِبِ قَفرا

The water of modesty has ebbed from every face,

The waters of modesty have receded from every face,

So it has become grim on every side, a barren waste.

Leaving the sides as barren as deserts.

وَتَفَشّى العُقوقُ في الناسِ حَتّى

وَتَفَشّى العُقوقُ في الناسِ حَتّى

كادَ رَدُّ السَلامِ يُحسَبُ بِرّا

كادَ رَدُّ السَلامِ يُحسَبُ بِرّا

And ingratitude has spread among people, until

Disrespect spread among people until

Returning a greeting is almost reckoned kindness.

Returning greetings was considered a good deed.

أوجهٌ مِثلَما نَثَرتَ على الأَج

أوجهٌ مِثلَما نَثَرتَ على الأَج

داثِ ورداً إن هنَّ أَبدَين بِشرا

داثِ ورداً إن هنَّ أَبدَين بِشرا

Faces—as though you had strewn upon the

Faces, that if you sprinkled roses on graves,

Graves roses—if they display cheer.

Would still frown with no good to say.

وَشفاهٌ يَقُلنَ أهلاً وَلو أَدَّ

وَشفاهٌ يَقُلنَ أهلاً وَلو أَدَّ

ينَ ما في الحشا لما قُلنَ خيرا

ينَ ما في الحشا لما قُلنَ خيرا

And lips that say 'Welcome'—yet if they voiced

Lips that say "Welcome," yet if left to their own devices,

What lies in the heart, they would say nothing good.

Would say nothing decent or kind.

عمرَكَ اللَهَ هل سَلامُ وِدادٍ

عمرَكَ اللَهَ هل سَلامُ وِدادٍ

ذاكَ أَم حاوَلَ المُسَلِّمُ أمرا

ذاكَ أَم حاوَلَ المُسَلِّمُ أمرا

I adjure you by God: is that a greeting of affection,

May God lengthen your life! Is this a greeting of affection?

Or did the greeter have some purpose in mind?

Or did the greeter attempt something more?

عميَت عن طريقِها أم تَعامَت

عميَت عن طريقِها أم تَعامَت

أُمَمٌ في مَفاوزِ الجَهلِ حَيرى

أُمَمٌ في مَفاوزِ الجَهلِ حَيرى

Have they gone blind to their path, or feigned blindness—

Nations wandered blindly through the wilds of ignorance.

Nations bewildered in the wastes of ignorance?

Deceived by their fortune, though fortune's way is to provide one day, and abandon the next.

غرَّها سَعدُها ومن عادةِ السَع

غرَّها سَعدُها ومن عادةِ السَع

دِ يُواتي يوماً وَيخذُلُ دهرا

دِ يُواتي يوماً وَيخذُلُ دهرا

Their good fortune deceived them; yet fortune is wont

They subjected the peoples and raided the countries,

To favor for a day and forsake for an age.

One after the other.

فَتَجَنَّت على الشُعوبِ وَشَنَّت

فَتَجَنَّت على الشُعوبِ وَشَنَّت

غارةً في البِلادِ من بعدِ أخرى

غارةً في البِلادِ من بعدِ أخرى

So they wronged the peoples and launched

They forgot on the rise the day of decline,

One raid after another throughout the lands.

Though decline entices those rising swiftly.

نَسيَت في الصُعودِ يومَ التَدَلّى

نَسيَت في الصُعودِ يومَ التَدَلّى

وَالتَدَلّى بصاعدِ الجدِّ مُغرى

وَالتَدَلّى بصاعدِ الجدِّ مُغرى

In their ascent, they forgot the day of descent,

The philosopher wearied of people for an era,

And descent is drawn to those whose fortune rises.

While spirituality shunned them for an era.

تعِبَ الفَيلَسوفُ في الناسِ عصراً

تعِبَ الفَيلَسوفُ في الناسِ عصراً

وَتَوَلّى السَرائِرَ الدينُ عصرا

وَتَوَلّى السَرائِرَ الدينُ عصرا

The philosopher toiled among people for an age,

The people pursue each other.

And religion governed their innermost thoughts for an age.

A hawk by night is pursued at dawn.

والوَرى طاردٌ إزاءَ طريدٍ

والوَرى طاردٌ إزاءَ طريدٍ

وَعُقابٌ يُمسى يُطارِدُ صَقرا

وَعُقابٌ يُمسى يُطارِدُ صَقرا

Yet mankind is a pursuer confronting the pursued,

Armies defeat each other.

And an eagle spends the evening pursuing a falcon.

While larger masses trample smaller ones.

وَجيوشٌ يُفلُّ من بعضِها البَع

وَجيوشٌ يُفلُّ من بعضِها البَع

ضُ وهضبٌ كُبرى تُناطحُ صُغرى

ضُ وهضبٌ كُبرى تُناطحُ صُغرى

And armies, some shattered by

Beware, o wolves, the roar of a lion!

Others; and great hills butt against smaller ones.

His fangs are sharper and claws more piercing than yours.

حاذِري يا ذِئابُ صَولةَ أُسدٍ

حاذِري يا ذِئابُ صَولةَ أُسدٍ

منكِ أَقوى ناباً وأنفَذُ ظُفرا

منكِ أَقوى ناباً وأنفَذُ ظُفرا

Beware, O wolves, the onslaught of lions

Do not sleep, o lion, for the wolves have not slept,

With fangs stronger than yours and claws more piercing.

Despite the twisting of entrails and breaking of bones.

لا تَنامي يا أُسدُ إنَّ ذِئاباً

لا تَنامي يا أُسدُ إنَّ ذِئاباً

لم تَنم من روابِضِ الغيلِ أَضرى

لم تَنم من روابِضِ الغيلِ أَضرى

Do not sleep, O lions, for some wolves

Lessons throughout the nights, but where are those

Have not slept, fiercer than the crouching beasts of the thickets.

Who open the book and read?

عبرٌ كلُّها اللَيالي ولكِن

عبرٌ كلُّها اللَيالي ولكِن

أينَ من يَفتحُ الكتابَ ويَقرا

أينَ من يَفتحُ الكتابَ ويَقرا

The nights are all lessons, and yet

You are the excellent warner, o star of awe,

Where is one who opens the book and reads?

Shaking the plains and mountains with terror.

أنتَ نعمَ النَذيرُ يا نجمَ هالي

أنتَ نعمَ النَذيرُ يا نجمَ هالي

زَلزِلَ السَهلَ والرَواسِيَ ذُعرا

زَلزِلَ السَهلَ والرَواسِيَ ذُعرا

You are an excellent warner, O Halley's star!

A people speculated and said:

Shake the plain and steadfast mountains with terror!

"A portent sent to the great earth."

ظنَّ قومٌ فيكَ الظُنونَ وقالوا

ظنَّ قومٌ فيكَ الظُنونَ وقالوا

آيةٌ أرسِلت إلا الأَرضِ كُبرى

آيةٌ أرسِلت إلا الأَرضِ كُبرى

Some people harbored conjectures about you and said:

If you hold death in your right hand, hurl it as flames

"A mighty sign, sent to the earth!"

Upon the creatures.

إن يكن في يَمينكَ الموتُ فاقذِف

إن يكن في يَمينكَ الموتُ فاقذِف

هُ شُواظاً على الخلائق طُرّا

هُ شُواظاً على الخلائق طُرّا

If death is in your right hand, then hurl

Have you received a secret from the humiliator of the arrogant

It as blazing flame upon creatures, one and all!

And protector of the weak, O star?

هل تَلَقَّيت من لدُن خاذِل البا

هل تَلَقَّيت من لدُن خاذِل البا

غي وحامى الضَعيفِ يا نجمُ سِرّا

غي وحامى الضَعيفِ يا نجمُ سِرّا

Have you received from the forsaker of the

An all-encompassing and controlling lord of every living being,

Oppressor and protector of the weak, O star, a secret?

Who flattened the plains and smoothed the rough terrain.

أَمحيطٌ بكلِّ شَيءٍ وَمردٍ

أَمحيطٌ بكلِّ شَيءٍ وَمردٍ

كلَّ حيٍّ وَتاركُ السَهلِ وعرا

كلَّ حيٍّ وَتاركُ السَهلِ وعرا

Will you encompass everything, destroying

Tomorrow, all noses are alike, none look upon another

Every living being and leaving the plain rugged?

On earth with even a speck of arrogance.

أَغداً تَستَوي الأنوفُ فلا يَن

أَغداً تَستَوي الأنوفُ فلا يَن

ظُرُ قومٌ قوماً على الأَرض شزرا

ظُرُ قومٌ قوماً على الأَرض شزرا

Will noses be level tomorrow, so that no

Tomorrow we are all dust, with no sovereign over dust

People look askance at another people upon the earth?

On land or sea except the Almighty.

أغداً كلُّنا ترابٌ ولا مُل

أغداً كلُّنا ترابٌ ولا مُل

كَ خلاف الترابِ برّاً وَبحرا

كَ خلاف الترابِ برّاً وَبحرا

Tomorrow, shall we all be dust, with no dominion

Tomorrow, struggle becomes embrace

Other than dust, on land and sea?

In the abyss, and the servant becomes free.

أغدا يُصبحُ الصِراعُ عناقاً

أغدا يُصبحُ الصِراعُ عناقاً

في الهَيولى وَيُصبحُ العَبدُ حُرّا

في الهَيولى وَيُصبحُ العَبدُ حُرّا

Tomorrow, will struggle become an embrace

If what they say is true, o star, then proclaim

In prime matter, and the slave become free?

What you have been commanded. You have lived generously long.

إن يكُن ما يقولون يا نجمُ فاصدَع

إن يكُن ما يقولون يا نجمُ فاصدَع

بِالذي قد أُمِرتَ حُيّيت عشرا

بِالذي قد أُمِرتَ حُيّيت عشرا

If what they say is true, O star, then proclaim

What you have been commanded—tenfold salutations to you!