إِذا اِنقَطَعَت نَفسُ الفَتى وَأَجَنَّهُ

إِذا اِنقَطَعَت نَفسُ الفَتى وَأَجَنَّهُ

مِنَ الأَرضِ رَمسٌ ذو تُرابٍ وَجَندَلِ

مِنَ الأَرضِ رَمسٌ ذو تُرابٍ وَجَندَلِ

When a young man's breath has ceased and he is hidden

When the youth's soul departs and his body

by an earthen grave with dust and stones,

Is covered with dust and rags from the earth,

رَأى أَنَّما الدُنيا غرورٌ وَأَنَّما

رَأى أَنَّما الدُنيا غرورٌ وَأَنَّما

ثَوابُ الفَتى في صَبرِهِ وَالتَوَكُّلِ

ثَوابُ الفَتى في صَبرِهِ وَالتَوَكُّلِ

he will see that this world is only delusion, and that

He sees that the world was mere deception, and

a young man's reward lies only in his patience and reliance on God.

The youth’s reward was in patience and trust.

بِكُلِّ صَروفِ الدَهرِ قَد عِشتُ حُقبَةً

بِكُلِّ صَروفِ الدَهرِ قَد عِشتُ حُقبَةً

وَقَد حَمَلتني بَينَها كُلَّ محمَلِ

وَقَد حَمَلتني بَينَها كُلَّ محمَلِ

Through all the vicissitudes of time I have lived a long while,

Through all the vicissitudes of fate I have lived an era,

and amid them they have carried me every which way.

And it has burdened me with every kind of burden.

وَقَد عِشتُ مِنها في رَخاءٍ وَغبطَةٍ

وَقَد عِشتُ مِنها في رَخاءٍ وَغبطَةٍ

وَفي نِعمَةٍ لَو أَنَّها لَم تُحَوَّلِ

وَفي نِعمَةٍ لَو أَنَّها لَم تُحَوَّلِ

And among them I have lived in ease and happiness,

And I have lived in comfort and bliss,

and in prosperity—if only it had never been taken away!

As well as bounty before it was changed.

إِذا المَرءُ وَلّى فَاِتعِظ مِن طِلابِهِ

إِذا المَرءُ وَلّى فَاِتعِظ مِن طِلابِهِ

بِعَقلِكَ وَاِطلُب سَيبَ آخِرَ مقبِلِ

بِعَقلِكَ وَاِطلُب سَيبَ آخِرَ مقبِلِ

When a man turns away, take a lesson from pursuing him

When a man declines, be warned by his seekers,

using your reason, and seek the bounty of another who welcomes you.

Use your reason and seek another rising star.

فَإِنَّكَ لا تَدري إِذا كُنتَ راجِياً

فَإِنَّكَ لا تَدري إِذا كُنتَ راجِياً

أَفي الرَّيثِ نَجحُ الأَمرِ أَم في التَعَجُّلِ

أَفي الرَّيثِ نَجحُ الأَمرِ أَم في التَعَجُّلِ

For you do not know, when you are hoping,

For you know not, if hoping for success,

whether the matter's success lies in delay or in haste.

Whether it is in delay or haste.

وَلا تَمشِ في الحَربِ الضَرّاءَ وَلا تُطِع

وَلا تَمشِ في الحَربِ الضَرّاءَ وَلا تُطِع

ذَوي الضَعفِ عِندَ المَأزِقِ المُتَحَفِّلِ

ذَوي الضَعفِ عِندَ المَأزِقِ المُتَحَفِّلِ

And do not skulk under cover in war, nor obey

Do not walk into dire straits in war, nor obey

the weak in the thronged, perilous strait.

The weak-hearted in the critical hour.

وَلا تَشتُمِ المَولى تَتَبَّع أَذاتَهُ

وَلا تَشتُمِ المَولى تَتَبَّع أَذاتَهُ

فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَفعَل تُسَفَّه وَتَجهَلِ

فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَفعَل تُسَفَّه وَتَجهَلِ

And do not revile your ally, seeking to harm him;

Do not insult your Master by following His hurts,

for if you do, you will be deemed foolish and act ignorantly.

For if you do, you become foolish and ignorant.

وَلا تَخذِلِ المَولى لِسوءِ بَلائِهِ

وَلا تَخذِلِ المَولى لِسوءِ بَلائِهِ

مَتى يَأكُلِ الأَعداءُ مَولاكَ تُؤكَلِ

مَتى يَأكُلِ الأَعداءُ مَولاكَ تُؤكَلِ

And do not desert your ally for his poor showing;

Do not forsake your Master in His woeful affliction,

whenever enemies devour your ally, you too will be devoured.

Lest His enemies devour your Master while you are eaten.

وَرَكبٍ تَعادَوا بِالنُعاسِ كَأَنَّما

وَرَكبٍ تَعادَوا بِالنُعاسِ كَأَنَّما

تَساقَوا عُقاراً خالَطَت كُلَّ مَفصَلِ

تَساقَوا عُقاراً خالَطَت كُلَّ مَفصَلِ

And many a band of riders passed drowsiness to one another, as though

A group who challenged drowsiness as if

they had given each other wine that permeated every joint.

They had been given a potion in every joint.

سَرَيتُ بِهِم حَتّى مَضى اللَيلُ كُلُّهُ

سَرَيتُ بِهِم حَتّى مَضى اللَيلُ كُلُّهُ

وَلاحَت هَوادي الصُبحِ لِلمُتَأَمِّلِ

وَلاحَت هَوادي الصُبحِ لِلمُتَأَمِّلِ

I journeyed with them by night until the whole night had passed,

I traveled with them until the night passed in full,

and dawn's first heralds appeared to the attentive watcher.

And the valleys of dawn shone for the watcher.

وَقالوا وَقَد مالَت طُلاهُم مِن الكَرى

وَقالوا وَقَد مالَت طُلاهُم مِن الكَرى

أَنِخ إِنَّها نعمى عَلَينا وَأَفضلِ

أَنِخ إِنَّها نعمى عَلَينا وَأَفضلِ

And they said, their necks already drooping with drowsiness:

And they said, as their hopes declined from fatigue:

“Make your camel kneel: it is a kindness to us—be generous!”

“Dismount, it is a blessing and better for us.”

فَطاوَعتُهُم حَتّى أَناخوا كَلاكِلا

فَطاوَعتُهُم حَتّى أَناخوا كَلاكِلا

مَهارى لَهَوا مِنها وَلَمّا تُعَقَّلِ

مَهارى لَهَوا مِنها وَلَمّا تُعَقَّلِ

So I complied with them until they lowered the chests

So I obeyed them until they dismounted reluctantly,

of Mahri camels they left untended, not yet hobbled.

Playfully frolicsome, and not restrained.

وَقالوا عَلى أَعطافِها وَتَوَسَّدوا

وَقالوا عَلى أَعطافِها وَتَوَسَّدوا

إِلى الرُكبِ اليُسرى سَواعِدَ أَشمَلِ

إِلى الرُكبِ اليُسرى سَواعِدَ أَشمَلِ

And they napped on the camels' flanks, pillowing their heads

And they said, leaning on the saddlebags:

on their left forearms, down toward their left knees.

“To the blessed company - close elbows and clasped arms.”

وَلاثوا بِأَيديهِم فُضولَ أَزِمَّةٍ

وَلاثوا بِأَيديهِم فُضولَ أَزِمَّةٍ

تَصورُ البُرى أَزرارُها لَم تُحَلَّلِ

تَصورُ البُرى أَزرارُها لَم تُحَلَّلِ

And they wound the loose lengths of reins around their hands,

Then they clasped the surplus of the saddle ties

their still-tied fastenings drawing the nose-rings sideways.

That seemed, when not unfastened, to be buttons.

غِشاشاً غِرارَ العَينِ ثُمَّ تَنَبَّهوا

غِشاشاً غِرارَ العَينِ ثُمَّ تَنَبَّهوا

سِراعاً إِلى أَكوارِ سُدسٍ وَبُزَّلِ

سِراعاً إِلى أَكوارِ سُدسٍ وَبُزَّلِ

A hurried doze, a mere wink of sleep—then they awoke,

Dozing, hooding their eyes, then suddenly vigilant,

swiftly to the saddles of six-toothed and full-grown camels.

Hastening to the places of prayer rugs and garments.