بَلينا وَما تَبلى النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ

بَلينا وَما تَبلى النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ

وَتَبقى الجِبالُ بَعدَنا وَالمَصانِعُ

وَتَبقى الجِبالُ بَعدَنا وَالمَصانِعُ

We have worn away, yet the rising stars do not wear away,

We wither, though the stars that guide do not

and after us the mountains and the fortresses remain.

The mountains will remain after us, and the buildings

وَقَد كُنتُ في أَكنافِ جارِ مَضِنَّةٍ

وَقَد كُنتُ في أَكنافِ جارِ مَضِنَّةٍ

فَفارَقَني جارٌ بِأَربَدَ نافِعُ

فَفارَقَني جارٌ بِأَربَدَ نافِعُ

And I once dwelt in the shelter of a cherished companion,

Once I dwelt in the bosom of a kind neighbor

then in Arbad I lost a helpful companion.

But he left me for one of greater benefit

فَلا جَزِعٌ إِن فَرَّقَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا

فَلا جَزِعٌ إِن فَرَّقَ الدَهرُ بَينَنا

وَكُلُّ فَتىً يَوماً بِهِ الدَهرُ فاجِعُ

وَكُلُّ فَتىً يَوماً بِهِ الدَهرُ فاجِعُ

So I am not distraught if time has parted us,

I'm not distraught that fate has parted us

for time will one day inflict grief through every young man's loss.

Each youth, fate will one day lay low

فَلا أَنا يَأتيني طَريفٌ بِفَرحَةٍ

فَلا أَنا يَأتيني طَريفٌ بِفَرحَةٍ

وَلا أَنا مِمّا أَحدَثَ الدَهرُ جازِعُ

وَلا أَنا مِمّا أَحدَثَ الدَهرُ جازِعُ

So no new gain brings me joy,

No joy will come to gladden me

nor am I distraught by what time has brought about.

Nor am I of those fate has laid low

وَما الناسُ إِلّا كَالدِيارِ وَأَهلُها

وَما الناسُ إِلّا كَالدِيارِ وَأَهلُها

بِها يَومَ حَلّوها وَغَدواً بَلاقِعُ

بِها يَومَ حَلّوها وَغَدواً بَلاقِعُ

And people are but like dwellings: their inhabitants

People are but like homes and their folk

are there the day they settle in them; tomorrow the dwellings lie desolate.

One day they are peopled, the next desolate

وَما المَرءُ إِلّا كَالشِهابِ وَضَوئِهِ

وَما المَرءُ إِلّا كَالشِهابِ وَضَوئِهِ

يَحورُ رَماداً بَعدَ إِذ هُوَ ساطِعُ

يَحورُ رَماداً بَعدَ إِذ هُوَ ساطِعُ

And a man is but like a firebrand and its light:

Man is like a meteor and its light

it turns to ash after it has shone brightly.

Turning to ash after it shone bright

وَما البِرُّ إِلّا مُضمَراتٌ مِنَ التُقى

وَما البِرُّ إِلّا مُضمَراتٌ مِنَ التُقى

وَما المالُ إِلّا مُعمَراتٌ وَدائِعُ

وَما المالُ إِلّا مُعمَراتٌ وَدائِعُ

And righteousness is but inward intentions of piety,

Virtue is but piety concealed

and wealth is only grants for a lifetime, held in trust.

Wealth but a trust, a pledge concealed

وَما المالُ وَالأَهلونَ إِلّا وَديعَةٌ

وَما المالُ وَالأَهلونَ إِلّا وَديعَةٌ

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الوَدائِعُ

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الوَدائِعُ

And wealth and family are nothing but a trust,

Wealth, family, are but a trust

and one day the trusts must be returned.

One day, all trusts must be returned

وَيَمضونَ أَرسالاً وَنَخلُفُ بَعدَهُم

وَيَمضونَ أَرسالاً وَنَخلُفُ بَعدَهُم

كَما ضَمَّ أُخرى التالِياتِ المُشايِعُ

كَما ضَمَّ أُخرى التالِياتِ المُشايِعُ

And they pass on in groups, and we take their place,

They journey on, and we follow after

as a drover gathers the last of the following herd.

As others once escorted those gone before

وَما الناسُ إِلّا عامِلانِ فَعامِلٌ

وَما الناسُ إِلّا عامِلانِ فَعامِلٌ

يُتَبِّرُ ما يَبني وَآخَرَ رافِعُ

يُتَبِّرُ ما يَبني وَآخَرَ رافِعُ

And people are but two kinds of worker: one

People are but two workers, one whose deeds

destroys what he builds, while another raises it up.

Build up, the other destroying what he did

فَمِنهُم سَعيدٌ آخِذٌ لِنَصيبِهِ

فَمِنهُم سَعيدٌ آخِذٌ لِنَصيبِهِ

وَمِنهُم شَقِيٌّ بِالمَعيشَةِ قانِعُ

وَمِنهُم شَقِيٌّ بِالمَعيشَةِ قانِعُ

So among them is a fortunate man, taking his allotted share,

Some are fortunate, taking their share

and among them a wretched man, content with his livelihood.

Others miserable, with life content

أَلَيسَ وَرائي إِن تَراخَت مَنِيَّتي

أَلَيسَ وَرائي إِن تَراخَت مَنِيَّتي

لُزومُ العَصا تُحنى عَلَيها الأَصابِعُ

لُزومُ العَصا تُحنى عَلَيها الأَصابِعُ

Is there not in store for me, if my death is delayed,

If my days wane, is it not inevitable

reliance on a staff, with fingers bent around it?

I lean on a staff, fingers bent?

أُخَبِّرُ أَخبارَ القُرونِ الَّتي مَضَت

أُخَبِّرُ أَخبارَ القُرونِ الَّتي مَضَت

أَدِبُّ كَأَنّي كُلَّما قُمتُ راكِعُ

أَدِبُّ كَأَنّي كُلَّما قُمتُ راكِعُ

I recount the stories of generations that have passed,

I tell the tales of ages past

I creep along, as though whenever I stand I am bowing.

Bent over as if kneeling in prayer

فَأَصبَحتُ مِثلَ السَيفِ غَيَّرَ جَفنَهُ

فَأَصبَحتُ مِثلَ السَيفِ غَيَّرَ جَفنَهُ

تَقادُمُ عَهدَ القَينِ وَالنَصلُ قاطِعُ

تَقادُمُ عَهدَ القَينِ وَالنَصلُ قاطِعُ

So I have become like a sword whose sheath has been changed

I'm like a sword whose blade is changed

by the long years since the smith fashioned it, while its blade remains sharp.

As time wears down the edge once sharp

فَلا تَبعَدَن إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَوعِدٌ

فَلا تَبعَدَن إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَوعِدٌ

عَلَيكَ فَدانٍ لِلطُلوعِ وَطالِعُ

عَلَيكَ فَدانٍ لِلطُلوعِ وَطالِعُ

So may you not be far away: death is an appointed meeting

Think not death remote or unlikely

binding on you—one is close to rising, another already rising.

It comes to all whose star does rise

أَعاذِلَ ما يُدريكَ إِلّا تَظَنِّيّاً

أَعاذِلَ ما يُدريكَ إِلّا تَظَنِّيّاً

إِذا اِرتَحَلَ الفِتيانُ مَن هُوَ راجِعُ

إِذا اِرتَحَلَ الفِتيانُ مَن هُوَ راجِعُ

O reproacher, what can tell you, except guesswork,

Reproach not what fate has wrought

when young men depart, who will return?

What noble soul has it not struck?

تُبَكّي عَلى إِثرِ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى

تُبَكّي عَلى إِثرِ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى

أَلا إِنَّ أَخدانَ الشَبابِ الرَعارِعُ

أَلا إِنَّ أَخدانَ الشَبابِ الرَعارِعُ

You stir tears in the wake of youth that has passed;

By your life! The blows of fate

indeed, youth's companions are young lads.

Are not known, nor what God will make

أَتَجزَعُ مِمّا أَحدَثَ الدَهرُ بِالفَتى

أَتَجزَعُ مِمّا أَحدَثَ الدَهرُ بِالفَتى

وَأَيُّ كَريمٍ لَم تُصِبهُ القَوارِعُ

وَأَيُّ كَريمٍ لَم تُصِبهُ القَوارِعُ

Do you grieve at what time has done to a young man?

Ask them, if you doubt me, when

And what noble man has not been struck by calamities?

Does death take youth? When does rain fall?

لَعَمرُكَ ما تَدري الضَوارِبُ بِالحَصى

لَعَمرُكَ ما تَدري الضَوارِبُ بِالحَصى

وَلا زاجِراتُ الطَيرِ ما اللَهُ صانِعُ

وَلا زاجِراتُ الطَيرِ ما اللَهُ صانِعُ

By your life, the women divining with pebbles do not know,

nor those who drive birds for omens, what God will do.

سَلوهُنَّ إِن كَذَّبتُموني مَتى الفَتى

سَلوهُنَّ إِن كَذَّبتُموني مَتى الفَتى

يَذوقُ المَنايا أَو مَتى الغَيثُ واقِعُ

يَذوقُ المَنايا أَو مَتى الغَيثُ واقِعُ

Ask them, if you call me a liar, when a young man

will taste death, or when the rain will fall.