إِلامَ يَهْفُو بِحِلْمِكَ الطَّرَبُ

إِلامَ يَهْفُو بِحِلْمِكَ الطَّرَبُ

أَبَعْدَ خَمْسِينَ في الصِّبَا أَرَبُ

أَبَعْدَ خَمْسِينَ في الصِّبَا أَرَبُ

How long will rapture sweep your composure away?

How tenderly has time dealt with you

After fifty, is there still a longing for youth?

Though fifty years have passed, still so young

هَيْهَاتَ وَلَّى الشَّبابُ واقْتَرَبَتْ

هَيْهَاتَ وَلَّى الشَّبابُ واقْتَرَبَتْ

سَاعَةُ وِرْدٍ دَنَا بِها الْقَرَبُ

سَاعَةُ وِرْدٍ دَنَا بِها الْقَرَبُ

Far beyond reach! Youth has passed, and now draws near

Alas! Youth has departed, now old age approaches

the hour of watering, with the night journey close at hand.

The hour of fate draws near, destiny fulfilled

فَلَيْسَ دُونَ الْحِمامِ مُبْتَعَدٌ

فَلَيْسَ دُونَ الْحِمامِ مُبْتَعَدٌ

وَلَيْسَ نَحْوَ الْحَياةِ مُقْتَرَبُ

وَلَيْسَ نَحْوَ الْحَياةِ مُقْتَرَبُ

So there is no escape from death,

Neither far from the tomb nor close to life

nor any way of drawing nearer to life.

Each travels to an abode, none can escape death

كُلُّ امْرِئٍ سائِرٌ لِمَنْزِلَةٍ

كُلُّ امْرِئٍ سائِرٌ لِمَنْزِلَةٍ

لَيْسَ لَهُ عَنْ فِنائِها هَرَبُ

لَيْسَ لَهُ عَنْ فِنائِها هَرَبُ

Every man is journeying toward a dwelling

Dwelling among strange neighbors, no kin or friend

from whose courtyard he has no escape,

In a barren wasteland, midst crawling beasts

وسَاكِنٌ بَيْنَ جِيرَةٍ قَذَفٍ

وسَاكِنٌ بَيْنَ جِيرَةٍ قَذَفٍ

لا نَسَبٌ بَيْنَهُمْ ولا قُرَبُ

لا نَسَبٌ بَيْنَهُمْ ولا قُرَبُ

and will dwell among distant neighbors,

Witnessing a scene for which he'll be judged

with neither lineage nor kinship between them,

Woe to the unjust! War is unavoidable

فِي قَفْرَةٍ لِلصِّلالِ مُزْدحَفٌ

فِي قَفْرَةٍ لِلصِّلالِ مُزْدحَفٌ

فِيها ولِلضّارِياتِ مُضْطَرَبُ

فِيها ولِلضّارِياتِ مُضْطَرَبُ

in a wilderness where vipers have a crawling ground,

Take a dove or flock of birds, if that would help

and ravening beasts there have a place to roam.

Of what use is the dove, the flock or the crow?

وَشَاهِدٌ مَوْقِفاً يُدَانُ بِهِ

وَشَاهِدٌ مَوْقِفاً يُدَانُ بِهِ

فَالْوَيْلُ لِلظَّالِمِينَ والْحَرَبُ

فَالْوَيْلُ لِلظَّالِمِينَ والْحَرَبُ

And he will witness a gathering where he is judged:

Neither hawk nor dove escapes the hunt

then woe to the unjust, and ruin!

Nor do the dove, the flock or the ruins

فَارْبَأْ يَفاعاً أَوِ اتَّخِذْ سَرَباً

فَارْبَأْ يَفاعاً أَوِ اتَّخِذْ سَرَباً

إِنْ كَانَ يُغْنِي الْيَفَاعُ وَالسَّرَبُ

إِنْ كَانَ يُغْنِي الْيَفَاعُ وَالسَّرَبُ

So climb a height, or make yourself a tunnel,

Unleashed upon the world, no foreigner

if the height and tunnel can avail you.

Remains safe from his havoc, nor Arab

لا الْبَازُ يَنْجُو مِنَ الْحِمَامِ وَلا

لا الْبَازُ يَنْجُو مِنَ الْحِمَامِ وَلا

يَخْلُصُ مِنْهُ الْحَمَامُ والْخَربُ

يَخْلُصُ مِنْهُ الْحَمَامُ والْخَربُ

The hawk does not escape death, nor

How many palaces lie vacant, how many nations

do the dove and the male bustard get free of it.

Perished, buried beneath the dust

مُسَلَّطٌ في الْوَرَى فَلا عَجَمٌ

مُسَلَّطٌ في الْوَرَى فَلا عَجَمٌ

يَبْقَى عَلَى فَتْكِهِ وَلا عَرَبُ

يَبْقَى عَلَى فَتْكِهِ وَلا عَرَبُ

It holds sway over humankind: no non-Arab

A home flourishes with its dwellers

survives its onslaught, nor does any Arab.

A home, without its people, lies in ruins

فَكَمْ قُصُورٍ خَلَتْ وَكَمْ أُمَمٍ

فَكَمْ قُصُورٍ خَلَتْ وَكَمْ أُمَمٍ

بَادَتْ فَغَصَّتْ بِجَمْعِهَا التُّرَبُ

بَادَتْ فَغَصَّتْ بِجَمْعِهَا التُّرَبُ

How many palaces have stood empty, and how many peoples

The youth starts his day unconcerned

have perished, till the earth choked with their multitudes!

Oblivious of harm or benefits ahead

فَمَنْزِلٌ عَامِرٌ بِقَاطِنِهِ

فَمَنْزِلٌ عَامِرٌ بِقَاطِنِهِ

وَمَنْزِلٌ بَعْدَ أَهْلِهِ خَربُ

وَمَنْزِلٌ بَعْدَ أَهْلِهِ خَربُ

So one dwelling flourishes with its inhabitant,

Gaining but a pittance from his labors

and another lies ruined after its people are gone.

Like a gambler whom luck has forsaken

يَغْدُو الْفَتَى لا هِياً بِعِيشَتِهِ

يَغْدُو الْفَتَى لا هِياً بِعِيشَتِهِ

وَلَيْسَ يَدْرِي مَا الصَّابُ والضَرَبُ

وَلَيْسَ يَدْرِي مَا الصَّابُ والضَرَبُ

The young man goes about heedless, absorbed in his life,

O frequent visitor, tire not of your haunts

and cannot tell bitter sap from honey.

Beware the poisoned drink brings you ruin

وَيَقْتَنِي نَبْعَةً يَصِيدُ بِهَا

وَيَقْتَنِي نَبْعَةً يَصِيدُ بِهَا

ونَبْعُ مَنْ حَارَبَ الرَّدَى غَرَبُ

ونَبْعُ مَنْ حَارَبَ الرَّدَى غَرَبُ

And he acquires a nabʿ-wood bow to hunt with,

Reveling heedlessly in frivolity

but the nabʿ-wood of one who fights death is mere poplar.

In it lies humiliation and ruin

لا يَبْلُغُ الرِّبْحَ أَوْ يُفارِقُهُ

لا يَبْلُغُ الرِّبْحَ أَوْ يُفارِقُهُ

كَمَاتحٍ خَانَ كَفَّهُ الْكَرَبُ

كَمَاتحٍ خَانَ كَفَّهُ الْكَرَبُ

He wins no profit, or else must part with it,

Neglecting virtue expecting no reward

like a water-drawer whose bucket-cord fails his grasp.

Through virtue gates of hope swing open

يا وارِدَاً لا يَمَلُّ مَوْرِدَهُ

يا وارِدَاً لا يَمَلُّ مَوْرِدَهُ

حَذارِ مِنْ أَنْ يُصِيبَكَ الشَّرَبُ

حَذارِ مِنْ أَنْ يُصِيبَكَ الشَّرَبُ

O you who come to water, never tiring of your watering place,

Leave wine houses, for drunk on wine

beware lest destruction befall you.

Comes crashing down and scattered ruins

تَصْبُو إِلَى اللَّهْوِ غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ

تَصْبُو إِلَى اللَّهْوِ غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ

واللَّهْوُ فِيهِ الْبَوارُ والتَّرَبُ

واللَّهْوُ فِيهِ الْبَوارُ والتَّرَبُ

You yearn for diversion, unconcerned,

You see him leaning, drunk yet senses lost

though diversion holds ruin and poverty.

While his soul wanders confused, distraught

وَتَتْرُكُ الْبِرَّ غَيْرَ مُحْتَسِبٍ

وَتَتْرُكُ الْبِرَّ غَيْرَ مُحْتَسِبٍ

أَجْرَاً وَبِالْبِرِّ تُفْتَحُ الأُرَبُ

أَجْرَاً وَبِالْبِرِّ تُفْتَحُ الأُرَبُ

And you forsake righteousness, giving no thought to

Evil indeed is the deception of wine

reward, though righteousness opens the way to desires.

Pretending peace, while poisoning the heart

دَعِ الْحُمَيَّا فَلِابْنِ حانَتِها

دَعِ الْحُمَيَّا فَلِابْنِ حانَتِها

مِنْ صَدْمَةِ الْكَأْسِ لَهْذَمٌ ذَرِبُ

مِنْ صَدْمَةِ الْكَأْسِ لَهْذَمٌ ذَرِبُ

Leave strong wine; for the son of its tavern,

When it spreads like a plague, it kills

the cup's blow brings a sharp, piercing spear.

Like mange spreads among cattle

تَرَاهُ نُصْبَ الْعُيُونِ مُتَّكِئاً

تَرَاهُ نُصْبَ الْعُيُونِ مُتَّكِئاً

وَعَقْلُهُ في الضَّلالِ مُغْتَرِبُ

وَعَقْلُهُ في الضَّلالِ مُغْتَرِبُ

You see him reclining before your eyes,

So repent before regret overwhelms you

while his reason wanders far in delusion.

Increasing worries and misfortunes

فَبِئْسَتِ الْخَمْرُ مِنْ مُخَادِعَةٍ

فَبِئْسَتِ الْخَمْرُ مِنْ مُخَادِعَةٍ

لِسَلْمِها فِي الْقُلُوبِ مُحْتَرَبُ

لِسَلْمِها فِي الْقُلُوبِ مُحْتَرَبُ

What a vile deceiver wine is!

Persist in virtue, success comes to those

Its peace conceals a battlefield within hearts.

Whose resolve is hardened through practice

إِذا تَفَشَّتْ بِمُهْجَةٍ قَتَلَتْ

إِذا تَفَشَّتْ بِمُهْجَةٍ قَتَلَتْ

كَمَا تَفَشَّى فِي الْمَبْرَكِ الْجَرَبُ

كَمَا تَفَشَّى فِي الْمَبْرَكِ الْجَرَبُ

When it spreads through a heart, it kills,

Use what your hands possess, useless then

as mange spreads through the camels' resting ground.

Will be struggle and flight

فَتُبْ إِلى اللهِ قَبْلَ مَنْدَمَةٍ

فَتُبْ إِلى اللهِ قَبْلَ مَنْدَمَةٍ

تَكْثُرُ فِيها الْهُمُومُ والْكُرَبُ

تَكْثُرُ فِيها الْهُمُومُ والْكُرَبُ

So repent to God before a time of remorse,

For time, if you but understand it

when cares and anguish multiply.

Has a bow whose arrows are death

واعْتَدْ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ فَالْمُوَفَّقُ مَنْ

واعْتَدْ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ فَالْمُوَفَّقُ مَنْ

هَذَّبَهُ الاعْتِيَادُ والدَّرَبُ

هَذَّبَهُ الاعْتِيَادُ والدَّرَبُ

Make goodness your habit: the one granted success is he

whom habit and practice have refined.

وَجُدْ بِمَا قَدْ حَوَتْ يَدَاكَ فَمَا

وَجُدْ بِمَا قَدْ حَوَتْ يَدَاكَ فَمَا

يَنْفَعُ ثَمَّ اللُّجَيْنُ والْغَرَبُ

يَنْفَعُ ثَمَّ اللُّجَيْنُ والْغَرَبُ

And give generously of what your hands have gathered, for

silver and gold are of no use there.

فَإِنَّ لِلدَّهْرِ لَوْ فَطَنْتَ لَهُ

فَإِنَّ لِلدَّهْرِ لَوْ فَطَنْتَ لَهُ

قَوْسَاً مِنَ الْمَوْتِ سَهْمُهَا غَرَبُ

قَوْسَاً مِنَ الْمَوْتِ سَهْمُهَا غَرَبُ

For Time, if you would but discern it,

has a bow of death, whose arrow flies at random.