دببتُ أمشي على الكفّينِ المسهُ

دببتُ أمشي على الكفّينِ المسهُ

كمشي مسترقٍ للسمعِ أسرارا

كمشي مسترقٍ للسمعِ أسرارا

I crept forward on both hands, touching him,

I crept, walking on both palms, to touch him,

with the stealthy tread of one stealing close to overhear secrets.

Like the steps of one eavesdropping on secrets.

فمرَّ يمشقُ في قرطاسِهِ قلمي

فمرَّ يمشقُ في قرطاسِهِ قلمي

والليلُ ملقٍ على الآفاقِ استارا

والليلُ ملقٍ على الآفاقِ استارا

Then my pen began to glide, drawing long strokes across his paper,

Then my pen ran on, writing swiftly on his paper,

while night cast curtains over the horizons.

While night cast curtains over the horizons.

فقال لما انجلى من عينه وسنٌ

فقال لما انجلى من عينه وسنٌ

وقد رآى تكةً خلَّت وازرارا

وقد رآى تكةً خلَّت وازرارا

Then he spoke when drowsiness cleared from his eye,

Then he said, when drowsiness had cleared from his eye,

after seeing a waistband drawstring threaded through, and buttons:

And he had seen a drawstring and buttons undone:

يا راقِدَ اللَيلِ مَسروراً بِأَوَّلِهِ

يا راقِدَ اللَيلِ مَسروراً بِأَوَّلِهِ

إِنَّ الحَوادِثَ قَد يَطرُقنَ أَسحارا

إِنَّ الحَوادِثَ قَد يَطرُقنَ أَسحارا

“O sleeper through the night, delighted by its beginning,

O you who sleep at night, pleased with its beginning,

calamities may come knocking before dawn.

Indeed, calamities may come knocking before dawn.

لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِلَيلٍ طابَ أَوَّلُهُ

لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِلَيلٍ طابَ أَوَّلُهُ

فَرُبَّ آخِرِ لَيلٍ أَجَّجَ النارا

فَرُبَّ آخِرِ لَيلٍ أَجَّجَ النارا

Do not rejoice in a night whose beginning is pleasant,

Do not rejoice in a night whose beginning is pleasant,

for many a night’s end has kindled the fire.

For many a night's end has set the fire blazing.

أَفنى القُرونَ الَّتي كانَت مُنَعَّمَةً

أَفنى القُرونَ الَّتي كانَت مُنَعَّمَةً

كَرُّ الجَديدَينِ إِقبالاً وَإِدبارا

كَرُّ الجَديدَينِ إِقبالاً وَإِدبارا

Destroyed are the generations that once lived in ease

The generations that lived in luxury were destroyed

by the ceaseless return of the two ever-new ones—day and night—as they come and go.

By the cycle of the two ever-new ones—day and night—coming and going.

كَم قَد أَبادَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ مِن مَلِكٍ

كَم قَد أَبادَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ مِن مَلِكٍ

قَد كانَ في الدَهرِ نَفّاعاً وَضَرّارا

قَد كانَ في الدَهرِ نَفّاعاً وَضَرّارا

How many a king have the vicissitudes of time destroyed,

How many a king have the vicissitudes of time destroyed,

though in his day he could bestow both benefit and harm.

Who, in his day, had brought much benefit and much harm!

يا مَن يُعانِقُ دُنيا لا بَقاءَ لَها

يا مَن يُعانِقُ دُنيا لا بَقاءَ لَها

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ في دُنياهُ سَفّارا

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ في دُنياهُ سَفّارا

O you who embrace a world that cannot last,

O you who embrace a world that will not endure,

passing evening and morning in it, continually journeying—

Passing evening and morning, ever a traveler in your world,

هَلّا تَرَكتَ مِنَ الدُنيا مُعانَقَةً

هَلّا تَرَكتَ مِنَ الدُنيا مُعانَقَةً

حَتّى تُعانِقُ في الفِردَوسِ أَبكارا

حَتّى تُعانِقُ في الفِردَوسِ أَبكارا

why not abandon your embrace of this world,

Why not give up embracing this world,

so that in Firdaws you may embrace virgin maidens?

So that you may embrace virgins in Paradise?

إِن كُنتَ تَبغي جِنانَ الخُلدِ تَسكُنُها

إِن كُنتَ تَبغي جِنانَ الخُلدِ تَسكُنُها

فَيَنبَغي لَكَ أَن لا تَأمَنَ النارا

فَيَنبَغي لَكَ أَن لا تَأمَنَ النارا

If you seek the eternal Gardens to dwell in,

If you seek the gardens of eternity to dwell in them,

then you must not feel safe from the Fire.”

Then you should not feel safe from the Fire.