تَذَكَّرتُ صَفوَ زمانٍ عَبَرْ

تَذَكَّرتُ صَفوَ زمانٍ عَبَرْ

فأنكَرتُ تَبديلَهُ بالكَدَرْ

فأنكَرتُ تَبديلَهُ بالكَدَرْ

I remembered the serenity of a time gone by,

I recalled the prime of days gone by

and resented its replacement with sorrow.

And was aggrieved by their change into gloom

ولكنْ رَضِيتُ بحُكمِ القَضاءِ

ولكنْ رَضِيتُ بحُكمِ القَضاءِ

وسلمتُ أمري لحُكمِ القَدَرْ

وسلمتُ أمري لحُكمِ القَدَرْ

But I accepted fate's decree,

But I accepted the decree of fate

and surrendered my affairs to destiny's decree.

And resigned my affair to the will of destiny

صَبَرتُ على الدَّهرِ مُستصغراً

صَبَرتُ على الدَّهرِ مُستصغراً

لما فيهِ واللهُ مع مَنْ صَبَرْ

لما فيهِ واللهُ مع مَنْ صَبَرْ

I bore with time, making light

I was patient with the days though belittled

of what it holds; and God is with those who endure.

For God is with those who endure

وماذا تَرَى فيهِ من واقعٍ

وماذا تَرَى فيهِ من واقعٍ

وماذا تَرَى فيهِ من مُنتظَرْ

وماذا تَرَى فيهِ من مُنتظَرْ

And what do you see in it of present events,

What do you see in them of realities?

and what do you see in it of things to come?

And what do you see in them of expectations?

نَهارٌ يَزولُ فيأتي الظَّلامُ

نَهارٌ يَزولُ فيأتي الظَّلامُ

وشمسٌ تَغيبُ فيبدو القَمَرْ

وشمسٌ تَغيبُ فيبدو القَمَرْ

Day fades, and darkness comes,

A day passes, then darkness comes

and the sun sets, and the moon appears.

A sun sets, then the moon arises

وما بينَ ذلكَ زَيدٌ يقُيمُ

وما بينَ ذلكَ زَيدٌ يقُيمُ

زَماناً وعمروٌ يُريدُ السَّفَرْ

زَماناً وعمروٌ يُريدُ السَّفَرْ

And in the meantime, Zayd stays

And between that, Zayd stays

a while, and Amr wishes to travel.

For a time and Amr intends to travel

وما بينَ هذا وذاكَ تَرَى العَيْ

وما بينَ هذا وذاكَ تَرَى العَيْ

نَ تَمضْي ويَمضي وَراها الأثَرْ

نَ تَمضْي ويَمضي وَراها الأثَرْ

And between this and that, you see the thing itself

And between this and that, you see

pass away, and its trace pass away behind it.

Eyes pass as their traces fade

وليسَ على الأرضِ باقٍ سِوى

وليسَ على الأرضِ باقٍ سِوى

خَبايا التُّقَى في كُنُوزِ البَشَرْ

خَبايا التُّقَى في كُنُوزِ البَشَرْ

And nothing on earth remains except

And nothing on earth remains

the secrets of piety in humankind's treasures.

Except the treasures of piety in human souls

تَولَّى على النَّاسِ حُكمُ الغُرُورِ

تَولَّى على النَّاسِ حُكمُ الغُرُورِ

فتاهوا ضَلالاً وغَضُّوا النَّظَرْ

فتاهوا ضَلالاً وغَضُّوا النَّظَرْ

The rule of delusion took hold of people,

The rule of delusion has turned on people

so they wandered astray and averted their eyes.

So they strayed into misguidance and lowered their sights

يَهونُ عليهِمْ خِطابُ الخطيبِ

يَهونُ عليهِمْ خِطابُ الخطيبِ

وقد هانَ خَطْبُ اعتِبارِ العِبَرْ

وقد هانَ خَطْبُ اعتِبارِ العِبَرْ

The orator's address means little to them,

The preacher’s sermon is trivial to them

and taking heed of lessons has become a trifling matter.

Though the lesson of admonition’s discourse has become cheap

ومَن لا يبالي بوخَزِ الرِّماحِ

ومَن لا يبالي بوخَزِ الرِّماحِ

فكيفَ يُبالي بغَرْزِ الإبَرْ

فكيفَ يُبالي بغَرْزِ الإبَرْ

And one who cares nothing for spear-thrusts—

One who cares not for spearpoints’ stabs

how could he care for the prick of needles?

How can he care for needles’ pricks?

نَرَى البعضَ يَهوى جَمالَ البُدو

نَرَى البعضَ يَهوى جَمالَ البُدو

رِ وَالبعضَ يَهوَى نَوالَ البِدَرْ

رِ وَالبعضَ يَهوَى نَوالَ البِدَرْ

We see some love the beauty of full moons,

We see some desire the charm of nomads

and others love the bounty of moneybags.

While others desire the attainment of full moons

وَيندُرُ مَن كانَ يَهوَى العُلومَ

وَيندُرُ مَن كانَ يَهوَى العُلومَ

ولا حُكمَ يُبنى على ما نَدَرْ

ولا حُكمَ يُبنى على ما نَدَرْ

And rare is one who loves learning,

And rare is one who loved knowledge

and no rule is founded on what is rare.

No rule can be built on what is scarce

تَولَّى سُلَيمانَ وَجدٌ بها

تَولَّى سُلَيمانَ وَجدٌ بها

ومَدَّ إليها حديدَ البَصَرْ

ومَدَّ إليها حديدَ البَصَرْ

A passion for it took hold of Sulayman,

Suleiman felt passion for her

and he turned his keen gaze toward it.

And cast towards her his intense gaze

وقد غاصَ في أبحر الشِّعرِ مُنذُ

وقد غاصَ في أبحر الشِّعرِ مُنذُ

صِباهُ يريدُ التِقاطَ الدُرَرْ

صِباهُ يريدُ التِقاطَ الدُرَرْ

And he has dived into poetry's seas since

And he had plunged since his youth

his boyhood, seeking to gather pearls.

In seas of poetry, seeking pearls

طَليقُ الأعِنَّةِ في لَفظِهِ

طَليقُ الأعِنَّةِ في لَفظِهِ

رقيقُ المعاني شَهيُّ السَّمَرْ

رقيقُ المعاني شَهيُّ السَّمَرْ

Unbridled in his diction,

Eloquent in his diction

delicate in meaning, delightful in evening conversation,

Delicate in his meanings, delightful in conversation

يُشَنِّفُ أسماعَنا بالفُنونِ

يُشَنِّفُ أسماعَنا بالفُنونِ

إذا جالَ في نَظمِهِ أو نَثَرَ

إذا جالَ في نَظمِهِ أو نَثَرَ

he adorns our ears with the arts

He gratifies our hearing with arts

when he ranges through his verse or composes prose.

When he composes verse or prose

يُلبِّيهِ خاطِرُهُ مُسرِعاً

يُلبِّيهِ خاطِرُهُ مُسرِعاً

كتَلْبيةِ العُرْبِ أهلِ الوَبَرْ

كتَلْبيةِ العُرْبِ أهلِ الوَبَرْ

His mind answers his call swiftly,

His mind readily answers his call

like the response of the Arabs who dwell in haircloth tents.

As Arabs of the deserts answer alarms

ويَبغِي لألفاظِهِ رِقّةً

ويَبغِي لألفاظِهِ رِقّةً

كما تَبتغِي شُعَراءُ الحَضَرْ

كما تَبتغِي شُعَراءُ الحَضَرْ

And he seeks delicacy for his words,

And he seeks softness for his words

as the poets of the towns seek it.

As urban poets seek

كساني رِداءَ الثَّناءِ الذي

كساني رِداءَ الثَّناءِ الذي

غلا في التَّوَسُّعِ فوقَ القَدَر

غلا في التَّوَسُّعِ فوقَ القَدَر

He clothed me in a robe of praise that

He clothed me in the mantle of praise that

exceeded due measure in its lavishness.

Had exaggerated beyond my merit

فجَدَّدَ مِن صَبْوَتي ما مَضَى

فجَدَّدَ مِن صَبْوَتي ما مَضَى

وآنَسَ من خاطِري ما نَفَرْ

وآنَسَ من خاطِري ما نَفَرْ

Thus he revived my bygone youthful ardor,

So he renewed what had passed of my youth

and coaxed back what had fled from my mind.

And made familiar in my mind what had seemed strange

أثارَ بقلبي القرِيضَ الذي

أثارَ بقلبي القرِيضَ الذي

يُثيرُ السَّحابَ ويَنسَى المَطَرْ

يُثيرُ السَّحابَ ويَنسَى المَطَرْ

He stirred in my heart the verse that

He stirred in my heart the talent

stirs the clouds and forgets the rain.

That rouses the clouds but forgets the rain

هُوَ العُودُ لا ثَمَرٌ عِندَهُ

هُوَ العُودُ لا ثَمَرٌ عِندَهُ

ومَا ينفَعُ العُودُ دُونَ الثَمَرْ

ومَا ينفَعُ العُودُ دُونَ الثَمَرْ

It is a branch with no fruit upon it,

He is a lute, no fruit in him

and what use is a branch without fruit?

And what use is a lute without fruit?