لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ إِذا ما تَمّ نُقصانُ

فَلا يُغَرَّ بِطيبِ العَيشِ إِنسانُ

For everything, when complete, has loss

Everything decreases after it reaches perfection,

So let no man be deceived by a life of ease

So let no man be beguiled by the sweetness of living.

هِيَ الأُمُورُ كَما شاهَدتُها دُوَلٌ

مَن سَرّهُ زَمَن ساءَتهُ أَزمانُ

Thus affairs revolve as I have seen

As I have witnessed, affairs are but shifting turns;

He whose time was joyous, times became miserable for him

Whoever is gladdened by a moment, ages shall grieve him.

وَهَذِهِ الدارُ لا تُبقي عَلى أَحَدٍ

وَلا يَدُومُ عَلى حالٍ لَها شانُ

This abode spares no one

This abode spares no one,

No state within it endures

And no state within it ever endures.

يُمَزِّقُ الدَهرُ حَتماً كُلَّ سابِغَةٍ

إِذا نَبَت مَشرَفِيّات وَخرصانُ

Time tears apart every delivered one

Fate inevitably shreds every coat of mail,

When the lofty and the insignificant are sprouted

Even when fine swords and lance-tips glance off.

وَيَنتَضي كُلَّ سَيفٍ للفَناء وَلَو

كانَ ابنَ ذي يَزَن وَالغِمد غمدانُ

And every sword passes away, even if

It unsheathes every sword for destruction, even if

It were Ibn Dhi Yazan’s, though sheathed twice over

It belonged to Ibn Dhi Yazan and the scabbard was Ghumdan.

أَينَ المُلوكُ ذَوي التيجانِ مِن يَمَنٍ

وَأَينَ مِنهُم أَكالِيلٌ وَتيجَانُ

Where are the crowned kings of Yemen

Where are the crowned kings of Yemen?

And where are their crowns and tiaras?

And where now are their diadems and crowns?

وَأَينَ ما شادَهُ شَدّادُ في إِرَمٍ

وَأينَ ما ساسَه في الفُرسِ ساسانُ

And where is what Shaddad built in Iram

Where is what Shaddad built in Iram?

And where is what was ruled in Persia by the Sassanids?

And where is the empire Sasan ruled among the Persians?

وَأَينَ ما حازَهُ قارونُ من ذَهَبٍ

وَأَينَ عادٌ وَشدّادٌ وَقَحطانُ

And where is what Qarun amassed of gold?

Where is the gold Qarun amassed?

And where are ‘Aad and Shaddad and Qahtan?

And where now are ‘Ad, and Shaddad, and Qahtan?

أَتى عَلى الكُلِّ أَمرٌ لا مَرَدّ لَهُ

حَتّى قَضوا فَكَأنّ القَوم ما كانُوا

An irresistible command came upon them all

An irrevocable decree befell them all,

Until they passed away as though they never were

Until they perished as if they had never existed.

وَصارَ ما كانَ مِن مُلكٍ وَمِن مَلكٍ

كَما حَكى عَن خَيالِ الطَيفِ وَسنانُ

And what was once a kingdom and a kingdom became

That kingdom and that king became

Like tales of ghosts and idols

Like a story told by a sleeper about a fleeting dream.

دارَ الزَمانُ عَلى دارا وَقاتِلِهِ

وَأَمَّ كِسرى فَما آواهُ إِيوانُ

The ages turned against realms and their conquerors

Time turned against Darius and his slayer,

And against Chosroes, though protected by his palace

And sought out Chosroes, whom no palace could shelter.

كَأَنَّما الصَعبُ لَم يَسهُل لَهُ سببٌ

يَوماً وَلا مَلَكَ الدُنيا سُلَيمانُ

As though the formidable one had no means made smooth

It is as if no difficulty was ever eased for him,

Nor ruled the world one day like Solomon

And as if Solomon never ruled the world.

فَجائِعُ الدُهرِ أَنواعٌ مُنَوَّعَةٌ

وَلِلزَمانِ مَسرّاتٌ وَأَحزانُ

So the vicissitudes of fate are variegated

The calamities of fate are of many kinds;

And time has its joys and sorrows

And time holds both joys and sorrows.

وَلِلحَوادِثِ سلوانٌ يُهوّنُها

وَما لِما حَلَّ بِالإِسلامِ سلوانُ

And events have consolation that makes them easier

For other misfortunes there is consolation to ease the pain,

But there is no consoling what has befallen Islam

But for what has befallen Islam, there is no solace.

دهى الجَزيرَة أَمرٌ لا عَزاءَ لَهُ

هَوَى لَهُ أُحُدٌ وَاِنهَدَّ ثَهلانُ

The Caliphate’s affair admits no comfort

A disaster has struck the Peninsula for which there is no comfort;

Uhud slipped away from it and Thahlan collapsed

Mount Uhud would collapse for it, and Mount Thahlan crumble.

أَصابَها العينُ في الإِسلامِ فاِرتزَأت

حَتّى خَلَت مِنهُ أَقطارٌ وَبُلدانُ

The evil eye struck it in Islam, so its regions

The evil eye has struck Islam within her, causing such loss

And cities became empty of it, though flourishing in unbelief

That whole regions and lands are now void of the faith.

فاِسأل بَلَنسِيةً ما شَأنُ مرسِيَةٍ

وَأَينَ شاطِبة أَم أَينَ جيّانُ

Ask Valencia, what is the state of Murcia

Ask Valencia: What is the state of Murcia?

And where is Jaén or where is Jayyan?

And where is Xàtiva now, or where is Jaén?

وَأَين قُرطُبة دارُ العُلُومِ فَكَم

مِن عالِمٍ قَد سَما فِيها لَهُ شانُ

And where is Cordoba, seat of knowledge? For how many

And where is Cordoba, the home of the sciences?

A scholar gained repute therein!

How many scholars once rose there to great renown?

وَأَينَ حمص وَما تَحويِهِ مِن نُزَهٍ

وَنَهرُها العَذبُ فَيّاضٌ وَمَلآنُ

And where is Homs and the pleasures it contains

And where is Seville and the pleasures it contains,

With its fresh flowing river, abundant and full?

And its sweet river, overflowing and full?

قَوَاعد كُنَّ أَركانَ البِلادِ فَما

عَسى البَقاءُ إِذا لَم تَبقَ أَركانُ

Foundations they were, pillars of the land - what

These capitals were the pillars of the land;

Endurance when even the pillars do not endure?

What hope is there for survival when the pillars are gone?

تَبكِي الحَنيفِيَّةُ البَيضَاءُ مِن أَسَفٍ

كَما بَكى لِفِراقِ الإِلفِ هَيمَانُ

Al-Hanafiyyah the White laments in sorrow

The pure faith of Islam weeps in sorrow,

As Hayman wept at parting from his familiars

As a lover weeps for the parting of the beloved,

عَلى دِيارٍ منَ الإِسلامِ خالِيَةٍ

قَد أَقفَرَت وَلَها بالكُفرِ عُمرانُ

Over countries of Islam now empty

Over dwellings emptied of Islam,

Where churches thrive and of faith there is no sign

Now desolate of the faith and populated by unbelief.

حَيثُ المَساجِدُ قَد صارَت كَنائِس ما

فيهِنَّ إِلّا نَواقِيسٌ وصلبانُ

Where the mosques have become churches - in them

Where mosques have become churches,

Only bells and crosses remain

Holding nothing now but bells and crosses.

حَتّى المَحاريبُ تَبكي وَهيَ جامِدَةٌ

حَتّى المَنابِرُ تَبكي وَهيَ عيدَانُ

Even the prayer niches weep though inanimate

Even the prayer niches weep though they are stone;

Even the pulpits weep though they are but wood

Even the pulpits mourn though they are wood.

يا غافِلاً وَلَهُ في الدهرِ مَوعِظَةٌ

إِن كُنتَ في سنَةٍ فالدهرُ يَقظانُ

O heedless one, though the ages warn

O you who remain heedless though fate offers a warning:

You sleep while time remains awake

If you are asleep, know that Time is awake.

وَماشِياً مَرِحاً يُلهِيهِ مَوطِنُهُ

أَبَعدَ حِمص تَغُرُّ المَرءَ أَوطانُ

Living gaily, distracted by your lands

O you who walk joyfully, distracted by your homeland,

Can lands distract when Homs is gone?

After Seville, can any land deceive a man?

تِلكَ المُصِيبَةُ أَنسَت ما تَقَدَّمَها

وَما لَها مِن طِوَالِ المَهرِ نِسيانُ

That disaster made us forget what preceded it

This calamity has made us forget all that came before,

And its long tale cannot be forgotten

Yet it shall never be forgotten as long as time endures.

يا أَيُّها المَلكُ البَيضاءُ رايَتُهُ

أَدرِك بِسَيفِكَ أَهلَ الكُفرِ لا كانوا

O king whose banner is white, grasp

O King who rides under a white banner:

The unbelievers with your sword, wherever they are

Overtake the unbelievers with your sword, that they may cease to be!

يا راكِبينَ عِتاق الخَيلِ ضامِرَةً

كَأَنَّها في مَجالِ السَبقِ عقبانُ

O riders of swift steeds as though

O you who ride noble, lean steeds,

In racecourse competition, they were she-hyenas

That race like eagles in the field;

وَحامِلينَ سُيُوفَ الهِندِ مُرهَفَةً

كَأَنَّها في ظَلامِ النَقعِ نيرَانُ

Bearing the sharp swords of India as though

And you who bear sharp swords of Hind,

In the dark of war, they were fires

Gleaming like fires in the darkness of the dust clouds;

وَراتِعينَ وَراءَ البَحرِ في دعةٍ

لَهُم بِأَوطانِهِم عِزٌّ وَسلطانُ

Encamping behind the sea at ease

And you who live in ease beyond the sea,

Mighty in their lands, possessing power

Enjoying glory and power in your homelands:

أَعِندكُم نَبَأ مِن أَهلِ أَندَلُسٍ

فَقَد سَرى بِحَدِيثِ القَومِ رُكبَانُ

Do you have news of the people of Andalusia?

Have you any news of the people of Andalusia?

For the people's affairs have spread

For riders have already carried forth their tale.

كَم يَستَغيثُ بِنا المُستَضعَفُونَ وَهُم

قَتلى وَأَسرى فَما يَهتَزَّ إِنسانُ

How the helpless cry out to us, while they

How often have the weak sought our aid, while being

Are slain and captive, yet no man stirs

Slaughtered and captured, yet no man stirs to help?

ماذا التَقاطعُ في الإِسلامِ بَينَكُمُ

وَأَنتُم يا عِبَادَ اللَهِ إِخوَانُ

What is this disunity among you, O servants of God,

What is this estrangement between you in Islam,

Though you are, O people, brothers?

When you, O servants of God, are brothers?

أَلا نُفوسٌ أَبيّاتٌ لَها هِمَمٌ

أَما عَلى الخَيرِ أَنصارٌ وَأَعوانُ

Do you not have defiant souls and resolve

Are there no proud souls with high ambitions?

To support and aid good?

Are there no supporters or helpers for the cause of good?

يا مَن لِذلَّةِ قَوم بَعدَ عِزّتهِم

أَحالَ حالَهُم كفرٌ وَطُغيانُ

O you who rendered a people despised after their glory,

O who has seen the humiliation of a people who once were mighty,

Defiling their state, unbelief and tyranny,

Whose state has been overturned by unbelief and tyranny?

بِالأَمسِ كانُوا مُلُوكاً فِي مَنازِلهِم

وَاليَومَ هُم في بِلادِ الكُفرِ عُبدانُ

Yesterday they were kings in their abodes

Yesterday they were kings in their own homes;

While today in the land of unbelief they are slaves

Today they are slaves in the land of the infidel.

فَلَو تَراهُم حَيارى لا دَلِيلَ لَهُم

عَلَيهِم من ثيابِ الذُلِّ أَلوانُ

You would see them perplexed, no guide for them,

Were you to see them, bewildered and without a guide,

Upon them the garments of humiliation of every color

Wearing the varied hues of humiliation's garb...

وَلَو رَأَيت بُكاهُم عِندَ بَيعهمُ

لَهالَكَ الأَمرُ وَاِستَهوَتكَ أَحزانُ

If you saw them weeping when sold

And were you to see their weeping as they are sold in markets,

You would be confounded and sorrows would shake you

The sight would appall you and sorrow would seize you.

يا رُبَّ أمٍّ وَطِفلٍ حيلَ بينهُما

كَما تُفَرَّقُ أَرواحٌ وَأَبدانُ

O Lord, a mother and child parted

Alas, how many mothers and children have been torn apart,

As souls and bodies are separated!

Just as souls are severed from bodies!

وَطفلَة مِثلَ حُسنِ الشَمسِ إِذ برزت

كَأَنَّما هيَ ياقُوتٌ وَمُرجانُ

A girl like the rising sun in her beauty

And many a maiden, fair as the rising sun,

As though she were ruby and coral

As delicate as ruby and coral...

يَقُودُها العِلجُ لِلمَكروهِ مُكرَهَةً

وَالعَينُ باكِيَةٌ وَالقَلبُ حَيرانُ

Led away against her will by the bastard

Is dragged by a barbarian to a hateful fate against her will,

Her eyes weeping, her heart confused

Her eye weeping and her heart distraught.

لِمثلِ هَذا يذوبُ القَلبُ مِن كَمَدٍ

إِن كانَ في القَلبِ إِسلامٌ وَإِيمانُ

For this, the heart melts from anguish

For such things the heart melts with grief,

If Islam and faith exist in the heart

If indeed there remains in the heart any Islam or faith.