لا لَومَ لِلدَهرِ وَلا عِتابا
تَغابَ إِنَّ الجَلدَ مَن تَغابى
Blame not fate, nor chide at her decree,
The valiant, when adversity strikes, flee.
صَبراً عَلى الضَرّاءِ وَاِحتِسابا
أَصبَرُنا أَعظَمُنا ثَوابا
With patience meet misfortune, God rewards
The steadfast, for in patience lie rewards.
ما الدَمعُ مِمّا يَزَعُ المُصابا
وَلا يَرُدُّ القَدَرَ الغَلّابا
What tears can change the blow that fate ordains?
Or turn aside the will of destiny's reigns?
أَمضى الزَمانُ حُكمَهُ غَلّابا
أَصابَنا وَطالَ ما أَصابا
Time has decreed, and rules as conqueror still,
We suffered, and prolonged what fate did will.
يولِغُ ظِفراً لِلرَدى وَنابا
لا يَبكِيَن حاضِرُنا مَن غابا
To fight with destiny is to court defeat,
Not weep the gone, though passing bitter-sweet.
ما غابَ مِنّا غائِبٌ فَآبا
وَرُبَّ حَيٍّ دَعَموا القِبابا
None lost to us have perished, though they died,
Full many a home, decked once in splendor's pride
وَاِستَفسَحوا الأَعطانَ وَالرِحابا
وَطَبَّقوا السُهولَ وَالعِقابا
Lies ruined now, its glories swept aside,
And spacious plains where men at ease would ride,
لا يَرهَبونَ لِلعِدى ذُبابا
أَمسوا لِقاحاً وَغَدوا نِهابا
Are folded close in death's tenacious grip,
As fearless they of any insect's nip.
جَرَّ عَلى دارِهِمُ ذِنابا
وَأَتبَعَ القَوادِمَ الذُنابى
At night a tent, at dawn naught but a grave,
Upon their homes the winds of devastation rave,
بِمُعجِلٍ يَنتَزِعُ الأَطنابا
يوطي الحِمى وَيَهتِكُ الحِجابا
Pursuing ever those that danger braved,
With speed that robes and wrappings stripped and shaved,
كَالباتِراتِ تَبذُرُ الرَقابا
نَسعى وَيَطوينا الرَدى وِثابا
Trampling the bounds and all defences craved,
Like lightning shafts dispersing lives depraved.
كَم قَطَعَ الأَقرانَ وَالأَسبابا
وَفَرَّقَ الجيرانَ وَالأَحبابا
We strive, yet time sweeps us aside like waves,
How many ties of love stern fate disgraves!
وَاِستَدرَجَ العَبيدَ وَالأَربابا
سَيلُ رَدىً قَد مَلَأَ الشِعابا
How many friends and lovers now in graves!
How subjects, masters, free and bonded slaves,
وَجُنَّ مَوجاً وَطَغى عُبابا
قارَعَنا وَاِنتَزَعَ اللُبابا
United once, were parted through its staves!
A flood of woes o'erfloods the vales and knaves,
أَعجِب وَأَخلِق أَن تَرى عِجابا
يُبَلِّدُ الأَفهامَ وَالأَلبابا
Dark clouds and thunderstay drown reason's caves,
Buffeting us, our wits are lost in waves.
إِنَّ الرَدى وَإِن رَمى فَصابا
وَجاذَبَتنا يَدُهُ جِذابا
Amazement take, that such events amaze,
Setting astir both minds and reason's ways.
يَعجِمُ مِن عيدانِنا صِلابا
صَعباً يُلاقي أَنفُساً صِعابا
Though fate may strike, its arrows poised to slay,
Its grip has seized us, drawn us to obey,
لا تُنكِرُ المَوتَ لَها شَرابا
وَلا تَعافُ الصَبِرَ المُذابا
Our bones it jars, their hardness swept away.
To greet a fate the valiant dread, appalls,
سَوالِباً وَمَرَّةً أَسلابا
إِذا أَنا اِنقَدتُ وَلَمّا آبى
They scorn the taste of death's infecting galls,
Now tossed in triumph, now in danger sprawls.
مُنجَفِلاً مَعَ الرَدى مُنجابا
فَلِم سَنَنتُ الصارِمَ القِرضابا
When destiny insisted I comply,
Protesting not, I donned mortality.
وَلِم رَبَطتُ الشُزَّبَ العِرابا
يَمرينَ بِالشَكائِمِ اللُعابا
Why did I draw the blade, and knot the cord?
Why saddle up, when fates said nay the word?
خَمايِصاً نُحاضِرُ الذَيابا
يَحمِلنَ أُسداً في الوَغى غِضابا
With high souls, we mortal to the grave.
The lions in the fray, their rage we brave,
قَد سَلَبوا السَوابِغَ العِيانا
رَكباً وَطوراً لِلقَنا رِكابا
Honor and faith were torn from their crave.
Horsemen and footmen, not a soul to save,
يَحمي الحِمى وَيَمنَعُ الجَنابا
حَتّى إِذا داعي الرَدى أَهابا
Guarding our bounds, yet no stealth did stave
The call of fate, our hands lost pow'r to wave,
أَسقَطَ مِن أَيمانِنا الكِعابا
وَبَزَّنا أَرواحَنا إِغصابا
Our souls were crushed, bereft of any salve.
No wound could stab, no blow could bruise or carve
لا طَعنَ نَسطيعُ وَلا ضِرابا
مُقتَحِمٌ عَلى الأُسودِ الغابا
Headlong we plunged midst the darkest wave,
How many friends and peers died young in age!
وَرُبَّ إِخوانٍ مَضَوا شَبابا
تَلاحَقوا إِلى الرَدى صِحابا
Rushing pell-mell to join death's pilgrimage.
From them we wait no promised message sage,
لا نَتَرَجّى مِنهُمُ إِيابا
وَلا نَعُدُّ لَهُمُ الأَحقابا
To them we speak no trust or patronage.
They pay no heed to doors or hermitage,
لا يَحفِلُ الحُجّابَ وَالأَبوابا
إِذا دُعوا لَم يُرجِعوا جَوابا
No reply make, whatever we engage.
For fate they wore the helmet and the badge,
وَلَبِسوا الجَندَلَ وَالظِرابا
لِقَدَرٍ ما عَمَروا الخِرابا
O branch prolonged, which bloomed beyond death's cage,
When you did wilt, I trusted you to earth,
يا غُصُناً طالَ وَفَرعاً طابا
لَمّا ذَوى أَودَعتُهُ التُرابا
But from your day, I gained so little worth.
I still implore the clouds to water your hearth,
أَرابَ مِن يَومِكَ ما أَرابا
لازِلتُ أَستَسقي لَكَ السَحابا
Each burial dove still weaves sorrow's girth,
Dragging on the sands robes of deepest dearth,
كُلَّ أَغَرٍّ يَدِقُ الذِهابا
مُجَرِّراً عَلى الرُبى أَهدابا
Preserving but the wreckage foulest birth,
Then circles back, bent in grief's ample girth.
يُبقي بِأَجوازِ الثَرى أَندابا
وَيَنثَني مُجَوِّلاً جَوابا
If you are clad in shrouds that time does swathe,
I count my weeping foolishness and scathe.
وَإِن لَبِستَ لِلبِلى جِلبابا
أَرى البُكاءَ سَفَهاً وَعابا
Make not your wont a discipline of death,
Meet your fate with book of deeds praiseworthy.
لا تَجعَلَنهُ دَيدَناً وَدابا
وافَقَ مِنّا أَجَلٌ كِتابا
