سَلِ الْفَلَكَ الدَّوَّارَ إِنْ كَانَ يَنْطِقُ

وَكَيْفَ يُحِيرُ الْقَوْلَ أَخْرَسُ مُطْرِقُ

Ask the revolving sky if it can speak,

And how the mute, bowed one can confuse the word.

نُسائِلُهُ عَنْ شَأْنِهِ وَهُوَ صَامِتٌ

وَنَخْبُرُ مَا فِي نَفْسِهِ وَهْوَ مُطْبَقُ

We question it about its affair, and it is silent,

We inform it of what is in its soul, and it is folded.

فَلا سِرُّهُ يَبْدُو وَلا نَحْنُ نَرْعَوِي

وَلا شَأْوُهُ يَدْنُو وَلا نَحْنُ نَلْحَقُ

So neither its secret appears, nor do we perceive,

Neither does its concern draw near, nor do we reach.

وَكَيْفَ تَنَالُ النَّفْسُ مِنْهُ لُبَانَةً

وَأَقْرَبُ مَا فِيهِ عَنِ الظَّنِّ أَسْحَقُ

And how can the soul gain intimacy from it

When the nearest thing in it from supposition is most foolish?

فَضَاءٌ يَرُدُّ الْعَيْنَ حَسْرَى وَمَسْرَحٌ

يَقُصُّ جَنَاحَ الْفِكْرِ وَهْوَ مُحَلِّقُ

A space that returns the eye in sorrow and an open expanse

That clips the wing of thought while it is hovering.

أَقَامَ عَلَى رَغْمِ الْفَنَاءِ وَكُلُّ مَا

تَرَاهُ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْبَسِيطَةِ يَنْفُقُ

It remained despite the erosion of oblivion, and everything

You see on the face of the earth perishes.

فَكَمْ ثَلَّ عَرْشَاً وَاسْتَبَاحَ قَبِيلَةً

وَفَرَّقَ جَمْعَاً وَهْوَ لا يَتَفَرَّقُ

So it has ruined many a throne and ransacked many a tribe

And scattered many a gathering while it does not disperse.

تَحَسَّى مَرَارَاتِ الْكُبُودِ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ

بِهِ صِبْغَةٌ مِنْ لَوْنِهَا فَهْوَ أَزْرَقُ

It has tasted the bitternesses of sorrows, so there remains

Upon it a tinge from their color, thus it is blue.

نَهَارٌ وَلَيْلٌ يَدْأَبَانِ وَأَنْجُمٌ

تَغِيبُ إِلَى مِيقَاتِهَا ثُمَّ تَشْرُقُ

Day and night toil, and stars

Disappear to their appointed time, then rise.

تَرِفُّ كَزَهْرٍ طَوَّحَتْهُ عَوَاصِفٌ

بِلُجَّةِ مَاءٍ فَهْوَ يَطْفُو وَيَغْرَقُ

It floats and sinks like a flower the storms have shaken

With a surge of water.

سَوَابِحُ لا تَنْفَكُّ تَجْرِي لِغَايَةٍ

يُقَصِّرُ عَنْهَا الْكَاهِنُ الْمُتَعَمِّقُ

Swimmers that do not cease, flowing to some goal

Which the delving priest falls short of.

فَيَا أَيُّهَا السَّارِي عَلَى غَيْرِ هُدْيَةٍ

رُوَيْدَاً فَإِنَّ الْبَابَ دُونَكَ مُغْلَقُ

So O you who travel without guidance,

Go gently, for the door before you is closed.

أَتَحْسَبُ أَنَّ الظَّنَّ يُدْرِكُ بَعْضَ مَا

تُحَاوِلُهُ وَالظَّنُّ لِلْمَرْءِ مُوبِقُ

Do you reckon the supposition can grasp some of what

You attempt, though supposition for man is pernicious?

وَكَيْفَ يَنَالُ الْحِسُّ وَهْوَ مُحَدَّدٌ

سَرِيرَةَ غَيْبٍ دُونَهَا الْحِسُّ يَصْعَقُ

And how can the senses attain what is far off

When the senses are overwhelmed by the unseen?

فَلا تَتَّبِعْ رَيْبَ الظُّنُونِ فَكُلُّ مَا

تَصَوَّرَهُ الإِنْسَانُ وَهْمٌ مُلَفَّقُ

So do not pursue the suspicion of conjectures, for everything

The human imagined is a fabricated fancy.

وَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الْحَدْسَ يُدْرِكُ مَا نَأَى

فَمَا كُلَّ حِينٍ قَائِفُ الْحَدْسِ يَصْدُقُ

And do not reckon intuition will attain what is remote,

For not every time is the hunch of intuition truthful.

وَأَيْنَ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقِ إِدْرَاكُ حِكْمَةٍ

بِهَا يُنْشِئُ اللَّهُ الْقُرُونَ وَيَمْحَقُ

And how can the created being grasp the wisdom

By which Allah creates generations and obliterates?

فَلَوْ عَلِمَ الإِنْسَانُ حَالَةَ نَفْسِهِ

كَفَاهُ وَلَكِنَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ أَخْرَقُ

If man knew the state of his soul,

It would suffice him, but the son of Adam is foolish.

إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَمْلِكْ بَوَادِرَ وَهْمِهِ

عَنِ الْقَوْلِ فِي مَا لَمْ يُفِدْ فَهْوَ أَحْمَقُ

When a person cannot restrain the delusions of his fancy

From speaking of what does not benefit, he is a fool.

فَإِيَّاكَ وَالدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ نَعِيمَهَا

يَزُولُ وَمَلْبُوسُ الْجَدِيدَيْنِ يَخْلُقُ

So beware of the world, for the bliss of it

Fades, and the newly dressed becomes worn.

فَإِنْ هِيَ أَعْطَتْكَ اللّيَانَ فَإِنَّهَا

سَتَخْشُنُ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللّيَانِ وَتَخْرُقُ

For if it gave you pleasure, it will afterwards

Become harsh after pleasure and tear.

فَلا وُدُّهَا يَبْقَى وَلا صَفْوُ عَيْشِهَا

يَدُومُ وَلا مَوْعُودُها يَتَحَقَّقُ

Neither its affection remains nor the purity of its life

Endures, nor is its promise fulfilled.

فَكَمْ أَخْلَفَتْ وَعْدَاً وَمَلَّتْ صَحَابَةً

وَخَانَتْ وَفِيَّاً فَهْيَ بَلْهَاءُ تَنْزَقُ

So how it has reneged on promises and wearied of companions

And betrayed the loyal! It is a confused ruin.

وَكَيْفَ يَعِيشُ الدَّهْرَ خِلْواً مِنَ الأَسَى

سَقِيمٌ يُغَادَى بِالْهُمومِ وَيُطْرَقُ

And how can one live the ages free of sorrow

While the sick are treated with worries and are bowed?

لَعَمْرُ أَبِي إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ وَإِنْ صَفَتْ

مَسَافَةَ يَوْمٍ فَهْوَ صَفْوٌ مُرَنَّقُ

By my father’s life, though life may last

But a day’s journey, even that is a squeezed purity!

فَفِيمَ يَوَدُّ الْمَرْءُ طُولَ حَيَاتِهِ

وَفِي طُولِهَا شَمْلُ الْهَنَاءِ مُفَرَّقُ

So why does man desire length of life

When in its length well-being is fragmented?

وَمَا الدَّهْرُ إِلَّا مُسْتَعِدٌ لِوَثْبَةٍ

فَحِذْرَكَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ غَضْبَانُ مُطْرِقُ

And what is time but lying in wait for a leap?

So beware of it, for it is angry and bowed.

كَأَنَّ هِلالَ الأُفْقِ سَيْفٌ مُجَرَّدٌ

عَلَيْنَا بِهِ وَالنَّجْمَ سَهْمٌ مُفَوَّقُ

As if the crescent of the horizon is a sword unsheathed

Against us, and the stars are strung arrows!

أَبَادَ بَنِيهِ ظَالِمَاً غَيْرَ رَاحِمٍ

فَيَا عَجَبَاً مِنْ وَالِدٍ لَيْسَ يُشْفِقُ

It destroyed its children wrongfully without mercy.

How strange is a parent who has no compassion!

فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِالأَمْرِ تَخْشَى وُقُوعَهُ

فَقَدْ يَأْمَنُ الإِنْسَانُ مِنْ حَيثُ يَفْرَقُ

So do not grieve for a matter fearing its occurrence,

For one may feel safe where he fears separation.

فَمَا كُلُّ مَا تَهْوَاهُ يَأْتِيكَ بِالْمُنَى

وَلا كُلُّ مَا تَخْشَاهُ فِي الْدَّهْرِ يَطْرُقُ

Not everything you desire comes to fruition,

Nor everything you fear in fate befalls you.

وَكُنْ وَاثِقَاً بِاللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ مِحْنَةٍ

فَلَلَّهُ أَوْلَى بِالْعِبَادِ وَأَرْفَقُ

And trust in God in every tribulation,

For He is more worthy of servants and kinder.