عَجِبتُ منَ الأيّام كيفَ تَروعنِي

عَجِبتُ منَ الأيّام كيفَ تَروعنِي

وَمن عَزَماتِي تسمتدّ النوائبُ

وَمن عَزَماتِي تسمتدّ النوائبُ

I marveled at the days: how could they frighten me,

I'm amazed at how the days frighten me,

When calamities draw strength from my firm resolves?

And how misfortunes flow from my resolves.

وَكَيفَ اِرتَجتْ عِندي بلوغَ إرادةٍ

وَكَيفَ اِرتَجتْ عِندي بلوغَ إرادةٍ

وَما مالَ منّي في الغِوايةِ جانبُ

وَما مالَ منّي في الغِوايةِ جانبُ

And how could they hope to have their way with me,

How did I waver when trying to achieve my goal?

When no part of me has inclined toward error?

No part of me strayed into misguidance.

لَقد هَوّنتْ صَرفُ اللّيالي بَصيرَتي

لَقد هَوّنتْ صَرفُ اللّيالي بَصيرَتي

وَآنَسُ شَيءٍ بِالفؤادِ المَصائبُ

وَآنَسُ شَيءٍ بِالفؤادِ المَصائبُ

My insight has indeed made light of the nights' vicissitudes,

The passage of nights has made my insight easy,

And calamities are the heart's most familiar companions.

And my heart has grown used to afflictions.

إِذا كُنتُ أَستعلي بِنَفسٍ عزيزةٍ

إِذا كُنتُ أَستعلي بِنَفسٍ عزيزةٍ

فَلا قامَ أَنصارٌ ولا هبَّ صاحبُ

فَلا قامَ أَنصارٌ ولا هبَّ صاحبُ

If I rise through a noble soul,

When I aspire with a proud soul,

Then may no supporters rise, nor any companion stir.

No supporters stand, nor loyal friend hastens.

وَربّ حَسودٍ يَزدَريني بِقَلبهِ

وَربّ حَسودٍ يَزدَريني بِقَلبهِ

إِذا رامَ نُطقاً أَخرَسَتْهُ المَناقبُ

إِذا رامَ نُطقاً أَخرَسَتْهُ المَناقبُ

And many an envious man despises me in his heart;

How an envious heart silently scorns me,

When he attempts to speak, my virtues strike him dumb.

Though when it tries to speak, glories silence it.

تَسَربَل سِربالَ اللّيالي وَما دَرى

تَسَربَل سِربالَ اللّيالي وَما دَرى

بِأَنّ مَكاني ما مشى فيه عائبُ

بِأَنّ مَكاني ما مشى فيه عائبُ

He donned the robe of the nights, not knowing

It dons the garb of nights, unaware

That no faultfinder has ever set foot where I stand.

That no critic has walked in my place.

وَفارَقتُ أَخلاقَ الزّمانِ وأهلهِ

وَفارَقتُ أَخلاقَ الزّمانِ وأهلهِ

فَقد عَجبتْ أنْ لم تَنَلْنِي المعايبُ

فَقد عَجبتْ أنْ لم تَنَلْنِي المعايبُ

And I forsook the morals of the age and its people;

I've parted from the morals of this age and its people.

For faults have marveled that they have not touched me.

I'm amazed that no blames have reached me.

وَمارَستُ مِن أَحوالهمْ ما بطرِفهِ

وَمارَستُ مِن أَحوالهمْ ما بطرِفهِ

أشاهد ما تُفضِي إليه العواقبُ

أشاهد ما تُفضِي إليه العواقبُ

And I have dealt with aspects of their affairs from whose merest hint

I've experienced their states with glances,

I see where the consequences lead.

Witnessing what consequences they lead to.

إِذا لَم يَكُن بِالسّيف سعيُك للعُلا

إِذا لَم يَكُن بِالسّيف سعيُك للعُلا

فَلا دانَ مَطلوبٌ ولا ثار طالبُ

فَلا دانَ مَطلوبٌ ولا ثار طالبُ

If your striving for the heights is not by the sword,

If your endeavor isn't by the sword for supremacy,

Then no goal will yield, nor any seeker rise.

Then the sought bows not, nor does the seeker attain.

وَكُنتُ إِذا حاولت قَوماً تسفّهتْ

وَكُنتُ إِذا حاولت قَوماً تسفّهتْ

حلومُهُمُ حتّى جَفَتْنِي السّحائبُ

حلومُهُمُ حتّى جَفَتْنِي السّحائبُ

And whenever I sought out a people, foolishness overtook

When I tried to gently reproach a people,

Their minds, until even the clouds shunned me.

Their smoothness dried me up like the clouds.

كَأَنّ الرّدى ما حُمّ إلّا لِصَلْوتي

كَأَنّ الرّدى ما حُمّ إلّا لِصَلْوتي

وَلا خُلقتْ إلّا لِأَجلي العجائبُ

وَلا خُلقتْ إلّا لِأَجلي العجائبُ

As though death were decreed only to burn me,

As if ruin was kindled only for my sake,

And wonders were created only for my sake.

And wonders were created only for me.