إمّا بقيتَ فهلكُ غيرك هّينٌ

إمّا بقيتَ فهلكُ غيرك هّينٌ

وإذا نجوتَ فجرمُ دهرك يغفرُ

وإذا نجوتَ فجرمُ دهرك يغفرُ

If you survive, another's death is easy to bear.

Whether you live or others die, their death is easy

And if you are spared, Time's offense against you is forgiven.

And if you are saved, the sins of your time are forgiven

وإذا المَحاذر تِهنَ عنك فما لنا

وإذا المَحاذر تِهنَ عنك فما لنا

ولنا الأمان عليك شيءٌ يُحذرُ

ولنا الأمان عليك شيءٌ يُحذرُ

And if dangers miss you, then we—

And if precautions grow weak for you, what is it to us?

Assured of your safety—have nothing to fear.

For we have safety in you, something to beware

ما نَحن إلّا لِلرّدى وإلى الرّدى

ما نَحن إلّا لِلرّدى وإلى الرّدى

فمقدَّمٌ لحِمامه ومؤخَّرُ

فمقدَّمٌ لحِمامه ومؤخَّرُ

We belong only to death, and toward death we go,

We are only for demise and towards demise

One hastened to his doom, another delayed.

So a dove flies ahead and another lags behind

وعلى المنيّةِ طُرقنا ومسيرُنا

وعلى المنيّةِ طُرقنا ومسيرُنا

والرّجلُ تهفو والأخامص تعثرُ

والرّجلُ تهفو والأخامص تعثرُ

And our roads and our journey lead to death,

And our paths and travels are toward death

And the foot slips, and the arches stumble.

A man slips and stumbles while his feet trip

ذاق الرّدى متكِرّمٌ ومبخّلٌ

ذاق الرّدى متكِرّمٌ ومبخّلٌ

وأتى الحِمامَ معجّلٌ ومعمّرُ

وأتى الحِمامَ معجّلٌ ومعمّرُ

The generous and those deemed miserly have tasted death,

One who lived honorably tasted demise, and one who was stingy

And those taken early and those granted long life have met their doom.

And one who was quick came to his grave, and one who lived long

كم شذّبتْ منّا السّنون وكم طوى

كم شذّبتْ منّا السّنون وكم طوى

منّا الخضارمَ ذا التّراب الأغبرُ

منّا الخضارمَ ذا التّراب الأغبرُ

How many of us the years have pruned away, and how many

How many years have adorned us, and how many

Great men among us this gray-brown earth has enfolded!

Have covered our cheeks, that dust colored soil

لا تربةٌ إلّا وَفيها للبِلى

لا تربةٌ إلّا وَفيها للبِلى

خدٌّ أسِيلٌ أو جبينٌ أزهرُ

خدٌّ أسِيلٌ أو جبينٌ أزهرُ

No patch of earth but holds, consigned to decay,

There is no earth except in it, for wearing away

A smooth cheek or a radiant brow.

A cheek has flowed down or a forehead flowered

مَن عاشَ إِمّا مات أو كانت له

مَن عاشَ إِمّا مات أو كانت له

في كلّ يومٍ عَبرةٌ تتحدّرُ

في كلّ يومٍ عَبرةٌ تتحدّرُ

Whoever lives either dies or has

Whoever lives, will die or will have for him

Each day a tear that rolls down.

In every day a lesson that flows down

وَهوَ الزّمان فضاحكٌ مستغرِبٌ

وَهوَ الزّمان فضاحكٌ مستغرِبٌ

ممّا اِستَفادَ وناشجٌ مستعبِرُ

ممّا اِستَفادَ وناشجٌ مستعبِرُ

And such is Time: one laughs uproariously

And it is time, laughing strangely

At what he has gained, while another sobs in tears.

At what it gained, and crying at what it missed

وَقُصورنا قَصران هذا مُخرَبٌ

وَقُصورنا قَصران هذا مُخرَبٌ

متعطّلُ حزناً وهذا يُعمرُ

متعطّلُ حزناً وهذا يُعمرُ

And our palaces are of two kinds: this one lies ruined,

And our palaces are two, one ruined

Deserted in sorrow, while that one is inhabited.

Abandoned in sorrow, the other rebuilt

وَعُيوننا عَينان هذي دمعُها

وَعُيوننا عَينان هذي دمعُها

متحلّقٌ ودموع أخرى تقطرُ

متحلّقٌ ودموع أخرى تقطرُ

And our eyes are of two kinds: this one's tears

And our eyes are two, this one's tears

Gather in a ring, while another's tears drip.

Are stuck together, and the other's tears drip

إِنّ المصيبة في الأحبّةِ للفتى

إِنّ المصيبة في الأحبّةِ للفتى

لو كان يعلم نعمةٌ لا تُشكرُ

لو كان يعلم نعمةٌ لا تُشكرُ

Indeed, for a man, the loss of loved ones—

Surely the tragedy for the youth is in loved ones

If he but knew—is a blessing left unthanked.

If he only knew the blessing not thanked

فَدعِ التذكّر للذين تطارحوا

فَدعِ التذكّر للذين تطارحوا

بيدِ المنون فهالكٌ لا يُذكرُ

بيدِ المنون فهالكٌ لا يُذكرُ

So leave off remembering those who fell

So leave remembering those who lied down

At Death's hand, for one who has perished is not remembered.

By the hand of death, for destruction not mentioned

وإِذا جرى قَدَرٌ بشيءٍ فاِرضَه

وإِذا جرى قَدَرٌ بشيءٍ فاِرضَه

فالمُعتبون لَساخِطو ما يُقدَرُ

فالمُعتبون لَساخِطو ما يُقدَرُ

And when fate decrees something, accept it;

And if a decree came about something, accept it

For those who complain are indeed resentful of what is decreed.

For the blamers are angry at what is divined

باهِ الرّجالَ بفضل حلمك فيهمُ

باهِ الرّجالَ بفضل حلمك فيهمُ

وَاِفخَرْ بِه فَبِمثل ذلك يفخَرُ

وَاِفخَرْ بِه فَبِمثل ذلك يفخَرُ

Vie with men through the excellence of your forbearance among them;

Give glory to men by your forbearance among them

And take pride in it, for in such things one takes pride.

And pride yourself in that, for by the like one prides himself

وَإِذا ألمَّ بك الزّمان فلا تَلُمْ

وَإِذا ألمَّ بك الزّمان فلا تَلُمْ

خُلْساتِه فَلما خطاهُ أكثرُ

خُلْساتِه فَلما خطاهُ أكثرُ

And if Time afflicts you, do not blame

And if time afflicts you, do not blame

Its stealthy snatches, for it has missed far more.

Its misfortunes, for more than it erred

ولطالما عزّيت غيرَك في ردىً

ولطالما عزّيت غيرَك في ردىً

بالصّبر والمُعزى بصبرٍ يصبرُ

بالصّبر والمُعزى بصبرٍ يصبرُ

And how often you have consoled another in bereavement

And I have long consoled others in anguish

With patience; one consoled with patience endures.

With patience, and the consoled is more patient

ما إِنْ رمتنا بالجنادل شدّةٌ

ما إِنْ رمتنا بالجنادل شدّةٌ

إلّا وَأَنتَ لها الأشدُّ الأصبرُ

إلّا وَأَنتَ لها الأشدُّ الأصبرُ

No hardship ever pelted us with boulders

We were not struck by hardships

But you were strongest and most patient in facing it.

Except you were the most hardy, the most patient

تفدِي الإناثُ ذكورَهنَّ من الورى

تفدِي الإناثُ ذكورَهنَّ من الورى

ويقِي الكبيرَ من الحمامِ الأصغَرُ

ويقِي الكبيرَ من الحمامِ الأصغَرُ

Among mortals, women ransom their men,

Females ransom their males from life

And the younger shields the elder from death.

And the elder protects the younger dove

ولْيُسْلَ عنها إنّها درجتْ ولل

ولْيُسْلَ عنها إنّها درجتْ ولل

تقوى الإزارُ وللعفافِ المِئزَرُ

تقوى الإزارُ وللعفافِ المِئزَرُ

And let him be consoled for her: she has passed away, and to

About it, ask, it has certainly declined and to

Piety belongs the waist-wrap, and to chastity the waistcloth.

Godliness is the loincloth, and to chastity the gown

كسرٌ له جَبرٌ بأمثالٍ له

كسرٌ له جَبرٌ بأمثالٍ له

ووقاك ربُّكَ كسرةً لا تُجبرُ

ووقاك ربُّكَ كسرةً لا تُجبرُ

A break that can be mended with like replacements;

A breakage has a mending with its like

And may your Lord spare you a break that cannot be mended.

And your Lord protected you from an un-mendable breakage