يا زَمَنَ السوءِ الَّذي مَسَّني

يا زَمَنَ السوءِ الَّذي مَسَّني

بِغَمرَةٍ لَيسَ لَها كاشِفُ

بِغَمرَةٍ لَيسَ لَها كاشِفُ

O evil age that has afflicted me

O evil time that has afflicted me

with overwhelming distress that no one can dispel!

With a deep darkness that has no unveiler

صَحِبتُهُ قِدماً فَما سَرَّني

صَحِبتُهُ قِدماً فَما سَرَّني

سالِفُ أَيّامي وَلا الآنِفُ

سالِفُ أَيّامي وَلا الآنِفُ

I have long kept its company, yet found no joy

I have accompanied it for so long, yet it has not brought me joy

in either my bygone days or my recent ones.

Neither my past days nor my present ones

إِذا كُلومُ الهَمِّ داوَيتُها

إِذا كُلومُ الهَمِّ داوَيتُها

عادَ لَها مِن جَورِهِ قارِفُ

عادَ لَها مِن جَورِهِ قارِفُ

Whenever I heal the wounds of care,

Whenever I try to heal my worries

its tyranny brings back one who tears them open.

The unjust one returns to commit his crimes again

وَكُلَّما أَغضَيتُ عَن زَلَّةٍ

وَكُلَّما أَغضَيتُ عَن زَلَّةٍ

أَغراهُ عَفوي بي فَيَستانِفُ

أَغراهُ عَفوي بي فَيَستانِفُ

And whenever I overlook a lapse,

And whenever I overlook a misstep

my pardon emboldens it against me, and it starts anew.

My forgiveness encourages him to repeat it

يَخضَعُ مِنهُ لِلدَنايا عَلى

يَخضَعُ مِنهُ لِلدَنايا عَلى

غُرَّتِها الجَبهَةُ وَالسالِفُ

غُرَّتِها الجَبهَةُ وَالسالِفُ

Because of it, to baseness bow, despite

He submits to the world because of

their noble radiance, the forehead and the side of the neck.

Its deceit, both the naive and the wise

مالَكَ لا يَنفُقُ في سوقِ أَب

مالَكَ لا يَنفُقُ في سوقِ أَب

نائِكَ إِلّا البَهرَجُ الزائِفُ

نائِكَ إِلّا البَهرَجُ الزائِفُ

What ails you, that in your sons' market nothing passes

You have no money to spend in the market of

but debased, counterfeit coin?

Your sons except counterfeit coins

فَكَم أُداجيهِم عَلى أَنَّني

فَكَم أُداجيهِم عَلى أَنَّني

طِبٌّ بِأَدوائِهِم عارِفُ

طِبٌّ بِأَدوائِهِم عارِفُ

And how often I feign goodwill toward them, though I

So how often do I indulge them thinking

am an expert, well acquainted with their maladies.

That I know cures for their illnesses

وَرُبَّ مَشّاءٍ عَلى عِلَّةٍ

وَرُبَّ مَشّاءٍ عَلى عِلَّةٍ

وَهوَ إِذا اِستَثبَتَّهُ واقِفُ

وَهوَ إِذا اِستَثبَتَّهُ واقِفُ

And many a man strides on with an infirmity,

And many a walking sick who

yet, when you examine him closely, he stands still.

When examined is just faking it

يَحسُدُني الناسُ عَلى مَورِدٍ

يَحسُدُني الناسُ عَلى مَورِدٍ

مُكَدَّرٍ يَنزَحُهُ الراشِفُ

مُكَدَّرٍ يَنزَحُهُ الراشِفُ

People envy me for a watering place

People envy me for a source

muddied, which a mere sipper drains dry.

That is turbid but cleaned by the strainer

وَصاحِبٍ هَمِّيَ ما سَرَّهُ

وَصاحِبٍ هَمِّيَ ما سَرَّهُ

وَهوَ عَلى ما ساءَني عاكِفُ

وَهوَ عَلى ما ساءَني عاكِفُ

And a companion—my concern is what delights him,

And a friend who does not care for my worries

while he is intent on whatever grieves me.

But is preoccupied with what displeases me

إِذا بَدَت مِنّي لَهُ هَفوَةٌ

إِذا بَدَت مِنّي لَهُ هَفوَةٌ

أَعرَضَ لا يَعطِفُهُ عاطِفُ

أَعرَضَ لا يَعطِفُهُ عاطِفُ

If a lapse of mine becomes apparent to him,

If he sees a slip from me

he turns away, and no one can soften him.

He turns away, no sympathizer makes him gentle

لا يُدرِكُ العَلياءَ إِلّا فَتىً

لا يُدرِكُ العَلياءَ إِلّا فَتىً

آبٍ عَلى حَملِ الأَسى عازِفُ

آبٍ عَلى حَملِ الأَسى عازِفُ

None reaches the heights but a young man

The high ones are not reached except by a

unyielding, averse to bearing sorrow.

Youth who bears sorrows and plays the flute

وَلا يَنالُ العِزَّ حَتّى يُرى

وَلا يَنالُ العِزَّ حَتّى يُرى

خابِطَ لَيلٍ نَوؤُهُ واكِفُ

خابِطَ لَيلٍ نَوؤُهُ واكِفُ

Nor does he attain honor until he is seen

And honor is not attained until one is seen

groping through a night whose rain pours down.

Staying up late, his place of rest known

فَاِرحَل مَتى آنَستَ ذُلّاً وَلا

فَاِرحَل مَتى آنَستَ ذُلّاً وَلا

يَعتاقُكَ التالِدُ وَالطارِفُ

يَعتاقُكَ التالِدُ وَالطارِفُ

So leave whenever you sense humiliation; let neither

So move on whenever you feel disgraced and

inherited nor newly acquired wealth hold you back.

Neither heritage nor friends can set you free

فَما يَسومُ الخَسفَ إِلا هَوىً

فَما يَسومُ الخَسفَ إِلا هَوىً

أَو مَنزِلٌ أَنتَ بِهِ آلِفُ

أَو مَنزِلٌ أَنتَ بِهِ آلِفُ

For nothing imposes abasement but desire,

Nothing suits ruins except desires

or a dwelling to which you have grown attached.

Or a dwelling you are familiar with

لا سَلِمَت داءٌ وَلا خُلَّةٌ

لا سَلِمَت داءٌ وَلا خُلَّةٌ

أَنتَ عَلى آثارِها تالِفُ

أَنتَ عَلى آثارِها تالِفُ

May neither illness nor friendship survive

No disease or worry has left me

while you perish in its wake.

While you follow their traces

يا دَولَةً ما نالَني خَيرُها

يا دَولَةً ما نالَني خَيرُها

وَإِنَّني مِن شَرِّها خائِفُ

وَإِنَّني مِن شَرِّها خائِفُ

O state whose blessings have never reached me,

Oh state! I have not gained any good from you

yet I am fearful of its evil!

Though I fear much evil from you

ناءَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ عَنها فَما

ناءَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ عَنها فَما

يَطوفُ لِلذُعرِ بِها طائِفُ

يَطوفُ لِلذُعرِ بِها طائِفُ

The reversals of time have stayed far from it, so no

The turns of fate have abandoned it so

visitant of terror makes its rounds there.

No terrified one circles around it

فَاِرقُب لَها إِن رَقَدَت فِتنَةً

فَاِرقُب لَها إِن رَقَدَت فِتنَةً

نَكباءَ شَرُّ ريحِها عاصِفُ

نَكباءَ شَرُّ ريحِها عاصِفُ

So, if it slumbers, await an upheaval to befall it—

So watch over it when it falls into strife

calamitous, its wind raging with evil.

The evils of its winds are stormy