لقد آن أن يعلم الجاهلُ

لقد آن أن يعلم الجاهلُ

ويصحوَ من نومه الغافلُ

ويصحوَ من نومه الغافلُ

It is indeed time for the ignorant to learn,

It is time for the ignorant to learn

and for the heedless to wake from his sleep.

And awaken from his heedless sleep

هوىً زال من بعد ستين حولاً

هوىً زال من بعد ستين حولاً

كذلك كل هوىً زائل

كذلك كل هوىً زائل

A passion faded after sixty years;

A passion that faded after sixty years

so, too, every passion fades.

So it is with every fleeting desire

فخلّ فؤادي جمالاً كذوباً

فخلّ فؤادي جمالاً كذوباً

لقد غرّك الزخرف الباطل

لقد غرّك الزخرف الباطل

So forsake deceitful beauty, my heart;

So do not let your heart be deceived by false beauty

false finery has indeed deceived you.

You have been tricked by worthless adornment

فما أنت مني إذا مدّ حبلاً

فما أنت مني إذا مدّ حبلاً

وصادك من بعد ذا الحابل

وصادك من بعد ذا الحابل

Then you are no part of me if a cord is stretched,

You are not mine if you extend a rope

and the snarer catches you after that.

And I avoid you after this lure

عيون المها لا تصيب القلوب

عيون المها لا تصيب القلوب

ولعقل من دونها حائل

ولعقل من دونها حائل

The eyes of oryxes do not strike hearts,

The eyes of the tempting do not pierce hearts

and reason is surely a barrier against them.

And reason has no access without them

فقل للحاظ وربّاتها

فقل للحاظ وربّاتها

لقد أخطأ النبل والنّابل

لقد أخطأ النبل والنّابل

So tell the glances and their mistresses:

So say to the coquettish and their idols

The arrows and the archer have indeed missed.

The arrows and archers have missed their mark

إذا ما رجعتُ إلى شيمتي

إذا ما رجعتُ إلى شيمتي

فأهون بما يعذل العاذل

فأهون بما يعذل العاذل

When I return to my nature,

When I return to my morals

then how little the reproacher's blame matters!

I disdain what the critic disparages

مواليّ جاروا على عبدهم

مواليّ جاروا على عبدهم

ولا بأس جائرهم عادل

ولا بأس جائرهم عادل

My masters have wronged their slave,

My friends tyrannized their servant

but no matter: the unjust among them is just.

But their tyranny is just

فكم قايسوه بمن قايسوا

فكم قايسوه بمن قايسوا

وكم ثاقلوهُ بمن ثاقلوا

وكم ثاقلوهُ بمن ثاقلوا

How often, then, they compared him with those they compared,

How they judged him against whom they judged

and how often they weighed him against those they weighed!

And how heavily they weighed him against whom they weighed

ولما رأوا فضله راجحاً

ولما رأوا فضله راجحاً

بكوا أسفاً أنه فاضلُ

بكوا أسفاً أنه فاضلُ

And when they saw his merit was weightier,

And when they saw his superiority manifest

they wept in sorrow that he was superior.

They wept in sorrow that he is virtuous

لي الله ما لي أجامل قوماً

لي الله ما لي أجامل قوماً

أجادوا الصنيعة لو جاملوا

أجادوا الصنيعة لو جاملوا

God is my help; why am I courteous to people

By God, I will not indulge people

who would do a good turn if they showed courtesy?

Who excel in kindness if they befriend

إذا أنا واصلتهم قاطعوا

إذا أنا واصلتهم قاطعوا

وإن أنا قاطعتهم واصلوا

وإن أنا قاطعتهم واصلوا

When I maintain ties with them, they sever them;

When I join them they cut me off

and if I sever ties with them, they maintain them.

And when I cut them off they join me