قَد آذَنَتنا بِأَمرٍ فادِحٍ أُذُنٌ

قَد آذَنَتنا بِأَمرٍ فادِحٍ أُذُنٌ

وَإِنَّما قيلَ آذانٌ لِإيذانِ

وَإِنَّما قيلَ آذانٌ لِإيذانِ

An ear has indeed informed us of a grievous matter.

An ear has warned us of grievous news,

And ears were so called only because they give notice.

And ears are only called so for hearing.

شَمسٌ وَبَدرٌ أَنارا في ضُحىً وَدُجىً

شَمسٌ وَبَدرٌ أَنارا في ضُحىً وَدُجىً

لِآدَمٍ وَهُما لا رَيبَ هَذانِ

لِآدَمٍ وَهُما لا رَيبَ هَذانِ

A sun and a full moon shone in daylight and darkness

A sun and a moon lit up the morn and gloom

for Adam—and these, beyond doubt, are the very same two.

For Adam, and there is no doubt they are the two.

وَاللَيلُ وَالصُبحُ ما اِنجَذَّت حِبالُهُما

وَاللَيلُ وَالصُبحُ ما اِنجَذَّت حِبالُهُما

وَكُلَّ حَبلٍ عَلى عَمدٍ يَجُذّانِ

وَكُلَّ حَبلٍ عَلى عَمدٍ يَجُذّانِ

And night and dawn—their cords have not been severed,

Neither has night unravelled its ropes,

yet they deliberately sever every cord.

Nor the dawn, and every rope is on a pillar they shake.

وَيَأكُلانِ وَلَم يَستَوبِلا مِقَراً

وَيَأكُلانِ وَلَم يَستَوبِلا مِقَراً

مِنَ الطَعامِ وَلا شَهداً يَلَذّانِ

مِنَ الطَعامِ وَلا شَهداً يَلَذّانِ

And they eat, yet find no bitter fare unwholesome

They eat yet face no table

among foods, nor do they relish honey.

With food, nor tasted any sweet honey.

إِنَّ الجَديدَينِ ما ظَنّا وَما عَلِما

إِنَّ الجَديدَينِ ما ظَنّا وَما عَلِما

بَل طائِرانِ عَلى جَدٍّ أَحَذّانِ

بَل طائِرانِ عَلى جَدٍّ أَحَذّانِ

Indeed, the ever-new pair has neither surmised nor known;

The two newcomers never thought or knew,

rather, two swift birds in earnest flight.

Rather two birds perched on a branch they shook.

طِرفانِ لِلَّهِ ما بُذّا وَلا لُحِقا

طِرفانِ لِلَّهِ ما بُذّا وَلا لُحِقا

وَلَم يَزالا بِمِقدارٍ يَبُذّانِ

وَلَم يَزالا بِمِقدارٍ يَبُذّانِ

Two thoroughbred steeds of God, never outstripped or overtaken,

Two gazes of God unharmed and unhurt,

and they have always raced ahead by an appointed measure.

Ever of a measure they shook.

هَذّا العِظاتِ عَلَينا في سُكونِهِما

هَذّا العِظاتِ عَلَينا في سُكونِهِما

كَصارِمَينِ ذَوي غَربٍ يُهَذّانِ

كَصارِمَينِ ذَوي غَربٍ يُهَذّانِ

They swiftly recite admonitions to us in their stillness,

Rebuking us in their stillness

like two keen-edged swords being honed.

Like two unsheathed swords they brandished.

وَقالَتِ الأَرضُ مَهلاً يا بَنِيّ أَلا

وَقالَتِ الأَرضُ مَهلاً يا بَنِيّ أَلا

سِيّانِ فَوقَي أَجمالي وَقَذّاني

سِيّانِ فَوقَي أَجمالي وَقَذّاني

And the earth said: “Gently, my sons! Behold,

And Earth said, gently, O sons

my camels and my tiny ticks are equal upon me.

Mount me and race over my beauty and wound me!

غَذاكُمُ اللَهُ مِنّي ثُمَّ عَوَّضَني

غَذاكُمُ اللَهُ مِنّي ثُمَّ عَوَّضَني

مِمّا لَقيتُ فَبِالأَجسامِ غَذّاني

مِمّا لَقيتُ فَبِالأَجسامِ غَذّاني

God nourished you from me, then recompensed me

May God feed you from me then compensate me

for what I endured: He fed me with bodies.

For what I encountered - so, with bodies, feed me!

وَطِئتُموني بِأَقدامٍ وَأَحذِيَةٍ

وَطِئتُموني بِأَقدامٍ وَأَحذِيَةٍ

فَقَد أُدِلتُ فَتَحتي مَن تَحَذّاني

فَقَد أُدِلتُ فَتَحتي مَن تَحَذّاني

You trod upon me with feet and shoes;

You walked me with feet and sandals

now the turn is mine: beneath me lies whoever wore me as shoes.”

So I was entered - who opened me for those who wounded me?

كَم مَرَّ في الدَهرِ مِن قَيظٍ وَمِن شَبَمٍ

كَم مَرَّ في الدَهرِ مِن قَيظٍ وَمِن شَبَمٍ

وَلاحَ في الأَرضِ مِن وِردٍ وَحَوذانِ

وَلاحَ في الأَرضِ مِن وِردٍ وَحَوذانِ

How much summer heat and bitter cold have passed through time,

How much heat and cold has passed in time

and how many roses and buttercups have appeared upon the earth!

And blossomed on earth of flowers and spleenwort!

يا صاحِبَيَّ اللَذَينِ اِستَشفَيا لِضَنىً

يا صاحِبَيَّ اللَذَينِ اِستَشفَيا لِضَنىً

بِمَن تَلوذانِ أَو مِمَّن تَعوذانِ

بِمَن تَلوذانِ أَو مِمَّن تَعوذانِ

O my two companions, who sought a cure for wasting sickness,

O two friends who sought relief from dearth

in whom do you seek refuge, or from whom seek protection?

In whom you take refuge or from whom you seek protection?

بُقراطَ عَمري وَجالينوسُ ما سَلِما

بُقراطَ عَمري وَجالينوسُ ما سَلِما

وَالحَقُّ أَنَّهُما في الطِبِّ فَذّانِ

وَالحَقُّ أَنَّهُما في الطِبِّ فَذّانِ

Hippocrates, by my life, and Galen were not spared,

Hippocrates, my life, and Galen were not spared

though, in truth, both were peerless in medicine.

And truly they were supreme in medicine!