أَما حَياتي فَما لي عِندَها فَرَجٌ

أَما حَياتي فَما لي عِندَها فَرَجٌ

فَلَيتَ شِعرِيَ عَن مَوتي إِذا قَدِما

فَلَيتَ شِعرِيَ عَن مَوتي إِذا قَدِما

As for my life, I find no relief in it.

My life grants me no respite,

So would that I knew about my death when it comes.

I wonder what my death will bring when it comes.

صَحَبتُ عَيشاً أُعانيهِ وَيَغلِبُني

صَحَبتُ عَيشاً أُعانيهِ وَيَغلِبُني

مِثلَ الوَليدِ يَقودُ المُصعَبَ السَدِما

مِثلَ الوَليدِ يَقودُ المُصعَبَ السَدِما

I have kept company with a life I struggle against, and it overcomes me,

I lived a life full of hardship that overwhelmed me,

like a child leading a restive, raging camel.

Like a newborn camel led on rugged ground.

وَقَد مَلَلتُ زَماناً شَرُّهُ لَهَبٌ

وَقَد مَلَلتُ زَماناً شَرُّهُ لَهَبٌ

إِذا انا لِخُبُوٍّ عادَ فَاِحتَدَما

إِذا انا لِخُبُوٍّ عادَ فَاِحتَدَما

And I have grown weary of an age whose evil is a flame:

I'm tired of an era whose evil is scorching,

whenever it is ready to die down, it returns and blazes fiercely.

Whenever despair returns it rages violently.

مَن باعَني بِحَياتي ميتَةً سُرُحاً

مَن باعَني بِحَياتي ميتَةً سُرُحاً

بايَعتُهُ وَأَهانَ اللَهُ مَن نَدِما

بايَعتُهُ وَأَهانَ اللَهُ مَن نَدِما

Whoever would sell me an easy death in exchange for my life,

One who sold me into a living death untethered,

I would strike a bargain with him—and may God disgrace whoever regrets it.

I pledged to him while God disgraced the remorseful one.

إِذا أَظَلَّت مِنَ الأَهواءِ مَهلَكَةٌ

إِذا أَظَلَّت مِنَ الأَهواءِ مَهلَكَةٌ

فَلا تَهابَن رَداها وَاِمضِيَن قُدُما

فَلا تَهابَن رَداها وَاِمضِيَن قُدُما

If a deadly peril born of passions casts its shadow,

When calamities from desires shadow you,

never fear its destruction; press straight ahead.

Do not fear facing them, go forth steadily.

وَالنَفسُ تَسمو فَإِن تَسغَب فَبُغيَتُها

وَالنَفسُ تَسمو فَإِن تَسغَب فَبُغيَتُها

قوتٌ مَتى أَعطَيتَهُ حاوَلت أُدُما

قوتٌ مَتى أَعطَيتَهُ حاوَلت أُدُما

And the soul aspires; if it hungers, its desire is

The soul aspires, so if it is unruly, its defiance

food; whenever you give it that, it seeks condiments.

Is a strength, give it what it wants and it aspires for more.

في طَبعِها حُبُّها الدُنيا وَقَد عَلِمَت

في طَبعِها حُبُّها الدُنيا وَقَد عَلِمَت

أَنَّ المَنِيَّةَ فينا حادِثٌ قُدُما

أَنَّ المَنِيَّةَ فينا حادِثٌ قُدُما

Its love of this world is in its nature, though it knows

It's in its nature to love this life, and it knows

that death has befallen us from of old.

That death resides in us, it came before.

وَالخَيرُ أَجمَعُ في غَبراءَ تَأدُمُ بي

وَالخَيرُ أَجمَعُ في غَبراءَ تَأدُمُ بي

هَذا التُرابَ وَيَفري الجِسمَ وَالأُدُما

هَذا التُرابَ وَيَفري الجِسمَ وَالأُدُما

And all good lies in a dust-gray death that makes me a relish for

The best of all lies in the dust that wears me down

this dust, which rends the body and the skin.

And breaks apart my body and bones.

فَالآنَ شارَفتُ جَيشَ الحَتفِ وَاِقتَرَبَت

فَالآنَ شارَفتُ جَيشَ الحَتفِ وَاِقتَرَبَت

دارٌ أَكادُ إِلَيها أَرفَعُ القَدَما

دارٌ أَكادُ إِلَيها أَرفَعُ القَدَما

Now I have neared death's army, and close at hand is

So now I'm close to the army of destiny,

a dwelling toward which I almost raise my foot.

And a house which I almost step towards.

حُمَّ القَضاءُ فَما يَرثي لِباكِيَةٍ

حُمَّ القَضاءُ فَما يَرثي لِباكِيَةٍ

وَلَو أَفاضَت عَلى إِثرِ الدُموعِ دَما

وَلَو أَفاضَت عَلى إِثرِ الدُموعِ دَما

Fate is decreed; it feels no pity for a weeping woman,

Fate has judged, so why would one weep for a wailing woman,

even if she pours out blood in the wake of tears.

Even if she poured blood after her tears.

مَن يَغنَ يَخدُمهُ أَقوامٌ عَلى طَمَعٍ

مَن يَغنَ يَخدُمهُ أَقوامٌ عَلى طَمَعٍ

وَلا يَرَونَ لِمَن أَخطا الغِنى خَدَما

وَلا يَرَونَ لِمَن أَخطا الغِنى خَدَما

Whoever becomes rich has people serve him out of greed,

One who sings is served by people hoping for gain,

but they see no servants for one who has missed out on wealth.

And they don't serve one whose wealth has erred.

وَاللَهُ صَوَّرَ أَشباحاً لَها خَبَرٌ

وَاللَهُ صَوَّرَ أَشباحاً لَها خَبَرٌ

وَالشَخصُ بَعدَ وُجودٍ يَقتَضي عَدَما

وَالشَخصُ بَعدَ وُجودٍ يَقتَضي عَدَما

And God has fashioned bodies with stories of their own;

God has shaped spirits with wisdom,

yet a person, after existence, must come to nonexistence.

While the mortal, after existence, meets his end.

وَشادَ إيوانَ كِسرى مَعشَرٌ طَلَبوا

وَشادَ إيوانَ كِسرى مَعشَرٌ طَلَبوا

ثَباتَهُ وَتَمادى الوَقتُ فَاِنهَدَما

ثَباتَهُ وَتَمادى الوَقتُ فَاِنهَدَما

And a group built Khosrow's vaulted hall, seeking

A people built the palace of Chosroes, seeking

its permanence; time stretched on, and it collapsed.

Its permanence, but time passed and it collapsed.