أَمّا الحُسامُ فَما أَدناكَ مِن أَجَلٍ

أَمّا الحُسامُ فَما أَدناكَ مِن أَجَلٍ

وَلا يَرُدُّ الحِمامَ الدِرعُ وَالتُرُسُ

وَلا يَرُدُّ الحِمامَ الدِرعُ وَالتُرُسُ

As for the sword, it has not brought you nearer your appointed end;

The sword does not hasten death at all,

nor do armor and shields ward off death.

Nor does the coat of mail or shield ward off the dove.

وَالناسُ مِن صُنعَةِ الخَلّاقِ كُلُّهُمُ

وَالناسُ مِن صُنعَةِ الخَلّاقِ كُلُّهُمُ

كَالخَطِّ يُقرَأُ حيناً ثُمَّ يَندَرِسُ

كَالخَطِّ يُقرَأُ حيناً ثُمَّ يَندَرِسُ

And all people are the Creator's handiwork,

People are all from the work of the Creator,

like writing, read for a time and then effaced.

Like lines that are read for a time, then fade away.

قَد اِدَّعى النُسكُ أَقوامٌ بِزَعمِهُمُ

قَد اِدَّعى النُسكُ أَقوامٌ بِزَعمِهُمُ

وَكَيفَ نُسكُ غَّويٍّ رُمحُهُ وَرِسُ

وَكَيفَ نُسكُ غَّويٍّ رُمحُهُ وَرِسُ

Some people have claimed piety, by their own account;

Some people claim asceticism, in their imagining,

but how can a wayward man be pious, his spear yellowed with blood?

How can an agitator be an ascetic, his spear and horse ready?

وَقَد جَنى الإِثمَ تَغشاهُ صَحابَتُهُ

وَقَد جَنى الإِثمَ تَغشاهُ صَحابَتُهُ

وَالنَبلُ وَالسَيفُ وَالخَطّيُّ وَالفَرَسُ

وَالنَبلُ وَالسَيفُ وَالخَطّيُّ وَالفَرَسُ

And he has incurred sin, surrounded by his companions,

He has accumulated sins, clouding his companions,

and by the arrows, the sword, the Khatt spear, and the horse.

The arrows, sword, calligraphy and horse.

يا ظَبيُّ ما أَنتَ وَالضُرغامُ تُؤَنِّسُهُ

يا ظَبيُّ ما أَنتَ وَالضُرغامُ تُؤَنِّسُهُ

إِنَّ الضَراغِمَ مِن أَخلاقِها الشَرَسُ

إِنَّ الضَراغِمَ مِن أَخلاقِها الشَرَسُ

O gazelle, what business have you befriending the lion?

O gazelle, what are you, that the wolves befriend you?

Indeed, ferocity is among the traits of lions.

Wolves are by nature vicious.

أَيَعلَمُ اللَيثُ لَمّا راحَ مُفتَرِساً

أَيَعلَمُ اللَيثُ لَمّا راحَ مُفتَرِساً

بِأَنَّهُ عَن قَريبٍ سَوفَ يُفتَرَسُ

بِأَنَّهُ عَن قَريبٍ سَوفَ يُفتَرَسُ

Does the lion know, when it goes forth to prey,

Does the lion know, when he goes out hunting,

that before long it will itself be preyed upon?

That soon he will become the hunted?

لِمَن تُواخِذُ بِالجَرّى الَّتي سَلَفَت

لِمَن تُواخِذُ بِالجَرّى الَّتي سَلَفَت

وَما تَحَرَّكَ حَتّى حُرِّكَ الجَرَسُ

وَما تَحَرَّكَ حَتّى حُرِّكَ الجَرَسُ

For whom do you exact punishment for the offense gone by?

Whom do you blame for past wrongs

And the bell did not stir until it was set in motion.

When nothing moved until the bell was rung?

يَستَحسِنُ القَومُ أَلفاظاً إِذا اِمتُحِنَت

يَستَحسِنُ القَومُ أَلفاظاً إِذا اِمتُحِنَت

يَوماً فَأَحسَنُ مِنها العِيُّ وَالخَرَسُ

يَوماً فَأَحسَنُ مِنها العِيُّ وَالخَرَسُ

People admire words that, if put to the test

People admire words, when tested,

one day, prove worse than inarticulacy and muteness.

Yet better than them are the mute and deaf.

وَآلُ إِسرالَ غادَوا في مَدارِسِهِم

وَآلُ إِسرالَ غادَوا في مَدارِسِهِم

تِلاوَةً وَمُحالٌ كُلُّ ما دَرَسوا

تِلاوَةً وَمُحالٌ كُلُّ ما دَرَسوا

And the house of Israel began the morning in their schools

The Israelites went to their schools

with recitation; yet all they studied was absurdity.

Reciting, though all they studied was useless.

أَرسَلتَ غَربَكَ تَبغي الماءَ مُجتَهِداً

أَرسَلتَ غَربَكَ تَبغي الماءَ مُجتَهِداً

وَما عَلى الغَربِ لَمّا خانَكَ المَرَسُ

وَما عَلى الغَربِ لَمّا خانَكَ المَرَسُ

You lowered your bucket, earnestly seeking water,

You sent your servants seeking water persistently,

but the bucket is not to blame when the rope betrays you.

Yet when the rope failed you, no blame lies with the west.

وَبِئسَ ما يَأمَلُ الجانونَ مِن ثَمَرٍ

وَبِئسَ ما يَأمَلُ الجانونَ مِن ثَمَرٍ

إِن قالَ عارِفُ غَرسٍ بِئسَ ما غَرَسوا

إِن قالَ عارِفُ غَرسٍ بِئسَ ما غَرَسوا

And wretched is the fruit the gatherers hope for,

Evil is what the passionate hopes to reap,

if one versed in planting says, 'Wretched is what they planted.'

If the planter says: “Evil is what they have sown.”

قَد عُمِّرَ النِسرُ ما حَمَّ المَليكُ لَهُ

قَد عُمِّرَ النِسرُ ما حَمَّ المَليكُ لَهُ

وَما لِمَنزِلِهِ قُفلٌ وَلا حَرَسُ

وَما لِمَنزِلِهِ قُفلٌ وَلا حَرَسُ

The vulture lived as long as the Sovereign decreed for it,

The eagle lived as long as the king protected it,

and its dwelling has neither lock nor guards.

Its dwelling had no lock or guard.

رَأى مَناحَةَ أَهلِ الدارِ شامِتُهُم

رَأى مَناحَةَ أَهلِ الدارِ شامِتُهُم

فَما تَخَيَّلَ إِلّا أَنَّها عُرُسُ

فَما تَخَيَّلَ إِلّا أَنَّها عُرُسُ

Their ill-wisher saw the household's mourning,

Seeing the joy of the people in the house, its enemy

so he imagined it was nothing but a wedding.

Imagined it was a wedding.