أُصمُت وَإِن تَأبَ فَاِنطُق شَطرَ ما سَمِعَت

أُصمُت وَإِن تَأبَ فَاِنطُق شَطرَ ما سَمِعَت

أُذُناكَ فَالفَمُ نِصفُ اِثنَينِ في العَدَدِ

أُذُناكَ فَالفَمُ نِصفُ اِثنَينِ في العَدَدِ

Be silent; if you refuse, speak half of what was heard

I keep silent, though you refuse me, but speak half of what your ears have heard.

By your two ears—for the mouth is half of two in number.

For the mouth is half of two in number, so make it the extent of what the tongue can bring,

وَاِجعَلهُ غايَةَ ما يَأتي اللِسانُ بِهِ

وَاِجعَلهُ غايَةَ ما يَأتي اللِسانُ بِهِ

وَإِن تَجاوَزَ لَم يَقرُب مِنَ السَدَدِ

وَإِن تَجاوَزَ لَم يَقرُب مِنَ السَدَدِ

And make that the limit of what the tongue brings forth;

And if it exceeds, it will not come near excellence.

And if it exceeds that, it comes nowhere near what is right.

All people altogether were created from their worldly lives,

الناسُ أَجمَعُ مِن دُنياهُمُ خُلِقوا

الناسُ أَجمَعُ مِن دُنياهُمُ خُلِقوا

فَما اِنتِقالَكَ مِن أَدٍّ إِلى أَدَدِ

فَما اِنتِقالَكَ مِن أَدٍّ إِلى أَدَدِ

All people were created from their world;

So how could your moving from one period to a more vehement one be?

So what is the point of your passing from Add to Adad?

Away with them, men who have no gentle qualities,

بُعداً لَهُم مِن رِجالٍ لا حُلومَ لَهُم

بُعداً لَهُم مِن رِجالٍ لا حُلومَ لَهُم

يَمشونَ في الوَعثِ إِعراضاً عَنِ الجَدَدِ

يَمشونَ في الوَعثِ إِعراضاً عَنِ الجَدَدِ

Away with them—men who have no understanding,

Who walk in the mud, turning away from the new.

Who walk through soft sand, turning away from firm, level ground.

I wish that my God had forsaken me,

وَدِدتُ أَنَّ إِلهي كانَ غادَرَني

وَدِدتُ أَنَّ إِلهي كانَ غادَرَني

وَمُدَّتي في يَدَيها أَقصَرُ المُدَدِ

وَمُدَّتي في يَدَيها أَقصَرُ المُدَدِ

I wish that my God had left me,

And that my term in His hands were the shortest of terms.

With my lifespan in her two hands the shortest of spans.

You contend with fate about something it is generous with,

تُخاصِمُ الحَظَّ في شَيءٍ يَجودُ بِهِ

تُخاصِمُ الحَظَّ في شَيءٍ يَجودُ بِهِ

وَراحَ خَصمُكَ مِنهُ بِيَّنَ اللَدَدِ

وَراحَ خَصمُكَ مِنهُ بِيَّنَ اللَدَدِ

You dispute with fortune over something it bestows,

And your contender against it became manifestly refractory.

And over it your opponent has proved plainly obstinate.