بَينَbetween الغَريزَةِinstinct وَالرَشادِand sound judgment نِفارُaversion
بَينَ الغَريزَةِ وَالرَشادِ نِفارُ
وَعَلىand upon الزَخارِفِgilded falsehoods ضُمَّتِwere compiled الأَسفارُthe books
وَعَلى الزَخارِفِ ضُمَّتِ الأَسفارُ
Between instinct and sound judgment lies discord.
There is estrangement between instinct and guidance,
And books have been compiled upon gilded falsehoods.
And journey scrolls are rolled up on ornaments.
وَإِذاand if اِقتَضَيتَyou demanded مَعَwith السَعادَةِgood fortune كابِياًa sparkless fire-stick
وَإِذا اِقتَضَيتَ مَعَ السَعادَةِ كابِياً
أَورَيتَهُyou kindled it ناراًfire فَقيلَso it was called عَفارُʿafār, a fire-kindling tree
أَورَيتَهُ ناراً فَقيلَ عَفارُ
And if, with good fortune, you seek fire from a sparkless stick,
And if you found a perverse one with happiness,
You make it yield flame, and they call it ʿafār.
You showed him fire, so it was said an ember.
أَمّاas for زَمانُكَyour age بِالأَنيسِwith companions فَآهِلٌthen well peopled
أَمّا زَمانُكَ بِالأَنيسِ فَآهِلٌ
لَكِنَّهُbut it مِمّاof what تَوَدُّyou desire قِفارُbarren
لَكِنَّهُ مِمّا تَوَدُّ قِفارُ
As for your age, it is well peopled with companions,
As for your time with a companion, it is populated,
Yet it is barren of what you desire.
But it is of what deserted homelands desire.
أَقفَرتُI became desolate مِنfrom جِهَتَينِtwo aspects قَفرِdesolation مَعازَةٍstony ground
أَقفَرتُ مِن جِهَتَينِ قَفرِ مَعازَةٍ
وَطَعامِand a meal لَيلٍa night جاءَcame وَهوَand it قِفارُwithout relish
وَطَعامِ لَيلٍ جاءَ وَهوَ قِفارُ
I am desolate in two senses: like a stony waste,
I lacked from two sides, the lack of neediness
And like a night's meal that came without relish.
And the food of a night that came while it was lacking.
وَإِذاand if تَساوىwere equal فيin القَبيحِugliness فِعالُناour deeds
وَإِذا تَساوى في القَبيحِ فِعالُنا
فَمَنِso who التَّقيُّthe pious one وَأَيُّناand which of us الكَفّارُthe hardened unbeliever
فَمَنِ التَّقيُّ وَأَيُّنا الكَفّارُ
And if our deeds are alike in ugliness,
And when our two actions are equal in vileness,
Who, then, is pious, and which of us the unbeliever?
Who is the devout one and which of us the disbelievers?
وَالناسُand people بَينَbetween إِقامَةٍstaying وَتَحَمُّلٍand departure
وَالناسُ بَينَ إِقامَةٍ وَتَحَمُّلٍ
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَيامُهُمtheir days أَسفارُjourneys
وَكَأَنَّما أَيامُهُم أَسفارُ
And people live between sojourn and departure,
And people are between staying and enduring,
And it is as though their days were journeys.
And it is as if their days are travels.
وَالحَتفُand death أَنصَفَdealt fairly بَينَهُمamong them لَمdid not تَمتَنِعremain protected
وَالحَتفُ أَنصَفَ بَينَهُم لَم تَمتَنِع
مِنهُfrom it الرِئالُthe ostrich chicks وَلاnor نَجاescaped الأَغفارُthe young ibex
مِنهُ الرِئالُ وَلا نَجا الأَغفارُ
And death dealt fairly among them: there was no protection
Fate was fair between them, neither the dirhams nor the aghfar were inaccessible,
From it for ostrich chicks, nor did young ibex escape.
And sin whose forgiveness is with our pretense,
وَالذَنبُand sin ماغُفرانُهُits forgiveness is not بِتَصَنُّعٍthrough affectation
وَالذَنبُ ماغُفرانُهُ بِتَصَنُّعٍ
مِنّاon our part وَلَكِنand yet رَبُّناour Lord الغَفّارُthe Oft-Forgiving
مِنّا وَلَكِن رَبُّنا الغَفّارُ
And sin is not forgiven through affectation
Not with us, but our Lord is the Forgiver.
On our part; rather, our Lord is the Oft-Forgiving.
And how many eyelids complained of the insomnia they suffered,
وَكَمِand how often اِشتَكَتcomplained أَشفارُeyelid rims عَينٍan eye سُهدَهاits sleeplessness
وَكَمِ اِشتَكَت أَشفارُ عَينٍ سُهدَها
وَشَفاؤُهاand its cure مِمّاfor what أَلَمَّafflicted شِفارُblades
وَشَفاؤُها مِمّا أَلَمَّ شِفارُ
And how often have an eye's lids complained of its sleeplessness,
And their cure was from what pained the eyelids.
While blades are its cure for what has afflicted it.
A man is like a lion always looking out,
وَالمَرءُand man مِثلُlike اللَيثِthe lion يَفرِسُhe seizes prey دائِماًalways
وَالمَرءُ مِثلُ اللَيثِ يَفرِسُ دائِماً
وَلَقَدand indeed يَخيبُhe fails وَتَظفَرُand prevail الأَظفارُthe claws
وَلَقَد يَخيبُ وَتَظفَرُ الأَظفارُ
And man is like the lion, forever seizing prey;
And he may fail while claws succeed.
Yet he may fail, while the claws prevail.
And how long I have waited a gloomy night,
وَلَطالَماand many a time صابَرتُI patiently endured لَيلاًa night عاتِماًpitch-dark
وَلَطالَما صابَرتُ لَيلاً عاتِماً
فَمَتىso when يَكونُwill be الصُبحُmorning وَالإِسفارُand dawn's light
فَمَتى يَكونُ الصُبحُ وَالإِسفارُ
And often have I patiently endured a pitch-dark night;
When will the dawn be and the trips?
So when will morning come, and the light of dawn?
A fleet of tattered ships hopes for safety,
يَرجوhopes for السَلامَةَsafety رَكبُa caravan خَرقٍa vast desert مُتلِفٍdeadly
يَرجو السَلامَةَ رَكبُ خَرقٍ مُتلِفٍ
وَمِنَand from الخَفيرِthe protector أَتاهُمُcame to them الإِخفارُbetrayal of pledged protection
وَمِنَ الخَفيرِ أَتاهُمُ الإِخفارُ
A caravan in a deadly desert hopes for safety,
And the guard brought them news of sinking.
Yet betrayal came to them from their protector.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.