لَعَمرُكَ ما آسى إِذا ما تَحَمَّلَت

لَعَمرُكَ ما آسى إِذا ما تَحَمَّلَت

عَنِ الجِسمِ روحٌ كانَ يُدعى لَها رَبعا

عَنِ الجِسمِ روحٌ كانَ يُدعى لَها رَبعا

By your life, I do not grieve when it departs—

By your life! I shall not grieve when

a soul, from the body that was called its dwelling.

A soul that was called generous leaves the body.

وَما أَسأَلُ الأَحياءَ بَعدي زِيارَةً

وَما أَسأَلُ الأَحياءَ بَعدي زِيارَةً

ثَلاثاً لإِيناسِ الدَفينِ وَلا سَبعا

ثَلاثاً لإِيناسِ الدَفينِ وَلا سَبعا

And I ask the living for no visits after my death—

And I do not ask the living after me for frequent visitation -

neither three to comfort the buried, nor seven.

Thrice to the narrow grave or seven times.

وَلا تَرِثُ الزَوجاتُ عَنِّيَ حِصَةً

وَلا تَرِثُ الزَوجاتُ عَنِّيَ حِصَةً

مِنَ المالِ ثُمَناً في الفَريضَةِ أَو رُبعا

مِنَ المالِ ثُمَناً في الفَريضَةِ أَو رُبعا

Nor shall wives inherit from me a share

Nor shall the wives inherit from me

of wealth—an eighth in the prescribed division, or a quarter.

A portion or a fourth of wealth in the law of inheritance.

جِوارُ بَني الدُنِّيا ضَنىً لي دائِمٌ

جِوارُ بَني الدُنِّيا ضَنىً لي دائِمٌ

تَمَنَّيتُ لَمّا شَفَّني الغِبَّ وَالرِبعا

تَمَنَّيتُ لَمّا شَفَّني الغِبَّ وَالرِبعا

Living beside the sons of this world is a constant wasting sickness to me;

The company of the people of this lowly world was irksome to me,

when it wasted me, I wished for tertian and quartan fevers.

When absence and remoteness gave me pleasure.

لَقَد فَعَلوا الخَيرَ القَليلَ تَكَلُّفاً

لَقَد فَعَلوا الخَيرَ القَليلَ تَكَلُّفاً

وَجاؤُوا الَّذي جاؤُوهُ مِن شَرِّهِم طَبعا

وَجاؤُوا الَّذي جاؤُوهُ مِن شَرِّهِم طَبعا

Indeed, they did their little good by forcing themselves,

Indeed, they did little good reluctantly

and whatever evil they committed, they did by nature.

And did the evil that they did naturally.

فَأَينَ يَنابيعُ النَدى وَبِحارُهُ

فَأَينَ يَنابيعُ النَدى وَبِحارُهُ

وَهَل أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا

وَهَل أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا

Where, then, are the springs of generosity and its seas?

So where are the springs of dew and their seas?

And have the days left even a lion's foreleg?

And did the days leave any lion a cub?

إِذا حُرِقَت عيدانُهُم فَأُلُوَّةٌ

إِذا حُرِقَت عيدانُهُم فَأُلُوَّةٌ

وَهَل أَبقَتِ الَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا

وَهَل أَبقَتِ الَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا

If their branches are burned, they are aloeswood.

When their fire-sticks are burnt, they are gloomy.

And have the days left even a lion's foreleg?

And did the days leave any lion a cub?