يَأتي الرَدى وَيُواري إِثلَبٌ جَسَداً

يَأتي الرَدى وَيُواري إِثلَبٌ جَسَداً

فَاِفعَل جَميلاً وَجانِب كُلَّ ثَلّابِ

فَاِفعَل جَميلاً وَجانِب كُلَّ ثَلّابِ

Death comes, and earth conceals a body.

The vicissitudes come and cover a worn-out body,

So do good, and shun every slanderer.

So do good and avoid every backbiter.

وَالناسُ كَالخَيلِ ما هُجنٌ بِمُعطِيَةٍ

وَالناسُ كَالخَيلِ ما هُجنٌ بِمُعطِيَةٍ

في مَريِها كَعَطايا آلِ حَلّابِ

في مَريِها كَعَطايا آلِ حَلّابِ

And people are like horses: crossbreds do not give,

People are like horses not noble without generosity,

when urged on, gifts like those of Hallab's line.

So be generous like the family of Hallab.

فَاِسمَع كَلامي وَحاوِل أَن تَعيشَ بِهِ

فَاِسمَع كَلامي وَحاوِل أَن تَعيشَ بِهِ

فَسَوفَ أَعُوِزُ بَعدَ اليَومِ طُلّابي

فَسَوفَ أَعُوِزُ بَعدَ اليَومِ طُلّابي

So listen to my words, and try to live by them;

Listen to my words and try to live by them,

for after today I shall be beyond my seekers' reach.

For I will soon miss my students.

اِستَغفِرِ اللَهَ وَاترُك ماحَكى لَهُمُ

اِستَغفِرِ اللَهَ وَاترُك ماحَكى لَهُمُ

أَبو الهُذَيلِ وَما قالَ اِبنُ كَلّابِ

أَبو الهُذَيلِ وَما قالَ اِبنُ كَلّابِ

Seek God's forgiveness, and set aside what was related to them

Ask God for forgiveness and leave what

by Abu al-Hudhayl, and what Ibn Kullab said.

Abu Al-Hudhayl and Ibn Kallab said.

فَالدينُ قَد خَسَّ حَتّى صارَ أَشرَفُهُ

فَالدينُ قَد خَسَّ حَتّى صارَ أَشرَفُهُ

بازاً لِبازَينِ أَو كَلباً لِكَلّابِ

بازاً لِبازَينِ أَو كَلباً لِكَلّابِ

For religion has sunk so low that its noblest has become

Religion has declined until its best

a hawk for falconers, or a dog for a dog-handler.

Is a falcon for falconers or a dog for dog trainers.

وَالظُلمُ عِندي قَبيحٌ لا أُجَوِّزُهُ

وَالظُلمُ عِندي قَبيحٌ لا أُجَوِّزُهُ

وَلَو أُطِعتُ لَما فاؤُوا بِأَجلابِ

وَلَو أُطِعتُ لَما فاؤُوا بِأَجلابِ

And injustice is ugly in my eyes; I do not permit it.

Oppression seems ugly to me, I do not allow it,

And had I been obeyed, they would not have returned with slaves.

If I were obeyed, they would not wear rough clothes.

إِنَّ السَوادَ لَجِنسٌ خَيرُهُ زَمِرٌ

إِنَّ السَوادَ لَجِنسٌ خَيرُهُ زَمِرٌ

فَقِس بَني آدَمٍ مِنهُ عَلى اللابِ

فَقِس بَني آدَمٍ مِنهُ عَلى اللابِ

Indeed, blackness is a kind whose goodness is scant;

Black people are a good kind, the best of them perform music,

so compare its sons of Adam with black lava fields.

So judge the children of Adam accordingly.

لا تُنبِتُ الحَرَّةُ المَرعى وَلَو سُقِيَت

لا تُنبِتُ الحَرَّةُ المَرعى وَلَو سُقِيَت

بِعارِضٍ لِمِياهِ البَحرِ حَلّابِ

بِعارِضٍ لِمِياهِ البَحرِ حَلّابِ

The lava field grows no pasture, even if watered

Thorn bushes do not grow vegetation even if watered

by a rain cloud milking the waters of the sea.

With streams from the sea of Hallab.

لا يَكتَسونَ قَميصاً في دِيارِهِمُ

لا يَكتَسونَ قَميصاً في دِيارِهِمُ

كَالأَرضِ لَم تُكسَ مِن نَبتٍ بِأَسلابِ

كَالأَرضِ لَم تُكسَ مِن نَبتٍ بِأَسلابِ

They wear no shirt in their lands,

They do not wear shirts in their lands

like the earth, not clothed in garments of vegetation.

Like barren land not covered with plants.

دَهري قَتادٌ وَحالي ضالَةٌ ضَؤُلَت

دَهري قَتادٌ وَحالي ضالَةٌ ضَؤُلَت

عَمّا أُريدُ وَلَوني لَونُ لِبلابِ

عَمّا أُريدُ وَلَوني لَونُ لِبلابِ

My days are a thornbush, and my lot a wild lote-tree too small

My fate is losing my way, my state is confusion

for what I desire; my color is the color of ivy.

Distracted from what I want, my color the color of mourning.

وَإِن وَصَلتُ فَشُكري شُكرُ بَروَقَةٍ

وَإِن وَصَلتُ فَشُكري شُكرُ بَروَقَةٍ

تَرضى بِبَرقٍ مِنَ الأَمطارِ خَلّابِ

تَرضى بِبَرقٍ مِنَ الأَمطارِ خَلّابِ

And if I attain it, my thanks are an asphodel's thanks,

If I arrive somewhere, my gratitude is the gratitude of lightning

content with deceptive lightning in place of rain.

That is satisfied with a drizzle from rainy clouds.

فَدارِ خَصمَكَ إِن حَقٌّ أَنارَ لَهُ

فَدارِ خَصمَكَ إِن حَقٌّ أَنارَ لَهُ

وَلا تُنازِع بِتَمويهٍ وَإِجلابِ

وَلا تُنازِع بِتَمويهٍ وَإِجلابِ

So treat your opponent gently if truth has shone for him,

Support your adversary if truth gives light to him

and do not contend through sophistry and clamor.

And do not dispute with deception and force.

وَحُبُّ دُنياكَ طَبعٌ في المُقيمِ بِها

وَحُبُّ دُنياكَ طَبعٌ في المُقيمِ بِها

فَقَد مُنيتُ بِقِرنٍ مِنهُ غَلّابِ

فَقَد مُنيتُ بِقِرنٍ مِنهُ غَلّابِ

And love of your world is innate in whoever dwells in it;

Loving your world is innate in one who dwells in it,

for I have been plagued by an overpowering adversary born of it.

So I have been afflicted with a horn of it that gored me.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ سَجايا العَصرِ تُرخِصُني

لَمّا رَأَيتُ سَجايا العَصرِ تُرخِصُني

رَدَدتُ قَدري إِلى صَبري فَإِغلابي

رَدَدتُ قَدري إِلى صَبري فَإِغلابي

When I saw the ways of the age cheapening me,

When I saw the morals of the time permit me,

I entrusted my worth to my patience, then to my yielding.

I redirected my destiny to my patience, so patience subdues me.