فَرَقٌfear بَداhas appeared وَمِنَand of الحَوادِثِcalamities يَفرَقُhe fears
فَرَقٌ بَدا وَمِنَ الحَوادِثِ يَفرَقُ
شَيخٌan old man يُغادىis visited at dawn بِالخُطوبِby troubles وَيُطرَقُand is visited at night
شَيخٌ يُغادى بِالخُطوبِ وَيُطرَقُ
Fear has arisen; calamities frighten
Separation showed its face, and events separate
an old man whom troubles visit morning and night.
An old man goes on perilous journeys and is battered
سُبحانَglory be to خالِقِناour Creator وَطاءٌa bed أَغبَرٌdust-gray
سُبحانَ خالِقِنا وَطاءٌ أَغبَرٌ
مِنfrom تَحتِناbeneath us وَلَهُand it has غِطاءٌa covering أَزرَقُblue
مِن تَحتِنا وَلَهُ غِطاءٌ أَزرَقُ
Glory to our Creator! A dust-gray bed
Glory to our Creator! Beneath us is a dusty covering
lies beneath us, and it has a blue covering.
And above, a blue canopy
وَالشُهُبُand the stars فيin بَحرِthe sea of السَماءِthe sky سَوابِحٌswimmers
وَالشُهُبُ في بَحرِ السَماءِ سَوابِحٌ
تَطفوthey float لِناظِرَةِbefore the gaze of العُيونِthe eyes وَتَغرَقُand sink
تَطفو لِناظِرَةِ العُيونِ وَتَغرَقُ
And the stars are swimmers in the sea of heaven;
The falling stars in the sea of the sky are worshippers
they float before watching eyes, and sink.
Floating to the watcher's eyes then sinking
أَعَرَقتَyou made sweat خَيلَكَyour horses فيin مُحاوَلَةِpursuit of الغِنىwealth
أَعَرَقتَ خَيلَكَ في مُحاوَلَةِ الغِنى
وَحَواهُand acquired it غَيرُكَsomeone other than you مُشئِمٌSyria-bound أَوor مُعرِقُIraq-bound
وَحَواهُ غَيرُكَ مُشئِمٌ أَو مُعرِقُ
You have made your horses sweat in pursuit of wealth,
You made your horses sweat trying to gain wealth
while another has gained it, bound for Syria or Iraq.
While others stored it, whether fortunate or wretched
وَأَخوand a man of الحِجىreason فيin أَمرِهِhis affairs مُتَحَيّرٌbewildered
وَأَخو الحِجى في أَمرِهِ مُتَحَيّرٌ
جَمَعَgathered التَجارُبَexperiences عُمرُهُhis lifetime المُتَفَرِّقُscattered
جَمَعَ التَجارُبَ عُمرُهُ المُتَفَرِّقُ
And the man of reason is bewildered in his affairs;
My brother confused about his affair
his scattered lifetime has gathered experience.
His life of scattered trials brought together
وَتَعَهَّدَand revisited اِبنُthe son of العَبدِal-ʿAbd بُرقَةَthe stony tract of ثَهمِدٍThahmad
وَتَعَهَّدَ اِبنُ العَبدِ بُرقَةَ ثَهمِدٍ
فَمَضىthen he passed away وَشيكاًsoon وَاِستَقَرَّand remained الأَبرَقُthe stony tract
فَمَضى وَشيكاً وَاِستَقَرَّ الأَبرَقُ
And Ibn al-ʿAbd revisited the stony tract of Thahmad;
The son of Abdullah took on Thahmid's lightning flash
he soon passed away, while the stony ground remained.
He went quickly while the brilliant one stayed
عَزَّexalted is الَّذيHe who أَعفىspared الجَمادَinanimate things فَماso not تَرىyou see
عَزَّ الَّذي أَعفى الجَمادَ فَما تَرى
حَجَراًa stone يَغَصُّchoking بِمَأكَلٍon food أَوor يَشرَقُchoking on drink
حَجَراً يَغَصُّ بِمَأكَلٍ أَو يَشرَقُ
Exalted is He who spared inanimate things; you never see
Honor to Him who made inanimate things free, so you do not see
a stone choking on food or drink.
A rock bursting with food or shining with drink
مُتَعَرِّياًbare فيin صَيفِهِits summer وَشِتائِهِand its winter
مُتَعَرِّياً في صَيفِهِ وَشِتائِهِ
ماnot ريعَwas alarmed قَطُّever لِمَلبَسٍover a garment يَتَخَرَّقُwearing out
ما ريعَ قَطُّ لِمَلبَسٍ يَتَخَرَّقُ
Bare in its summer and winter,
Bare in summer and winter, not needing clothes that tear
it has never been alarmed by a garment wearing out.
Enduring or shivering, no flowing tears for grievous woes
مُتَجَلِّداًshowing fortitude أَوor خِلتُهُI thought it مُتَلَبِّداًinert
مُتَجَلِّداً أَو خِلتُهُ مُتَلَبِّداً
لاno دَمعَtear فيهِin it بِفادِحٍat a grievous blow يَتَرَقرَقُwells up
لا دَمعَ فيهِ بِفادِحٍ يَتَرَقرَقُ
Stoic—or I thought it merely inert—
No feeling hurts it so it shows distress
no tear wells within it at a grievous blow.
If a mallet or hammer happens to strike
لاno حِسَّsensation يُؤلِمُهُpains it فَيُظهِرُso it shows مُجزَعاًdistressed
لا حِسَّ يُؤلِمُهُ فَيُظهِرُ مُجزَعاً
إِنif راحَbegins يَضرِبُstriking مِلطَسٌa mason's mallet أَوor مِطرَقُa hammer
إِن راحَ يَضرِبُ مِلطَسٌ أَو مِطرَقُ
It feels no pain that would make it show distress,
It has not spent a morning like a bird, going out to seek
if a mallet or hammer begins to strike it.
Whatever it finds of seeds or crumbs
لَمdid not يَغّدُgo out early غَدوَةَthe morning outing of طائِرٍa bird مُتَكَسِّبٍseeking sustenance
لَم يَغّدُ غَدوَةَ طائِرٍ مُتَكَسِّبٍ
وافاهُcame upon it يَلقُطُpecking أَجدَلٌa falcon أَوor زُرَّقُa hawk
وافاهُ يَلقُطُ أَجدَلٌ أَو زُرَّقُ
It never went out at dawn like a bird seeking food,
Doves, why ride the backs of doves
only to be met, while pecking, by a falcon or hawk.
Of paper, when riding birds is wretched?
أَحِمامُO Death ماwhat لَكَfor you فيin رُكوبِriding حَمائِمٍdoves
أَحِمامُ ما لَكَ في رُكوبِ حَمائِمٍ
وُرقٍgray-feathered وَمِنand among شَرِّthe worst of الرُكابِriding camels الأَورَقُthe gray camel
وُرقٍ وَمِن شَرِّ الرُكابِ الأَورَقُ
O Death, why do you ride doves—
The rock remains, never once
gray ones, when the gray camel is among the worst of mounts?
Committing a sin, nor bashful and bowing
وَالصَخرُand rock يَلبَثُremains لاnot يُقارِفُcommits مَرَّةًeven once
وَالصَخرُ يَلبَثُ لا يُقارِفُ مَرَّةً
ذَنباًa sin وَلاand not هُوَit مِنfrom حَياءٍshame مُطرِقُbowing its head
ذَنباً وَلا هُوَ مِن حَياءٍ مُطرِقُ
And rock remains, never once committing
Fate is reckless, not guided to any craft
a sin, nor does it bow its head in shame.
Its sons are all reckless fools
وَالدَهرُand Time أَخرَقُinept ماnever اِهتَدىfound its way لِصَنيعَةٍto a kindly deed
وَالدَهرُ أَخرَقُ ما اِهتَدى لِصَنيعَةٍ
وَبَنوهُand its sons كُلُّهُمُall of them سَفيهٌfoolish أَخرَقُinept
وَبَنوهُ كُلُّهُمُ سَفيهٌ أَخرَقُ
And Time is inept, never finding its way to kindness;
Our bodies are alike but our goals differ
all its sons are foolish and inept.
One enlightened, one benighted
وَتَشابَهَتand were alike أَجسامُناour bodies وَتَخالَفَتand differed
وَتَشابَهَت أَجسامُنا وَتَخالَفَت
أَغراضُناour aims فَمُغَرِّبٌso one goes west وَمُشَرِّقُand one goes east
أَغراضُنا فَمُغَرِّبٌ وَمُشَرِّقُ
Our bodies are alike, yet different
O worries that change with misfortunes!
are our aims: one heads west, another east.
The branch greens in time and withers
ياO هِمُّdecrepit old man وَيحَكَalas for you غَيَّرَتكَhave changed you نَوائِبٌcalamities
يا هِمُّ وَيحَكَ غَيَّرَتكَ نَوائِبٌ
وَالغُصنُand the bough يورِقُputs forth leaves فيin الزَمانِtime وَيورَقُand is stripped of leaves
وَالغُصنُ يورِقُ في الزَمانِ وَيورَقُ
O aged man, alas for you! Calamities have changed you;
Your sins filled your scroll and your deeds
and in time the bough puts forth leaves and is stripped of them.
Were the darkest ink, your hair gone white
مَلَأَتhave filled صَحيفَتَكَyour page الذُنوبُsins وَفُعلُكَand your deeds
مَلَأَت صَحيفَتَكَ الذُنوبُ وَفُعلُكَ
الحِبرُthe ink الأَحَمُّjet-black وَفَودُand the temple of رَأسِكَyour head مُهرَقُa sheet of parchment
الحِبرُ الأَحَمُّ وَفَودُ رَأسِكَ مُهرَقُ
Sins have filled your page, and your deeds are
As if ashes were poured in grief
jet-black ink; the hair at your temple is parchment.
On your brow and your blazing heart
وَكَأَنَّماand as though نُفِضَwas shaken out الرَمادُashes كَآبَةًin grief
وَكَأَنَّما نُفِضَ الرَمادُ كَآبَةً
فَوقَover الجَبينِthe brow وَقَلبُكَand your heart المُتَحَرِّقُburning
فَوقَ الجَبينِ وَقَلبُكَ المُتَحَرِّقُ
And it is as though ashes had been shaken in grief
The envious claim the King of Loss owns life -
over your brow, while your heart burns.
They think life itself is there to be stolen
لِصُّthe thief of الكَرىsleep مَلَكَthe angel of الرَدىdeath فيin زَعمِهِمtheir claim
لِصُّ الكَرى مَلَكَ الرَدى في زَعمِهِم
إِنَّindeed الحَياةَlife مِنَfrom الأَنامِhumankind لِتُسرَقُis surely stolen
إِنَّ الحَياةَ مِنَ الأَنامِ لِتُسرَقُ
Sleep's thief is death's angel, they claim;
Whoever is given something, it will be taken
indeed, life is stolen from humankind.
Whoever sleeps on the wings of darkness will be disturbed
مَنwhoever يُعطَis given شَيئاًsomething يُستَلَبهُhas it snatched away وَمَنand whoever يَنَمsleeps
مَن يُعطَ شَيئاً يُستَلَبهُ وَمَن يَنَم
جِنحَunder the cover of الظَلامِdarkness فَإِنَّهُthen surely he سَيُؤَرَّقُwill be kept awake
جِنحَ الظَلامِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيُؤَرَّقُ
Whoever is given anything has it snatched away; and whoever sleeps
The raven was shooed away while the rooster
under cover of darkness will surely be kept awake.
Of the household for people is white and speckled
زُجِرَwas driven off الغُرابُthe crow تَطَيُّراًas an ill omen وَنَقيضُهُand its opposite
زُجِرَ الغُرابُ تَطَيُّراً وَنَقيضُهُ
ديكٌa cock لِأَهلِfor the people of الدارِthe house أَبيَضُwhite أَفرَقُsplit-combed
ديكٌ لِأَهلِ الدارِ أَبيَضُ أَفرَقُ
The crow is driven off as an ill omen, while its opposite
This ignorance! As if we were sour fruit
is, for the household, a white cock with a split comb.
Or a thread fed by a patch its greens
هَذاthis السِفاهُfolly كَأَنَّناas though we were حِمضيَّةٌa saltwort-grazing ostrich
هَذا السِفاهُ كَأَنَّنا حِمضيَّةٌ
أَوor خَيطُa flock of ostriches بِلِقعَةٍon a barren plain غَذاهُnourished it العِشرِقُsenna
أَو خَيطُ بِلِقعَةٍ غَذاهُ العِشرِقُ
This is folly—as though we were a saltwort-grazing ostrich,
or a flock on a barren plain, nourished by senna.
Partial English translation: 42 of 44 Arabic lines translated.