سُبحانَ رَبُّكَ هَل يَزولُ كَغَيرِهِ

سُبحانَ رَبُّكَ هَل يَزولُ كَغَيرِهِ

شَرَفُ النُجومِ وَسُؤدَدُ الأَقمارِ

شَرَفُ النُجومِ وَسُؤدَدُ الأَقمارِ

Glory to your Lord! Will they vanish like all else—

Glory be to your Lord, does He pass away like others?

the stars' eminence and the moons' sovereignty?

The splendor of the stars and the beauty of the moon fade away.

فَكَأَنَّ مَن خَلَقَ النُفوسَ رَأى لَها

فَكَأَنَّ مَن خَلَقَ النُفوسَ رَأى لَها

ظُلَماً فَعاجَلَها بِسوءِ دَمارِ

ظُلَماً فَعاجَلَها بِسوءِ دَمارِ

It is as though he who created souls saw in store for them

So it seems He who created souls found darkness for them,

darkness, and swiftly visited them with dreadful ruin.

So He hastened to destroy them with terrible annihilation.

ما سَرَّني بِقَناعَةٍ أوتيتُها

ما سَرَّني بِقَناعَةٍ أوتيتُها

في العَيشِ مُلكا غالِبٍ وَذِمارِ

في العَيشِ مُلكا غالِبٍ وَذِمارِ

With the contentment I was granted, I would not be gladdened

I was not pleased with the contentment I was given

in life by the kingdoms of Ghalib and Dhimar.

Of an overwhelming victorious life and gambling.

وَمِنَ المَعاشِرِ مَن يَكونُ ثَراؤُهُ

وَمِنَ المَعاشِرِ مَن يَكونُ ثَراؤُهُ

مَهرَ البَغيِّ وَبُسرَةَ الخَمّارِ

مَهرَ البَغيِّ وَبُسرَةَ الخَمّارِ

Among people are those whose wealth consists of

And among associates there are those whose wealth

a harlot's fee and a wine-seller's earnings.

Is the price of immorality and the profit of drunkards.

وَالشَرُّ مُشتَهِرُ المَكانِ مُعَرَّفٌ

وَالشَرُّ مُشتَهِرُ المَكانِ مُعَرَّفٌ

وَالخَيرُ يُلمَحُ مِن وَراءِ خِمارِ

وَالخَيرُ يُلمَحُ مِن وَراءِ خِمارِ

Evil is notorious in its whereabouts, well known,

Evil has a well-known place and good is glimpsed

while goodness is glimpsed from behind a veil.

From behind the veil.

وَيُقامِرُ الإِنسانُ طولَ حَياتِهِ

وَيُقامِرُ الإِنسانُ طولَ حَياتِهِ

قَدَراً تَمَنَّعَ مِن رِضاً بِقِمارِ

قَدَراً تَمَنَّعَ مِن رِضاً بِقِمارِ

A human being gambles throughout his life

And man gambles the length of his life

with a fate that refuses to consent to gambling.

With a fate that refused to be content with gambling.

خَف مَن تَوَدُّ كَما تَخافُ مُعادِياً

خَف مَن تَوَدُّ كَما تَخافُ مُعادِياً

وَتَمارَ فيمَن لَيسَ فيهِ تَماري

وَتَمارَ فيمَن لَيسَ فيهِ تَماري

Fear those you love as you fear an enemy,

Be cautious of whom you love as you fear an enemy

and doubt those about whom you have no doubt.

And bargain with those who have no bargains.

فَالرُزءُ يَبعَثُهُ القَريبُ وَما دَرى

فَالرُزءُ يَبعَثُهُ القَريبُ وَما دَرى

مُضَرٌّ بِما تَجني يَدا أَنمارِ

مُضَرٌّ بِما تَجني يَدا أَنمارِ

For a kinsman brings calamity; and little did

Mockery is provoked even by a relative, though he knows not

Mudar know what Anmar's hands would wreak.

The harm his hands have wreaked like claws.

يَغدو الفَتى وَالخَيلُ مِلكُ يَمينِهِ

يَغدو الفَتى وَالخَيلُ مِلكُ يَمينِهِ

وَكَأَنَّهُ غادٍ بِلُبِّ حِمارِ

وَكَأَنَّهُ غادٍ بِلُبِّ حِمارِ

A young man goes forth in the morning, horses in his right hand's possession,

The young man goes out on his horse in the morning

yet as though setting out with a donkey's wits.

As if he leaves with the mind of a donkey,

فَإِذا مَلَكتَ الأَرضَ فَاِحمِ تُرابَها

فَإِذا مَلَكتَ الأَرضَ فَاِحمِ تُرابَها

مِن غَرسِهِ شَجَراً بِغَيرِ ثِمارِ

مِن غَرسِهِ شَجَراً بِغَيرِ ثِمارِ

So if you own land, protect its soil

So if you own land, guard its soil

from being planted with fruitless trees.

And plant trees in it without fruit.

إِن قَلَّتِ السَمراءُ عِندَكَ بُرهَةً

إِن قَلَّتِ السَمراءُ عِندَكَ بُرهَةً

فَاِجزَء بِمَحَضٍ مَرَّةً وَسِمارِ

فَاِجزَء بِمَحَضٍ مَرَّةً وَسِمارِ

If brown wheat is scarce with you for a while,

If you run short of wine for some time

then make do, now with pure milk, now with watered milk.

Suffice with pure wine once and keep some.

وَقَد اِدَّعى مَن لَيسَ يَثبُتُ قَولَهُ

وَقَد اِدَّعى مَن لَيسَ يَثبُتُ قَولَهُ

عِظمَ الجُسومِ وَبَسطَتَ الأَعمارِ

عِظمَ الجُسومِ وَبَسطَتَ الأَعمارِ

One who cannot substantiate his words has claimed

And the one whose claim is not proven has claimed

immense bodies and vastly extended lifespans.

Great bodies and outstretched lifetimes.

ما كابِرٌ إِلّا كَآخَرَ غابِرٍ

ما كابِرٌ إِلّا كَآخَرَ غابِرٍ

وَالحَقُّ يُعلَمُ وَجهُهُ بِأَمارِ

وَالحَقُّ يُعلَمُ وَجهُهُ بِأَمارِ

A man of old is no different from another still living,

None persists but as another who perishes,

and truth's face is known by signs.

And the truth is known by its marks.

وَتَغَنَّتِ الدُنِّيا بِصَوتٍ واحِدٍ

وَتَغَنَّتِ الدُنِّيا بِصَوتٍ واحِدٍ

لا تُحسِنُ الرَبداءُ غَيرَ زِمارِ

لا تُحسِنُ الرَبداءُ غَيرَ زِمارِ

The world has sung in a single voice:

The world sings in one voice -

the dusky ostrich knows only its own cry.

The hoopoes know only twittering.

وَمَنِ المُجَرِّبُ وَالمَدى مُتَطاوِلٌ

وَمَنِ المُجَرِّبُ وَالمَدى مُتَطاوِلٌ

عُدَّت كَواكِبُهُ مِنَ الأَغمارِ

عُدَّت كَواكِبُهُ مِنَ الأَغمارِ

Who is experienced, when time's span is so vast

Who has tried again and again has a long rope

that its stars are reckoned among the inexperienced?

With stars counted among the embers.

وَشَرِبتُ كَأساً في الشَبيبَةِ سادِراً

وَشَرِبتُ كَأساً في الشَبيبَةِ سادِراً

فَوَجَدتُ بَعدَ الشَيبِ فَرطَ خُمارِ

فَوَجَدتُ بَعدَ الشَيبِ فَرطَ خُمارِ

I drank a cup in youth, heedless,

I drank a cup to the dregs in my youth,

then found, after gray hair, an overwhelming hangover.

Then found in my old age the excess of wine hard to bear

ما بالُ هَذا اللَيلُ طالَ وَقَد يُرى

ما بالُ هَذا اللَيلُ طالَ وَقَد يُرى

مُتَقاصِراً عَن جَلسَةِ السُمّارِ

مُتَقاصِراً عَن جَلسَةِ السُمّارِ

What ails this night, so long, though it can seem

Why did this night linger though it seems

too short for a gathering of nighttime companions?

Too short for a gambler's sitting?

أَتَرومُ فَجراً كَالحُسامِ وَدونَهُ

أَتَرومُ فَجراً كَالحُسامِ وَدونَهُ

نَجمٌ أَقامَ تَمَكُّنَ المِسمارِ

نَجمٌ أَقامَ تَمَكُّنَ المِسمارِ

Do you seek a dawn like a sword, when before it

Do I wish for dawn like an Indian sword while below it

a star stands as firmly fixed as a nail?

There is a star solidly fixed like a nail?

تَلقى الفَتى كَالريحِ إِن أَودَعتَهُ

تَلقى الفَتى كَالريحِ إِن أَودَعتَهُ

سِرّاً أُذيعَ فَصارَ كَالمِزمارِ

سِرّاً أُذيعَ فَصارَ كَالمِزمارِ

You find a man like the wind: if you entrust him

The young man receives secrets like the blowing wind

with a secret, it is broadcast, and he becomes like a flute.

Which if you entrust to him are broadcast like a flute.

ما زالَ مُلكُ اللَهِ يَظهَرُ دائِباً

ما زالَ مُلكُ اللَهِ يَظهَرُ دائِباً

إِذ آدَمٌ وَبَنوهُ في الإِضمارِ

إِذ آدَمٌ وَبَنوهُ في الإِضمارِ

God's dominion has always been manifest, unceasingly,

God’s kingdom remains manifest forever

even when Adam and his sons were still concealed.

While Adam and his sons lie in the dark.

فَاِمنَع ذَمارَكَ إِن قَدِرتَ فَإِنَّني

فَاِمنَع ذَمارَكَ إِن قَدِرتَ فَإِنَّني

عَدَتِ الخُطوبُ فَما حَمَيتُ ذِماري

عَدَتِ الخُطوبُ فَما حَمَيتُ ذِماري

So defend your honor if you can; as for me,

So restrain your gambling if you can, for perils

calamities struck, and I failed to defend my honor.

Have multiplied and I could not protect my gambling.

تَقفوا الظَعائِنُ مِن نُوَيرَةَ أَجمَرَت

تَقفوا الظَعائِنُ مِن نُوَيرَةَ أَجمَرَت

أَجمالَها سَحراً لِرَمي جِمارِ

أَجمالَها سَحراً لِرَمي جِمارِ

You follow Nuwayrah's women in howdahs, who gathered

The slender-waisted white camels pursue

their camels before dawn to cast the ritual pebbles.

Their beautiful magic for casting lots.

وَعُدِدتَ مِن عُمّارِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

وَعُدِدتَ مِن عُمّارِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

كُنتَ المَريدَ يُعَدُّ في العُمّارِ

كُنتَ المَريدَ يُعَدُّ في العُمّارِ

You were counted among Mecca's pilgrims, after

You were counted among the builders of Mecca after

you had been the rebel numbered among the house-dwelling jinn.

You were deemed unfit to be counted amongst builders.

فَلِيُغنِ عَن لِبسِ الشُفوفِ نَسائِجاً

فَلِيُغنِ عَن لِبسِ الشُفوفِ نَسائِجاً

بِالتِبرِ لُبسُكَ رَثَّةَ الأَطمارِ

بِالتِبرِ لُبسُكَ رَثَّةَ الأَطمارِ

In place of wearing sheer fabrics woven

So let your clothes of Tus robes spare you

with gold, let your wearing of threadbare rags suffice.

The wear of threadbare garments.