أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ جِسمِيَ فيهِ فَضلٌ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ جِسمِيَ فيهِ فَضلٌ

وَجِسمَكَ قَد أَضَرَّ بِهِ الشُسوفُ

وَجِسمَكَ قَد أَضَرَّ بِهِ الشُسوفُ

Have you not seen that my body has flesh to spare,

Have you not seen that my body has merit

while emaciation has harmed yours?

While your body is harmed by decline?

تُطَيِّبُ جاهِداً وَتُعِلُّ دوني

تُطَيِّبُ جاهِداً وَتُعِلُّ دوني

فَما أَغناكَ أَنَّكَ فَيلَسوفُ

فَما أَغناكَ أَنَّكَ فَيلَسوفُ

You diligently perfume yourself and drink again without me;

You perfume yourself while disparaging me

so being a philosopher has done you no good.

Yet your philosophy does not avail you.

كَأَنَّكَ في يَدِ الأَيّامِ مالٌ

كَأَنَّكَ في يَدِ الأَيّامِ مالٌ

وَكُلُّ المالِ عَن قَدَرٍ يَسوفُ

وَكُلُّ المالِ عَن قَدَرٍ يَسوفُ

You are like livestock in the hands of time,

You are as wealth in the hands of fate -

and all livestock perish as fate decrees.

And all wealth passes beyond its destined hour.

وَأَحسِبُ أَنَّنا إِبلٌ رَذايا

وَأَحسِبُ أَنَّنا إِبلٌ رَذايا

أَجَدُّ وَراءَها حادٍ عَسوفُ

أَجَدُّ وَراءَها حادٍ عَسوفُ

And I think that we are worn-out camels,

And I reckon we are barren camels driven on,

with a relentless, ruthless camel-driver behind them.

Behind them a harsh driver urging speed.

أَسِفتُ لِفائِتٍ وَسَلَوتُ عَنهُ

أَسِفتُ لِفائِتٍ وَسَلَوتُ عَنهُ

وَهَل مِثلي عَلى ماضٍ أَسوفُ

وَهَل مِثلي عَلى ماضٍ أَسوفُ

I grieved for what was lost, then ceased to mourn it;

I grieved over one departed and asked about him -

and would one like me be grief-stricken over the past?

Does one like me grieve over a past already gone?

لَقَد عِشتُ الكَثيرَ مِنَ اللَيالي

لَقَد عِشتُ الكَثيرَ مِنَ اللَيالي

وَلَم أَرقُب مَتّى يَقَعُ الكُسوفُ

وَلَم أَرقُب مَتّى يَقَعُ الكُسوفُ

I have indeed lived through many nights,

I have lived for many nights

and never watched for when an eclipse would occur.

Yet did not keep vigil for when an eclipse would come.

فَهَل لِطَوالِعِ الأَقمارِ عَقلٌ

فَهَل لِطَوالِعِ الأَقمارِ عَقلٌ

فَتَعلَمَ حينَ يُدرِكُها الخُسوفُ

فَتَعلَمَ حينَ يُدرِكُها الخُسوفُ

So do the rising moons have minds,

Do the stars that rise have any wisdom

so that they may know when a lunar eclipse overtakes them?

That they would know when an eclipse will overtake them?

أَتَسمَعُ أَو تُعايِنُ أَو تُعاني

أَتَسمَعُ أَو تُعايِنُ أَو تُعاني

بِلاءً أَو تَذَوُّقُ أَو تَسوفُ

بِلاءً أَو تَذَوُّقُ أَو تَسوفُ

Do they hear, or see, or suffer

Can you hear, see, suffer,

affliction, or taste, or smell?

Taste, perceive or decline?