أَنا بِاللَيالي وَالحَوادِهِ أُخبَرُ

أَنا بِاللَيالي وَالحَوادِهِ أُخبَرُ

سَفَرٌ يَجِدُّ بِنا وَجِسرٌ يُعبَرُ

سَفَرٌ يَجِدُّ بِنا وَجِسرٌ يُعبَرُ

I am well informed about nights and happenings:

By nights and valleys news to me conveyed,

A journey hastens onward with us, and a bridge is crossed.

Of journey soon, and bridge to cross o'er glade.

واجَهتَ قُبَّرَةً فَخِفتَ تَطَيُّراً

واجَهتَ قُبَّرَةً فَخِفتَ تَطَيُّراً

ما كُلُّ مَيتٍ لا أَبا لَكَ يُقبَرُ

ما كُلُّ مَيتٍ لا أَبا لَكَ يُقبَرُ

You met a lark and feared it as an ill omen.

You faced a tomb and feared what dead may bode,

Not every dead man—may you have no father!—is buried.

Not every buried soul, a harm will goad.

مِن أَحسَنِ الأَحداثِ وَضعُكَ غابِراً

مِن أَحسَنِ الأَحداثِ وَضعُكَ غابِراً

في التُربِ يَأكُلُهُ تُرابٌ أَغبَرُ

في التُربِ يَأكُلُهُ تُرابٌ أَغبَرُ

Among the finest happenings is your laying a departed one

To rest subdued is best for frail façade,

In the soil, where gray dust devours him.

Where dusty earth all vanity pervade.

ما أَجهَلَ الأُمَمَ الَّذينَ عَرَفتُهُم

ما أَجهَلَ الأُمَمَ الَّذينَ عَرَفتُهُم

وَلَعَلَّ سالِفَهُم أَضَلُّ وَأَتبَرُ

وَلَعَلَّ سالِفَهُم أَضَلُّ وَأَتبَرُ

How ignorant are the peoples I have known!

How ignorant I found the tribes that met,

And perhaps their forebears were more astray and more ruined.

Though past lore fail, and new solutions fret.

يَدعونَ في جُمَعاتِهِم بِسَفاهَةٍ

يَدعونَ في جُمَعاتِهِم بِسَفاهَةٍ

لِأَميرِهِم فَيَكادُ يَبكي المِنبَرُ

لِأَميرِهِم فَيَكادُ يَبكي المِنبَرُ

They foolishly pray at their Friday gatherings

Inane they hail their lord in gatherings,

For their ruler, so that the pulpit nearly weeps.

His dais nears tear under praises spread.

جِئنا عَلى كُرهٍ وَنَرحَلُ رُغَّماً

جِئنا عَلى كُرهٍ وَنَرحَلُ رُغَّماً

وَلَعَلَّنا ما بَينَ ذَلِكَ نُجبَرُ

وَلَعَلَّنا ما بَينَ ذَلِكَ نُجبَرُ

We came unwillingly, and depart against our will.

We're come perforce and leave with soured mood,

And perhaps, in between, we are compelled.

'Twixt this and that, we may find understood.

ما قيلَ في عِظَمِ المَليكِ وَعِزِّهِ

ما قيلَ في عِظَمِ المَليكِ وَعِزِّهِ

فَاللَهُ أَعظَمُ في القِياسِ وَأَكبَرُ

فَاللَهُ أَعظَمُ في القِياسِ وَأَكبَرُ

Whatever is said of the king's greatness and glory,

All said of king and glory's height,

God is greater by comparison, and grander.

God's greater still in wisdom and might.

وَكَأَنَّما رُؤياكَ رُؤيا نائِمٍ

وَكَأَنَّما رُؤياكَ رُؤيا نائِمٍ

بِالعَكسِ في عُقبى الزَمانِ تُعَبَّرُ

بِالعَكسِ في عُقبى الزَمانِ تُعَبَّرُ

And it is as though your vision were a sleeper's dream,

Your vision's but a dream seen sleeping,

Interpreted in reverse in the fullness of time.

Interpreted reverse in time far sweeping.

فَإِذا بَكَيتَ بِها فَتِلكَ مَسَرَّةٌ

فَإِذا بَكَيتَ بِها فَتِلكَ مَسَرَّةٌ

وَإِذا ضَحِكتَ فَذاكَ عَينٌ تَعبُرُ

وَإِذا ضَحِكتَ فَذاكَ عَينٌ تَعبُرُ

So if you weep in it, that is joy;

If it draws tears, a joy you're reaping,

And if you laugh, that is an eye that weeps.

If laughter, an eye relief from weeping.

سُرَّ الفَتى مِن جَهلِهِ بِزَمانِهِ

سُرَّ الفَتى مِن جَهلِهِ بِزَمانِهِ

وَهوَ الأَسيرُ لِيَومِ قَتلٍ يُصبَرُ

وَهوَ الأَسيرُ لِيَومِ قَتلٍ يُصبَرُ

The young man is gladdened by ignorance of his times,

Man's bliss is ignorance of his age,

Though he is a captive kept bound for a day of execution.

A pawn to slay, with patience for cage.

لَعِبَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ

لَعِبَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ

حَرفٌ يُلَيَّنُ في الكَلامِ وَيُنبَرُ

حَرفٌ يُلَيَّنُ في الكَلامِ وَيُنبَرُ

His days have toyed with him, so he is like

His days all played with him a game,

A letter softened in speech and sharply pronounced.

Moulded word softened without shame.

عَجَزَ الأَطِبَّةُ عَن جُروحِ نَوائِبٍ

عَجَزَ الأَطِبَّةُ عَن جُروحِ نَوائِبٍ

لَيسَت بِغَيرِ قَضاءِ رَبِّكَ تُسبَرُ

لَيسَت بِغَيرِ قَضاءِ رَبِّكَ تُسبَرُ

Physicians are powerless against the wounds of calamities

No remedies for wounds of fate applied,

That cannot be probed except by your Lord's decree.

Except the writ of Lord, may they subside.

وَالمَينُ أَغلَبُ في المَعاشِرِ كَم أَخٍ

وَالمَينُ أَغلَبُ في المَعاشِرِ كَم أَخٍ

لِلدَفرِ وَهوَ إِذا يُسَمّى العَنبَرُ

لِلدَفرِ وَهوَ إِذا يُسَمّى العَنبَرُ

And falsehood prevails among people: how many a brother

In life, the cursed oft most espied,

To stench—yet when named, he is ambergris!

While the noble mocked, his glory denied.

شَرُفَ اللَئيمُ وَكَم شَريفٍ رَأسُهُ

شَرُفَ اللَئيمُ وَكَم شَريفٍ رَأسُهُ

هَدَرٌ يُقَطُّ كَما يُقَطُّ المِزبَرُ

هَدَرٌ يُقَطُّ كَما يُقَطُّ المِزبَرُ

The base man has risen high, while many a noble man's head

Many a villain risen, many a chief

Is lopped off without redress, as a reed pen is trimmed.

Fallen, his head now as garbage grief.

سَل أُمَّ غَيلانَ الصَموتَ عَنِ اِبنِها

سَل أُمَّ غَيلانَ الصَموتَ عَنِ اِبنِها

وَبَناتِ أَوبَرَ ما أَبوها أَوبَرُ

وَبَناتِ أَوبَرَ ما أَبوها أَوبَرُ

Ask silent Umm Ghaylan about her son,

Ask silent Ghaylan of her son,

And the daughters of Awbar—their father is not Awbar.

And daughters of Obar, what he has done.

وَالشَرُّ يَجلِبُهُ العَلاءُ وَكَم شَكا

وَالشَرُّ يَجلِبُهُ العَلاءُ وَكَم شَكا

نَبَأً عَلِيٌّ ما شَكاهُ قَنبَرُ

نَبَأً عَلِيٌّ ما شَكاهُ قَنبَرُ

And high station brings evil; how often complaints arose

Evil, nobles draw, and how many cried,

From Ali over news that Qanbar did not complain of!

Not what Qanbar endured, did Ali confide.