أَصبَحتُ مَنحوساً كَأَنّي اِبنُ مَس

أَصبَحتُ مَنحوساً كَأَنّي اِبنُ مَس

عودٍ وَما أَطغى بِأَن أَهزِلا

عودٍ وَما أَطغى بِأَن أَهزِلا

I have become ill-starred, as though I were Ibn Mas-

I have become inauspicious like the son of an ill-omened man

ʿūd; and I do not transgress by jesting.

And have not transgressed by jesting

لي أَمَلٌ فُرقانُهُ مُحكَمٌ

لي أَمَلٌ فُرقانُهُ مُحكَمٌ

أَقرَؤُهُ غَضّاً كَما أُنزِلا

أَقرَؤُهُ غَضّاً كَما أُنزِلا

I have a hope whose scripture is firmly established;

I have a hope whose separation is decisive

I read it fresh, just as it was revealed.

I recite it while still unripe as it was revealed

شَيخاً أَراني كَطُفَيلٍ غَدا

شَيخاً أَراني كَطُفَيلٍ غَدا

يَركُضُ في غارَتِهِ قُرزُلا

يَركُضُ في غارَتِهِ قُرزُلا

As an old man, I see myself like Ṭufayl, who set out

An old man I see myself tomorrow

spurring Qurzul on his raid.

Running in his nappies like a little mouse

لا يَكذِبِ الناسُ عَلى رَبِّهِم

لا يَكذِبِ الناسُ عَلى رَبِّهِم

ما حُرِّكَ العَرشُ وَلا زُلزِلا

ما حُرِّكَ العَرشُ وَلا زُلزِلا

Let people not tell lies about their Lord:

People do not lie about their Lord

the Throne was neither moved nor shaken.

Neither has the Throne been shaken nor trembled

فَلَيتَ مَن يَفري أَحاديثَهُ

فَلَيتَ مَن يَفري أَحاديثَهُ

ماتَ فَصيلاً قَبلَ أَن يَبزُلا

ماتَ فَصيلاً قَبلَ أَن يَبزُلا

So, would that he who fabricates his tales

Would that he who prates his fables

had died a weaned camel-calf before his adult fangs emerged.

Had died a suckling before he babbled

يا جَدَثي حَسبُكَ مِن رُتبَةٍ

يا جَدَثي حَسبُكَ مِن رُتبَةٍ

أَنَّكَ مِن أَجداثِهِم مَعزِلا

أَنَّكَ مِن أَجداثِهِم مَعزِلا

O my grave, it is distinction enough for you

O my grave, it suffices you as an eminence

that you lie apart from their graves.

That you are apart from their graves

أَمَلَّني الدَهرُ بِأَحداثِهِ

أَمَلَّني الدَهرُ بِأَحداثِهِ

فَاِشتَقتُ في بَطنِ الثَرى مَنزِلا

فَاِشتَقتُ في بَطنِ الثَرى مَنزِلا

Time has wearied me with its calamities;

Time has filled me with its events

so I have longed for a dwelling in the earth’s belly.

So I yearned for a dwelling in the earth’s belly

إِن نَشَأَت بِنتُكَ في نِعمَةٍ

إِن نَشَأَت بِنتُكَ في نِعمَةٍ

فَأَلزِمَنها البَيتَ وَالمِغزَلا

فَأَلزِمَنها البَيتَ وَالمِغزَلا

If your daughter grows up in prosperity,

If your daughter is brought up in comfort

then be sure to keep her to the house and the spindle.

Confine her to the house and spindle

ذَلِكَ خَيرٌ مِن شِوارٍ لَها

ذَلِكَ خَيرٌ مِن شِوارٍ لَها

وَمِن عَطايا والِدٍ أَجزَلا

وَمِن عَطايا والِدٍ أَجزَلا

That is better than a bridal trousseau for her,

That is better than paramours for her

and than the gifts of a father who gave lavishly.

And more bountiful gifts from a father