أَنِفتُ وَقَد أَنِفتُ عَلى عُقودٍ

أَنِفتُ وَقَد أَنِفتُ عَلى عُقودٍ

سِواراً كَي يَقولَ الناسُ حالِ

سِواراً كَي يَقولَ الناسُ حالِ

I have scorned—having already scorned necklaces—

I refused, and I have long refused bracelets,

a bracelet meant to make people call me adorned.

So people would say in my time, “He is distinguished!”

وَكَيفَ أُشيدُ في يَومي بِناءً

وَكَيفَ أُشيدُ في يَومي بِناءً

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ في غَدي اِرتِحالي

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ في غَدي اِرتِحالي

And how can I erect a building today,

How can I build in my days an edifice,

when I know that tomorrow I shall depart?

Knowing that tomorrow I shall depart?

مِحالُكَ زَلَّةٌ وَالدَهرُ خَبٌّ

مِحالُكَ زَلَّةٌ وَالدَهرُ خَبٌّ

يَسيرُ بِأَهلِهِ قَلِقَ المَحالِ

يَسيرُ بِأَهلِهِ قَلِقَ المَحالِ

Your scheming is a misstep, and time is a trickster,

Your abode is liable to fail, and time is wicked;

bearing its people onward, its backbone unsteady.

It moves along with people anxiously.

أَقَمنا في الرِحالِ وَنحنُ سَفرٌ

أَقَمنا في الرِحالِ وَنحنُ سَفرٌ

كَأَنّا قاعِدونَ عَلى الرِحالِ

كَأَنّا قاعِدونَ عَلى الرِحالِ

We have settled in our dwellings, though we are travelers,

We stayed put in places while we are a journey,

as if we were seated upon camel saddles.

As though sitting still on the saddlebags.

أَراكَ الجَهلُ أَنَّكَ في نَعيمٍ

أَراكَ الجَهلُ أَنَّكَ في نَعيمٍ

وَأَنتَ إِذا اِفتَكَرتَ بِسوءِ حالِ

وَأَنتَ إِذا اِفتَكَرتَ بِسوءِ حالِ

Ignorance has made you think that you are in bliss,

Ignorance makes you see that you are comfortable,

though, if you reflect, you are in a wretched state.

While when you ponder your state, it is evil.

إِذا ما كانَ إِثمِدُنا تُراباً

إِذا ما كانَ إِثمِدُنا تُراباً

فَأَيُّ الناسِ يَرغَبُ في اِكتِحالِ

فَأَيُّ الناسِ يَرغَبُ في اِكتِحالِ

If our antimony is mere dust,

When our sins turn into dust,

who among people would wish to line his eyes?

Then which of mankind longs for kohl?

وَما سَمَحَت لَنا الدُنيا بِشَيءٍ

وَما سَمَحَت لَنا الدُنيا بِشَيءٍ

سِوى تَعليلِ نَفسٍ بِالمُحالِ

سِوى تَعليلِ نَفسٍ بِالمُحالِ

And the world has granted us nothing

The world did not allow us anything

but consoling the soul with the impossible.

Except for nourishing the soul with the impossible.

وَأَعوَزَتِ الفَضيلَةُ كُلَّ حَيٍّ

وَأَعوَزَتِ الفَضيلَةُ كُلَّ حَيٍّ

فَما هُوَ غَيرُ دَعوى وَاِنتِحالِ

فَما هُوَ غَيرُ دَعوى وَاِنتِحالِ

And virtue has eluded every living being;

Virtue has eluded every living being,

so each is nothing but claims and pretence.

So he is nothing but pretense and false claim.