أَرى اِبنَ أَبي إِسحاقَ أَسحَقَهُ الرَدى

أَرى اِبنَ أَبي إِسحاقَ أَسحَقَهُ الرَدى

وَأَدرَكَ عُمرُ الدَهرِ نَفسَ أَبي عَمرِو

وَأَدرَكَ عُمرُ الدَهرِ نَفسَ أَبي عَمرِو

I see that death has crushed Ibn Abi Ishaq,

I see the son of Abi Is'haq worn by vicissitudes,

and the span of time has overtaken Abu Amr's soul.

And the life of Abu 'Amr has reached its inevitable end.

تَباهَوا بِأَمرٍ صَيَّروهُ مَكاسِباً

تَباهَوا بِأَمرٍ صَيَّروهُ مَكاسِباً

فَعادَ عَلَيهِم بِالخَسيسِ مِنَ الأَمرِ

فَعادَ عَلَيهِم بِالخَسيسِ مِنَ الأَمرِ

They boasted of a pursuit they had made a source of gain,

They boasted of a matter they made as profits,

yet it yielded them only paltry returns:

Yet it recoiled on them as the most paltry of affairs -

بِكُسوَةِ بُردٍ أَو بِإِعطاءِ بُلغَةٍ

بِكُسوَةِ بُردٍ أَو بِإِعطاءِ بُلغَةٍ

مِنَ العَيشِ لا جَمِّ العَطاءِ وَلا غَمرِ

مِنَ العَيشِ لا جَمِّ العَطاءِ وَلا غَمرِ

a cloak to wear, or a grant of just enough

With a gift of clothes or a petty sum

to live on—not lavish gifts or abundant bounty.

Of sustenance, neither ample bounty nor overflowing favours.

وَلَم يَصنَعوا شَيئاً وَلَكِن تَنازَعوا

وَلَم يَصنَعوا شَيئاً وَلَكِن تَنازَعوا

أَباطيلَ تُضحي مِثلَ هامِدَةِ الجَمرِ

أَباطيلَ تُضحي مِثلَ هامِدَةِ الجَمرِ

And they accomplished nothing, but wrangled over

And they did nothing, but disputed

falsehoods that become like dead embers.

Futilities that disappear like glowing embers.

فَلا يُضِعِ اللَهُ المَساعِيَ في التُقى

فَلا يُضِعِ اللَهُ المَساعِيَ في التُقى

فَمَن يَسعَ فيها لا يَخَف غَبَنَ القَمرِ

فَمَن يَسعَ فيها لا يَخَف غَبَنَ القَمرِ

So may God not let efforts in piety go to waste;

So God does not let sincere efforts go to waste,

for whoever strives in it need not fear gambling's losses.

And he who strives therein need not fear loss.

أَما قالَهُ الكوفيُّ في الزُهدِ مِثلَ ما

أَما قالَهُ الكوفيُّ في الزُهدِ مِثلَ ما

تَغَنّى بِهِ البَصرِيُّ في صِفَةِ الخَمرِ

تَغَنّى بِهِ البَصرِيُّ في صِفَةِ الخَمرِ

Did the Kufan not say it about asceticism, just as

Did not the Kufan say this in asceticism, similar to

the Basran sang of it in describing wine?

What the Basran sang in describing wine?