إِذا كُفَّ صِلٌّ أُفعُوانٌ فَما لَهُ

إِذا كُفَّ صِلٌّ أُفعُوانٌ فَما لَهُ

سِوى بَيتِهِ يَقتاتُ ما عَمَرَ التُربا

سِوى بَيتِهِ يَقتاتُ ما عَمَرَ التُربا

If an asp, a male viper, is blinded, it has nothing

If a snake charmer stops charming snakes

but its den, where it subsists as long as it lives on earth.

He has nothing left but his home where he lives off the soil

وَلَو ذَهَبَت عَينا هِزَبرٍ مُساوِرٍ

وَلَو ذَهَبَت عَينا هِزَبرٍ مُساوِرٍ

لَما راعَ ضَأناً في المَراتِعِ أَو سِربا

لَما راعَ ضَأناً في المَراتِعِ أَو سِربا

And if a pouncing lion lost both eyes,

And if the eyes of an unsteady, drunk wanderer were to vanish

it would frighten neither sheep in the pastures nor a herd.

He would no longer herd sheep in the meadows or flocks

أَو اِلتُمِعَت أَنوارُ عَمرٍ وَعامِرٍ

أَو اِلتُمِعَت أَنوارُ عَمرٍ وَعامِرٍ

لَما حَمَلا رُمحاً وَلا شَهِدا حَربا

لَما حَمَلا رُمحاً وَلا شَهِدا حَربا

Or if the lights of ʿAmr and ʿĀmir were snatched away,

And if the lights of `Amr and 'Âmir were brought together

they would carry no spear, nor take part in war.

They would bear neither a lance nor witness battle

يَقولونَ هَلّا تَشهَدُ الجُمَعَ الَّتي

يَقولونَ هَلّا تَشهَدُ الجُمَعَ الَّتي

رَجونا بِها عَفواً مِنَ اللَهِ أَو قُربا

رَجونا بِها عَفواً مِنَ اللَهِ أَو قُربا

They say, “Why not attend the Friday prayers, through which

They say, “Why not attend the assembly by which

we hope for pardon from God, or nearness to Him?”

We hoped to gain God’s pardon or nearness?”

وهَل لِيَ خَيرٌ في الحُضورِ وَإِنَّما

وهَل لِيَ خَيرٌ في الحُضورِ وَإِنَّما

أُزاحِمُ مِن أَخيارِهِم إِبلاً جُربا

أُزاحِمُ مِن أَخيارِهِم إِبلاً جُربا

And what good is there for me in attending, when I only

But what good is there for me in attending when

jostle with mangy camels among their best men?

I only crowd out the best of them, mangy camels?

لَعَمري لَقَد شاهَدتُ عُجماً كَثيرَةً

لَعَمري لَقَد شاهَدتُ عُجماً كَثيرَةً

وَعُرباً فَلا عُجُماً حَمَدتُ وَلا عُربا

وَعُرباً فَلا عُجُماً حَمَدتُ وَلا عُربا

By my life, I have indeed seen many non-Arabs,

By my life, I have seen many non-Arabs

and Arabs; I have praised neither non-Arabs nor Arabs.

And Arabs, but I have praised no non-Arabs or Arabs

وَلِلمَوتِ كَأسٌ تَكرَهُ النَفسُ شُربَها

وَلِلمَوتِ كَأسٌ تَكرَهُ النَفسُ شُربَها

وَلابُدَّ يَوماً أَن نَكونَ لَها شَربا

وَلابُدَّ يَوماً أَن نَكونَ لَها شَربا

And death has a cup the soul loathes to drink,

And death has a cup that the soul dislikes drinking

and one day we must become its drinkers.

But one day we will have to drink it

مِنَ السَعدِ في دُنياكَ أَن يَهلَكَ الفَتى

مِنَ السَعدِ في دُنياكَ أَن يَهلَكَ الفَتى

بِهَيجاءَ يَغشى أَهلُها الطَعنَ وَالضَربا

بِهَيجاءَ يَغشى أَهلُها الطَعنَ وَالضَربا

It is good fortune in your world for a young man to perish

Good fortune in your world is for the young man to die

in a battle whose warriors face spear-thrusts and blows.

Amid the tumult, people stabbing and striking

فَإِنَّ قَبيحاً بِالمُسَوَّدِ ضِجعَةٌ

فَإِنَّ قَبيحاً بِالمُسَوَّدِ ضِجعَةٌ

عَلى فَرشِهِ يَشكو إِلى النَفَرِ الكَربا

عَلى فَرشِهِ يَشكو إِلى النَفَرِ الكَربا

For it is shameful for a chieftain to lie

For it is ugly to lie in blackened state

on his bedding, complaining to the men of his anguish.

On his carpet complaining to comrades of distress

وَلي شَرقٌ بِالحَتفِ ما هُوَ مُغرَبٌ

وَلي شَرقٌ بِالحَتفِ ما هُوَ مُغرَبٌ

أَيَمَّمتُ شَرقاً في المَسالِكِ أَم غربا

أَيَمَّمتُ شَرقاً في المَسالِكِ أَم غربا

And choking on death awaits me—nothing strange—

I have an east by sword that is no west

whether I head east along the roads or west.

Have I set out eastward on the roads or west?

تَقَنَّصَ في الإيوانِ أَملاكَ فارِسٍ

تَقَنَّصَ في الإيوانِ أَملاكَ فارِسٍ

وَكَم جازَ بَحراً دونَ قَيصَرَ أَو دَربا

وَكَم جازَ بَحراً دونَ قَيصَرَ أَو دَربا

It hunted down Persia’s kings in the palace hall,

He amassed in the palace the wealth of a Persian

and how many a sea or pass it crossed to reach Caesar!

And how many crossed a sea without Caesar or path