لَقَد رَكَزوا الأَرماحَ غَيرَ حَميدَةٍ

لَقَد رَكَزوا الأَرماحَ غَيرَ حَميدَةٍ

فَبُعداً لِخَيلٍ في الوَغى لَم تُطارِدِ

فَبُعداً لِخَيلٍ في الوَغى لَم تُطارِدِ

Indeed, they planted the spears ingloriously;

Alas, they thrust their spears with no good intent,

so away with horses that did not give chase in battle.

So cursed are horses in battle that do not chase.

تَداعَوا فَقالوا ناسِكٌ وَاِبنُ ناسِكٍ

تَداعَوا فَقالوا ناسِكٌ وَاِبنُ ناسِكٍ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا مارِدٌ وَاِبنُ مارِدِ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا مارِدٌ وَاِبنُ مارِدِ

They called to one another and said, 'An ascetic, and an ascetic's son!'

They conspired saying, an ascetic and son of an ascetic,

Yet he is nothing but a rebel, and a rebel's son.

When he is but a rebel and son of a rebel.

وَمازالَ عَرّافُ الكَواكِبِ ذاكِراً

وَمازالَ عَرّافُ الكَواكِبِ ذاكِراً

إِماماً كَنَجمٍ في الدُجُنَّةِ فارِدِ

إِماماً كَنَجمٍ في الدُجُنَّةِ فارِدِ

And the diviner of the stars has kept speaking of

The interpreter of stars kept mentioning,

an imam, like a lone star in the darkness.

An imam like a star in the gloomy darkness.

وَما يَجمَعُ الأَشتاتَ إِلّا مُهَذَّبٌ

وَما يَجمَعُ الأَشتاتَ إِلّا مُهَذَّبٌ

مِنَ القَومِ يُحمى بارِداً فَوقَ بارِدِ

مِنَ القَومِ يُحمى بارِداً فَوقَ بارِدِ

And none unites the scattered groups but a refined man

None can unite the dispersed except the refined one,

from among the people, protected—cold upon cold.

Among the people, kept aloof above the aloof.

إِذا نالَ ما يَرجوهُ مِن زُحَلَ الَّذي

إِذا نالَ ما يَرجوهُ مِن زُحَلَ الَّذي

بَدا شُرَّهُ لَم يَبغِهِ مِن عُطارِدِ

بَدا شُرَّهُ لَم يَبغِهِ مِن عُطارِدِ

If he attains what he hopes for from Saturn, whose

When he attains what he hopes from Saturn, whose

evil has appeared, he does not seek it from Mercury.

Evil appeared, he wants not from Mercury.

وَإِن يَكُ في الدُنِّيا سَعودٌ فَإِنَّما

وَإِن يَكُ في الدُنِّيا سَعودٌ فَإِنَّما

تَكونُ قَليلاً كَالشَذوذِ الشَوارِدِ

تَكونُ قَليلاً كَالشَذوذِ الشَوارِدِ

And if good fortunes exist in this world, they only

If there is felicity in the world, it is only

occur rarely, like stray exceptions.

Little, like the rarity of scattered remnants.

أَرى كَدراً عَمَّ المَوارِدَ كُلَّها

أَرى كَدراً عَمَّ المَوارِدَ كُلَّها

فَمُت أَو تَجَرَّع مِن خَبيثِ المَوارِدِ

فَمُت أَو تَجَرَّع مِن خَبيثِ المَوارِدِ

I see murk pervading all the watering places;

I see murkiness has covered all the springs,

so die, or gulp down the foul water of the watering places.

So die or drink from the foulest of springs.