يَأتي عَلى الخَلقِ إِصباحٌ وَإِمساءُ

يَأتي عَلى الخَلقِ إِصباحٌ وَإِمساءُ

وَكُلُّنا لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ نَسّاءُ

وَكُلُّنا لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ نَسّاءُ

Morning and evening come upon creation,

Mornings and evenings come upon mankind,

And we are all forgetful of time's vicissitudes.

And we are all subject to the turns of fate.

وَكَم مَضى هَجَرِيٌّ أَو مُشاكِلُهُ

وَكَم مَضى هَجَرِيٌّ أَو مُشاكِلُهُ

مِنَ المَقاوِلِ سَرّوا الناسَ أَم ساءوا

مِنَ المَقاوِلِ سَرّوا الناسَ أَم ساءوا

And how many a Hajarite, or his like, has passed away,

How many a departed loved one or hardships

Among the chieftains, whether they gladdened people or grieved them.

Have people kept secret or openly lamented?

تَتوى المُلوكُ وَمِصرٌ في تَغَيُّرِهِم

تَتوى المُلوكُ وَمِصرٌ في تَغَيُّرِهِم

مِصرٌ عَلى العَهدِ وَالأَحساءُ أَحساءُ

مِصرٌ عَلى العَهدِ وَالأَحساءُ أَحساءُ

Kings perish; Egypt, as they come and go,

Kings pass away and Egypt remains the same,

Remains Egypt as of old, and al-Ahsa remains al-Ahsa.

Loyal to its ways, constant as the constellation Ursa Major.

خَسِستِ يا أُمَّنا الدُنيا فَأُفِّ لَنا

خَسِستِ يا أُمَّنا الدُنيا فَأُفِّ لَنا

بَنو الخَسيسَةِأَوباشٌ أَخِسّاءُ

بَنو الخَسيسَةِأَوباشٌ أَخِسّاءُ

You are base, O world, our mother—so fie on us!

You have failed us, oh base world, so give us,

The base woman's sons are ignoble rabble.

Worthless sons of a worthless mother, consolation.

وَقَد نَطَقتِ بِأَصنافِ العِظاتِ لَنا

وَقَد نَطَقتِ بِأَصنافِ العِظاتِ لَنا

وَأَنتِ فيما يَظِنُّ القَومُ خَرساءُ

وَأَنتِ فيما يَظِنُّ القَومُ خَرساءُ

And you have spoken to us with varied admonitions,

You have spoken to us in every form of wisdom,

Though people suppose you mute.

Yet to others you seem mute.

وَمن لِصَخر بنِ عَمرٍو أَنَّ جُثَّتَهُ

وَمن لِصَخر بنِ عَمرٍو أَنَّ جُثَّتَهُ

صَخرٌ وَخَنساءَهُ في السِربِ خَنساءُ

صَخرٌ وَخَنساءَهُ في السِربِ خَنساءُ

And who can assure Sakhr ibn Amr that his body

The tomb of Sakhr ibn ‘Amr remains a rock

Is rock, and his Khansa a snub-nosed antelope in the herd?

While his beloved rests softly in her grave.

يَموجُ بَحرُكِ وَالأَهواءُ غالِبَةٌ

يَموجُ بَحرُكِ وَالأَهواءُ غالِبَةٌ

لِراكِبَيهِ فَهَل لِلسُفنِ إِرساءُ

لِراكِبَيهِ فَهَل لِلسُفنِ إِرساءُ

Your sea surges, and passions overpower

Your sea rages and the winds prevail

Its voyagers—can the ships be anchored?

Against those who sail it. Can ships find safe harbor?

إِذا تَعَطَّفتِ يَوماً كُنتِ قاسِيَةً

إِذا تَعَطَّفتِ يَوماً كُنتِ قاسِيَةً

وَإِن نَظَرتِ بِعَينٍ فَهيَ شَوساءُ

وَإِن نَظَرتِ بِعَينٍ فَهيَ شَوساءُ

If one day you show tenderness, you prove cruel;

If you show mercy one day, you are cruel the next,

And if you cast an eye, it looks fiercely askance.

And if you glance with one eye, it is askance.

إِنسٌ عَلى الأَرضِ تُدمي هامَها إِحَنٌ

إِنسٌ عَلى الأَرضِ تُدمي هامَها إِحَنٌ

مِنها إِذا دَمِيَت لِلوَحشِ أَنساءُ

مِنها إِذا دَمِيَت لِلوَحشِ أَنساءُ

Humans on earth—their heads are bloodied by grudges;

Men roam the earth bowing their heads.

From them, once bloodied, come draughts of watered milk for wild beasts.

When humbled, even wild beasts can be tamed.

فَلا تَغُرَّنكَ شُمٌّ مِن جِبالِهِمُ

فَلا تَغُرَّنكَ شُمٌّ مِن جِبالِهِمُ

وَعِزَّةٌ في زَمانِ المُلكِ قَعساءُ

وَعِزَّةٌ في زَمانِ المُلكِ قَعساءُ

So let no lofty peaks of their mountains deceive you,

Let not their stately mountains deceive you.

Nor unassailable might in the days of kingship.

In the days of kings’ rule, power is soon laid low.

نالوا قَليلاً مِنَ اللَذّاتِ وَاِرتَحَلوا

نالوا قَليلاً مِنَ اللَذّاتِ وَاِرتَحَلوا

بِرَغمِهِم فَإِذا النِعماءُ بَأساءُ

بِرَغمِهِم فَإِذا النِعماءُ بَأساءُ

They gained a little pleasure and departed,

They enjoyed little of life’s pleasures and departed,

Against their will—and behold, bliss is misery.

Despite themselves – and lo, joy turns to sorrow.