ما حُرِّكَت قَدَمٌ وَلا بُسِطَت يَدٌ

ما حُرِّكَت قَدَمٌ وَلا بُسِطَت يَدٌ

إِلّا لَها سَبَبٌ مِنَ المِقدارِ

إِلّا لَها سَبَبٌ مِنَ المِقدارِ

No foot was moved, nor any hand outstretched,

No foot was moved, no hand outstretched

Without a cause assigned to it by fate.

Except by destiny's command.

خَطبٌ تَساوى فيهِ آلُ مُحَرِّقٍ

خَطبٌ تَساوى فيهِ آلُ مُحَرِّقٍ

وَمُلوكُ ساسانٍ وَرَهطُ قُدارِ

وَمُلوكُ ساسانٍ وَرَهطُ قُدارِ

An ordeal shared equally by the house of Muharriq

Speeches are equal where the sons of Muharriq

And the kings of Sasan and Qudar's band.

And the Kings of Persia and the horde of Qudar,

يَدري الفَتى كَم عاشَ مِن أَيّامِهِ

يَدري الفَتى كَم عاشَ مِن أَيّامِهِ

يَوماً وَما هُوَ كَم يَعيشُ بِداري

يَوماً وَما هُوَ كَم يَعيشُ بِداري

A young man knows how many of his days he has lived,

Are concerned. A young man may know how many days

But how many days he will live, he does not know.

Of his life he has lived, and how many remain for him

وَتَجوزُ مَعرِفَتي بِمَسقِطِ هامَتي

وَتَجوزُ مَعرِفَتي بِمَسقِطِ هامَتي

في الوِردِ بِالقَبرِ في الإِصدارِ

في الوِردِ بِالقَبرِ في الإِصدارِ

And my knowledge may extend from where my head first fell

In his abode. But my knowledge of where my fortune lies

On arrival, to the grave at departure.

Is as obscure as the grave, as the heart's mysteries.

دارانِ أَمّا هَذِهِ فَمُسيئَةٌ

دارانِ أَمّا هَذِهِ فَمُسيئَةٌ

جِدّاً وَلا خَبَرٌ لِتِلكَ الدارِ

جِدّاً وَلا خَبَرٌ لِتِلكَ الدارِ

Two abodes: as for this one, it is unkind,

Two abodes: as for this one, it is hateful,

Exceedingly; and of that abode there is no news.

Utterly; of that other world no reports have reached us.

ما جاءَ مِنها وافِدٌ مُتَسَرِّعٌ

ما جاءَ مِنها وافِدٌ مُتَسَرِّعٌ

فَنَقولُ لِلنَّبإِ الجَديدِ بَدارِ

فَنَقولُ لِلنَّبإِ الجَديدِ بَدارِ

No visitor has come from it in haste,

No courier has come to us from it, in frantic haste,

So that we might cry at fresh tidings, 'Hasten!'

That we might ask him of the strange, new dwelling place.

وَالمُلكُ ثُبِّتَ لِلقَديمِ وَأُبرِزَت

وَالمُلكُ ثُبِّتَ لِلقَديمِ وَأُبرِزَت

بِلقيسُ عارِيَةً بِغَيرِ صِدارِ

بِلقيسُ عارِيَةً بِغَيرِ صِدارِ

And dominion was established for the Eternal, and brought forth was

Empires are confirmed for those long settled there,

Bilqis, naked, without a bodice.

And Laila is exposed, without her veil.

وَلَرُبَّ أَجسادٍ جَديراتِ الثَرى

وَلَرُبَّ أَجسادٍ جَديراتِ الثَرى

بِالصَونِ عادَت في طَلاءِ جِدارِ

بِالصَونِ عادَت في طَلاءِ جِدارِ

And many bodies whose dust was worthy

Many are the bodies, worthy of the dust,

Of preservation ended up in a wall's coating.

That have returned to dust, plastered on a wall.

جَسَدٌ تَوى إِن تَفتَرِق أَجزاؤُهُ

جَسَدٌ تَوى إِن تَفتَرِق أَجزاؤُهُ

لَم تَنأَ عَن فَلَكٍ عَلَيهِ مُدارِ

لَم تَنأَ عَن فَلَكٍ عَلَيهِ مُدارِ

A body perished; if its parts disperse,

A body, if its parts once separate,

They stray not from a sphere upon which it is borne round.

Cannot avoid its destiny's decree.

وَإِذا بُدورُ المالِ هِبتَ مَحاقَها

وَإِذا بُدورُ المالِ هِبتَ مَحاقَها

فَهِلالٌ مَجدِكَ غَيرُ ذي إِبدارِ

فَهِلالٌ مَجدِكَ غَيرُ ذي إِبدارِ

And if you fear the waning of wealth's full moons,

And when the rounds of wealth left it bare,

Then your glory is a crescent that never waxes full.

Did not your Fortune show unchanging constancy?