ما جُدَرِيٌّ أَماتَ صاحِبَهُ

ما جُدَرِيٌّ أَماتَ صاحِبَهُ

مِن جُدَرِيٍّ أَتَت بِهِ جَدَرُ

مِن جُدَرِيٍّ أَتَت بِهِ جَدَرُ

No smallpox ever killed its sufferer

The smallpox that killed its sufferer did not come

like a smallpox brought upon him by walls.

from the smallpox brought forth by pustules.

ما سَدِرَت في العِيانِ أَعيُنُهُم

ما سَدِرَت في العِيانِ أَعيُنُهُم

لَكِن عُيونُ الحِجى بِها سَدَرُ

لَكِن عُيونُ الحِجى بِها سَدَرُ

His eyes did not grow dazed before those who saw him;

Their eyes have not grown dazed in outward seeing,

rather, the clan’s eyes were dazed by them.

but the eyes of reason are afflicted with dizziness.

وَالبَدرُ بَعدَ الكَمالِ مُمتَحِقٌ

وَالبَدرُ بَعدَ الكَمالِ مُمتَحِقٌ

فَفيمَ يا قَومُ تُجمَعُ البِدَرُ

فَفيمَ يا قَومُ تُجمَعُ البِدَرُ

Even the full moon, once complete, must wane—

And the full moon, after fullness, dwindles away;

so why, my people, do you hoard sacks of coin?

so why, O people, are moneybags amassed?

كَيفَ وَفى لِلخَليلِ مُؤتَمَنٌ

كَيفَ وَفى لِلخَليلِ مُؤتَمَنٌ

وَطَبعُهُ بِالأَذاةِ مُبتَدِرُ

وَطَبعُهُ بِالأَذاةِ مُبتَدِرُ

How could any trusted man keep faith with a friend

How can a trusted man keep faith with a friend,

when his nature is quick to do harm?

when his nature hastens to inflict harm?

وَالعالَمُ اِبنٌ وَالدَهرُ والِدُهُ

وَالعالَمُ اِبنٌ وَالدَهرُ والِدُهُ

نَجلٌ غَوِيٌّ وَوالِدٌ غُدَرُ

نَجلٌ غَوِيٌّ وَوالِدٌ غُدَرُ

The world is a son, and Time its father:

The world is a son, and Time its father:

a wayward offspring and a treacherous sire.

a wayward son and an ever-treacherous father.

في التُربِ وَالصَخرِ وَالثِمارِ

في التُربِ وَالصَخرِ وَالثِمارِ

وَفي الماءِ نُفوسٌ يَصوغُها القَدَرُ

وَفي الماءِ نُفوسٌ يَصوغُها القَدَرُ

In soil, rock, and fruit,

In dust and rock and fruit,

and in water, are souls that Fate fashions.

and in water, are souls that fate shapes.

فَصادِرٌ لا وُرودَ يُدرِكهُ

فَصادِرٌ لا وُرودَ يُدرِكهُ

وَوارِدٌ لا يَنالُهُ صَدَرُ

وَوارِدٌ لا يَنالُهُ صَدَرُ

One departs, beyond the reach of any return;

So one departs, whom no arrival overtakes,

another arrives, beyond the reach of departure.

and one arrives, whom no departure reaches.

إِن سَلِمَ المَرءُ مِن عَواقِبِهِ

إِن سَلِمَ المَرءُ مِن عَواقِبِهِ

فَكُلُّ رُزءٍ يُصيبُهُ هَدَرُ

فَكُلُّ رُزءٍ يُصيبُهُ هَدَرُ

If a person escapes its consequences,

If a man is safe from what awaits him,

every calamity that befalls him counts for nothing.

then every calamity that befalls him counts for nothing.

وَالرَجلُ إِن حَلَّ خِدرَ غانِيَةٍ

وَالرَجلُ إِن حَلَّ خِدرَ غانِيَةٍ

كَالرِجلِ في المَشيِ حَلَّها خَدَرُ

كَالرِجلِ في المَشيِ حَلَّها خَدَرُ

A man, when he enters a beauty’s bower,

And a man, if he enters a beauty's secluded chamber,

is like the foot of a bold strider when numbness seizes it.

is like a leg overtaken by numbness while walking.

يَضُمُّنا الجَهلُ في تَصَرُّفِنا

يَضُمُّنا الجَهلُ في تَصَرُّفِنا

ما شَدَّ مِنّا رَهطٌ وَلا قَدَروا

ما شَدَّ مِنّا رَهطٌ وَلا قَدَروا

Ignorance enfolds us in our conduct;

Ignorance enfolds us in our dealings;

no band among us has stood firm, nor have they proved able.

no band among us has broken away, nor could they.

نَطلُبُ نوراً يَلوحُ ساطِعُهُ

نَطلُبُ نوراً يَلوحُ ساطِعُهُ

وَدونَ ذاكَ الظَلامُ وَالغَدَرُ

وَدونَ ذاكَ الظَلامُ وَالغَدَرُ

We seek a light whose radiance gleams,

We seek a light whose radiance gleams,

but between us and it lie that darkness and treachery.

and before it lie darkness and rugged ground.

تَواضَعوا في الخُطوبِ تَرتَفِعوا

تَواضَعوا في الخُطوبِ تَرتَفِعوا

فَالشُهبُ عِندَ الرُجومِ تَنكَدِرُ

فَالشُهبُ عِندَ الرُجومِ تَنكَدِرُ

Humble yourselves amid grave trials, and you will rise:

Humble yourselves amid calamities, and you will rise;

shooting stars, when hurled as missiles, plunge.

for shooting stars plunge down when hurled.

لا يَطلُعُ الغَربُ شافِياً ظَمَأً

لا يَطلُعُ الغَربُ شافِياً ظَمَأً

حَتّى يُرى قَبلُ وَهوَ مُنحَدِرُ

حَتّى يُرى قَبلُ وَهوَ مُنحَدِرُ

The well-bucket never rises to slake a thirst

The well-bucket does not rise to quench thirst

until first it is seen descending.

until it is first seen descending.

وَالسَهلُ قُدّامَهُ الحَزونَةُ وَالص

وَالسَهلُ قُدّامَهُ الحَزونَةُ وَالص

صَفوُ مِنَ العَيشِ بَعدَهُ كَدَرُ

صَفوُ مِنَ العَيشِ بَعدَهُ كَدَرُ

Ease has hardship before it, and se—

And before smooth ground lies roughness, and

—renity in life has trouble after it.

life's clarity is followed by murk.

فَدُرَّ جوداً فَدُرَّ زاخِرَةٍ

فَدُرَّ جوداً فَدُرَّ زاخِرَةٍ

حَصىً تَساوى الأَنيسُ وَالفُدُرُ

حَصىً تَساوى الأَنيسُ وَالفُدُرُ

Then pour forth bounty—pour forth, brimming—

So pour out bounty, for the pearls of a surging sea

hailstones that level man and hulking beast.

are pebbles; humankind and old ibexes are equal.

إِن وَطِئَت هالِكَ الوَغى فَرَسٌ

إِن وَطِئَت هالِكَ الوَغى فَرَسٌ

فَجِسمُهُ بَعدَ رَوحِهِ مَدَرُ

فَجِسمُهُ بَعدَ رَوحِهِ مَدَرُ

If a horse tramples one slain in battle,

If a horse treads on one slain in battle,

his body, once his spirit is gone, is clods of earth.

then his body, after his passing, is clay.