يا سابِحاً يَصهَلُ في غِرَّةٍ

يا سابِحاً يَصهَلُ في غِرَّةٍ

أَينَ وَجيهُ الخَيلِ وَالذائِدُ

أَينَ وَجيهُ الخَيلِ وَالذائِدُ

O galloping steed, neighing in heedlessness,

O swimmer who dives boldly into the deep

where are the steeds Wajih and al-Dha'id?

Where is the brave horseman and warrior?

آدى لَهُ في الدَهرِ ما يَبتَغي

آدى لَهُ في الدَهرِ ما يَبتَغي

ثُمَّ أَتاهُ قَدَرٌ آثِدُ

ثُمَّ أَتاهُ قَدَرٌ آثِدُ

What he sought in life came to his aid,

Fate gave him in life what he sought

then an unyielding fate came upon him.

Then came upon him a firm decree

هَل يَأمَنَ الحوتُ مِنَ الشُهُبِ أَن

هَل يَأمَنَ الحوتُ مِنَ الشُهُبِ أَن

يَأخُذَهُ في الكِفَّةِ الصائِدُ

يَأخُذَهُ في الكِفَّةِ الصائِدُ

Can the Fish among the stars be safe from

Can the whale feel safe from the spears

the fisher catching it in his net?

That the hunter will seize him in his net?

أَو حِمَلٌ نُزِّهَ في الجَوِّ أَن

أَو حِمَلٌ نُزِّهَ في الجَوِّ أَن

يَغتالَهُ بِالمَديَّةِ الكائِدُ

يَغتالَهُ بِالمَديَّةِ الكائِدُ

Or a Ram, raised aloft in the sky, be safe from

Or the camel feel secure in the sky

a schemer slaying it by stealth with a knife?

That the lurking foe won't make him his prey?

إِن كانَ لِلمَرّيخِ عَقلٌ فَما

إِن كانَ لِلمَرّيخِ عَقلٌ فَما

يَستُرُ عَنهُ أَنَّهُ بائِدُ

يَستُرُ عَنهُ أَنَّهُ بائِدُ

If Mars has reason, what

If Mars had any wit he would know

can hide from it that it will perish?

That in the end he is bound to fade

يوصي الفَتى بِالأَمرِ مِن بَعدِهِ

يوصي الفَتى بِالأَمرِ مِن بَعدِهِ

كَأَنَّهُ مِن بَينِهِ عائِدُ

كَأَنَّهُ مِن بَينِهِ عائِدُ

A young man leaves instructions for affairs after he is gone,

The youth takes the advice of elders

as though he would return from his departure.

As though it came from one of his own

يَكذِبُني الرائِدُ في زَعمِهِ

يَكذِبُني الرائِدُ في زَعمِهِ

وَمُهلَكٌ إِن كَذَبَ الرائِدُ

وَمُهلَكٌ إِن كَذَبَ الرائِدُ

The scout lies to me in his claim,

The guide deceives me by his claim

and I am doomed if the scout lies.

And ruin comes if the guide's untrue

وَالخَيرُ لا يُكَفَّرُ فَلِيُحسِنِ المُس

وَالخَيرُ لا يُكَفَّرُ فَلِيُحسِنِ المُس

لِمُ وَالصابِئُ وَالهائِدُ

لِمُ وَالصابِئُ وَالهائِدُ

And good deeds are not denied their due; let good be done by the

Goodness is never lost so let the Muslim

Muslim, the Sabian, and the Jew.

The Sabian and the lapsed do what is right

فَوائِدُ الأَيّامِ مَحبوبَةٌ

فَوائِدُ الأَيّامِ مَحبوبَةٌ

وَفاقِدٌ لَذَّتَها الفائِدُ

وَفاقِدٌ لَذَّتَها الفائِدُ

The benefits of the days are beloved,

The gifts of days are joys to be cherished

yet the one who dies is bereft of their delight.

He who lacks them is deprived of delight

فَزَجِّ دُنياكَ فَما يَخلِدُ ال

فَزَجِّ دُنياكَ فَما يَخلِدُ ال

ناقِصُ في العَيشِ وَلا الزائِدُ

ناقِصُ في العَيشِ وَلا الزائِدُ

So get through your worldly life; none lives forever, neither the

Cast off your worldly goods for nothing lasts

one with less in life nor the one with more.

Neither faulty possessions nor surplus store

وَإِنَّ مِنهاجَ الرَدى يَستَوي

وَإِنَّ مِنهاجَ الرَدى يَستَوي

فيهِ مَسوَدُ القَومِ وَالسائِدُ

فيهِ مَسوَدُ القَومِ وَالسائِدُ

And indeed, upon the road to death stand equal

On the path of destruction no distinction

the one ruled among the people and the ruler.

Between the mighty and the common folk

وَإِنَّما يَلقى شُجاعُ الوَغى

وَإِنَّما يَلقى شُجاعُ الوَغى

كَما يُلاقي النافِرُ الحائِدُ

كَما يُلاقي النافِرُ الحائِدُ

And the brave man in battle meets death,

Only the courageous dare the chaos of war

just as the fleeing, evasive man meets it.

As the warrior faces the coward's retreat

تُقصَفُ بِالقُدرَةِ رَضوى كَما

تُقصَفُ بِالقُدرَةِ رَضوى كَما

يُقصَفُ هَذا الغُصنُ المائِدُ

يُقصَفُ هَذا الغُصنُ المائِدُ

Mount Radwa is shattered by power, just as

Desires are pruned by destiny's shears

this swaying branch is snapped.

As this branch I lop off is pruned of excess

وَلَو دَرى الموؤودُ ما عِندَنا

وَلَو دَرى الموؤودُ ما عِندَنا

مِن نَبَإٍ ما عُتِبَ الوائِدُ

مِن نَبَإٍ ما عُتِبَ الوائِدُ

And had the one buried alive known what we have

If the deceased but knew what news we hold

of news, the one who buried him alive would not have been blamed.

No reproached would be aimed at the dead

قَد شُيِّدَ القَصرُ لِسُكّانِهِ

قَد شُيِّدَ القَصرُ لِسُكّانِهِ

وَغَيرُ مَن يَسكُنُهُ الشائِدُ

وَغَيرُ مَن يَسكُنُهُ الشائِدُ

The palace has been built for its inhabitants,

The mansion is built for those who dwell there

and its builder is not the one who dwells in it.

Not for one who comes to tear it down