أَيا سارِحاً في الجَوِّ دُنياكَ مَعدِنٌ

أَيا سارِحاً في الجَوِّ دُنياكَ مَعدِنٌ

يَفورُ بِشَرٍّ فَاِبغَ في غَيرِها وَكرا

يَفورُ بِشَرٍّ فَاِبغَ في غَيرِها وَكرا

O wanderer in the sky, your world is a mine

O you who roam the air, your world is a mine

seething with evil; so seek a nest elsewhere.

Brimming with evil, so seek goodness elsewhere.

فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَملِك وَشيكَ فِراقِها

فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَملِك وَشيكَ فِراقِها

فَعِفَّ وَلا تَنكِح عَواناً وَلا بِكرا

فَعِفَّ وَلا تَنكِح عَواناً وَلا بِكرا

So if you cannot bring about your swift departure from it,

If you don't soon leave it behind,

then be chaste, and marry neither a previously married woman nor a virgin.

Then refrain, wedding neither spinster nor widow.

وَأَلقاكَ فيها والِداكَ فَلا تَضَع

وَأَلقاكَ فيها والِداكَ فَلا تَضَع

بِها وَلَداً يَلقى الشَدائِدَ وَالنُكرا

بِها وَلَداً يَلقى الشَدائِدَ وَالنُكرا

Your parents cast you into it; so do not place

Your parents cast you into it, so bear

a child in it to face hardships and horrors.

No children who'll meet with woes and disgrace.

سَمِعنا وَشاهَدنا البَدِيَّ وَحَسبُنا

سَمِعنا وَشاهَدنا البَدِيَّ وَحَسبُنا

مِنَ العَيشِ أَن فُهنا لِخالِقِنا شُكرا

مِنَ العَيشِ أَن فُهنا لِخالِقِنا شُكرا

We have heard and witnessed wonders, and enough for us

We've seen and witnessed the ugly and foul, and found

from life is that we have voiced thanks to our Creator.

Our life is to thank our Creator.

إِذا ما فَعَلتَ الخَيرَ فَاِنسَ فِعالَهُ

إِذا ما فَعَلتَ الخَيرَ فَاِنسَ فِعالَهُ

فَإِنَّكَ ما تَنساهُ أَحيا لَهُ ذِكرا

فَإِنَّكَ ما تَنساهُ أَحيا لَهُ ذِكرا

When you do good, forget having done it,

When you do good, forget what you've done -

for by forgetting it, you best keep its memory alive.

For if you remember, you've ruined its grace.

وَحاذِر مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَهيَ عَدُوَّةٌ

وَحاذِر مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَهيَ عَدُوَّةٌ

مِنَ الصُهبِ مَشَّت في مَفاصِلِكَ السُكرا

مِنَ الصُهبِ مَشَّت في مَفاصِلِكَ السُكرا

And beware of tawny wine, for she is an enemy

Beware pretty girls, for they're enemies

among the tawny-haired, who sent drunkenness coursing through your joints.

Who with their charm in your joints spread the rot.

وَلا خَيرَ في المَمكورَةِ الخَودِ أَضمَرَت

وَلا خَيرَ في المَمكورَةِ الخَودِ أَضمَرَت

لَكَ الغِلَّ وَاِمتارَت جَوانِحُها مَكرا

لَكَ الغِلَّ وَاِمتارَت جَوانِحُها مَكرا

And no good lies in the full-limbed maiden who harbors

No good is the shy little thing, when inside

malice toward you, and whose ribs have stored up guile.

She harbors deceit and is plotting your lot.

إِذا صَحَّ فِكرُ المَرءِ فَما يَنوبُهُ

إِذا صَحَّ فِكرُ المَرءِ فَما يَنوبُهُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ لَم يَشغَل بِحادِثَةٍ فِكرا

مِنَ الدَهرِ لَم يَشغَل بِحادِثَةٍ فِكرا

When a person's thought is sound, whatever befalls him

When a man's thoughts are sound, nothing can come

from time will not engross his mind in a mishap.

From fate to distract him or trouble his care.

وَتَغلِبُ كانَت سَيفَ بَكرٍ وَرُمحَها

وَتَغلِبُ كانَت سَيفَ بَكرٍ وَرُمحَها

فَأَمسَت تُرامي عَن حَرائِبِها بَكرا

فَأَمسَت تُرامي عَن حَرائِبِها بَكرا

And Taghlib was Bakr's sword and spear,

And the sword and spear of Taghlib would overcome,

then came to trade arrows with Bakr in defense of her own possessions.

Yet now from their tents they are fleeing in fear.

كَرَيتُ عَنِ الشَهرِ الكُرَيتِ وَجُزتُهُ

كَرَيتُ عَنِ الشَهرِ الكُرَيتِ وَجُزتُهُ

فَما لِيَ أَكرى عَن زَماني إِذا أَكرى

فَما لِيَ أَكرى عَن زَماني إِذا أَكرى

I slept through the full month and passed beyond it;

The months I have shunned and paid them no mind,

so why should I lag behind my time when it dwindles?

So why should I care about time when it's passed?