تَعالي قُدرَةٍ وَخَفَوتُ جَرسِ

تَعالي قُدرَةٍ وَخَفَوتُ جَرسِ

أَزالا عَنكَ حَرساً بَعدَ حَرسِ

أَزالا عَنكَ حَرساً بَعدَ حَرسِ

Power's sublimity and the fading of sound

Come, my ability and softness of voice

have taken from you age after age.

I removed from you guards after guards

أَرى خُرساً مِنَ الأَيّامِ وافَت

أَرى خُرساً مِنَ الأَيّامِ وافَت

بِكُرٍّ لَم يَكُن مِن ذاتِ خُرسِ

بِكُرٍّ لَم يَكُن مِن ذاتِ خُرسِ

I see mute days arriving

I see a bear from the days that passed

with a host no woman at a birth-feast bore.

With youth that had no attribute of a bear

وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّني غاوٍ جَهولٌ

وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّني غاوٍ جَهولٌ

وَإِن بالَغتُ في بَحثٍ وَدَرسِ

وَإِن بالَغتُ في بَحثٍ وَدَرسِ

And I testify that I am astray and deeply ignorant,

And I confess I am lost and ignorant

even if I strive hard in inquiry and study.

Even if I exerted in searching and studying

يُجادُ ثَرى وَأَجعَلُ فيهِ غَرساً

يُجادُ ثَرى وَأَجعَلُ فيهِ غَرساً

فَيَفقُدُ ساعِدي وَيَقومُ غَرسي

فَيَفقُدُ ساعِدي وَيَقومُ غَرسي

The soil is rain-watered, and I set a sapling in it;

He prepares land and I plant in it trees

then it loses my arm, while my sapling stands.

So my arm fails me and my trees stand

وَجَدنا ذاهِبَ الفَتَيَينِ أَفنى

وَجَدنا ذاهِبَ الفَتَيَينِ أَفنى

مُلوكَ الأَرَضِ مِن عُربٍ وَفُرسِ

مُلوكَ الأَرَضِ مِن عُربٍ وَفُرسِ

We have found that the two youths' passing destroyed

We found the two young men destroyed

the kings of earth, Arab and Persian.

The kings of earth among Arabs and Persians

وَما البِرّانِ مِثلَهُما وَلَكِن

وَما البِرّانِ مِثلَهُما وَلَكِن

هُما الأَسَدانِ يَبتَغِيانِ فَرَسي

هُما الأَسَدانِ يَبتَغِيانِ فَرَسي

No kindly pair resembles them; rather,

And the righteous are not like them, but

they are two lions seeking to rend me.

They are the two lions seeking their prey

سَيَلقى كُلُّ مَن حَذِرَ المَنايا

سَيَلقى كُلُّ مَن حَذِرَ المَنايا

فَضَع ثِقلَيكَ مِن دِرعٍ وَتُرسِ

فَضَع ثِقلَيكَ مِن دِرعٍ وَتُرسِ

All who fear death will meet it;

Everyone who fears death will meet

so lay down your two burdens: armor and shield.

So remove your heavy coat of mail and shield

لَنا رَبٌّ وَلَيسَ لَهُ نَظيرٌ

لَنا رَبٌّ وَلَيسَ لَهُ نَظيرٌ

يُسَيّرُ أَمرُهُ جَبَلاً وَيُرسي

يُسَيّرُ أَمرُهُ جَبَلاً وَيُرسي

We have a Lord who has no peer;

We have a Lord without equal

His command moves a mountain and anchors it.

His command makes a mountain bow and kneel

تَظَلُّ الشَمسُ ماهِنَةً لَدَيهِ

تَظَلُّ الشَمسُ ماهِنَةً لَدَيهِ

فَما بِلقيسُ أَم ما سِتُّ بِرسِ

فَما بِلقيسُ أَم ما سِتُّ بِرسِ

The sun remains a serving-maid before Him;

The sun remains humble before Him

what then is Bilqis, or the Lady of Birs?

So what is Bilqis or the Sitt of Burj

قَضاءٌ خُطَّ ما الأَقلامُ فيهِ

قَضاءٌ خُطَّ ما الأَقلامُ فيهِ

بِمُعمِلَةٍ وَلَم يُحفَظ بِطِرسِ

بِمُعمِلَةٍ وَلَم يُحفَظ بِطِرسِ

A decree was inscribed, in which no pens

A decree outlined which the pens did not

were put to work, nor was it kept on parchment.

With skill and was not kept in leather

غَذا العِرسانِ بِإِبنِهِما عَدوّاً

غَذا العِرسانِ بِإِبنِهِما عَدوّاً

أَقَلُّ أَذيَّةً مِنهُ اِبنُ عِرسِ

أَقَلُّ أَذيَّةً مِنهُ اِبنُ عِرسِ

The newlyweds reared an enemy in their son;

The wedding feast of the two with their son an enemy

a weasel is less harmful than he is.

Less harmful than the son of a groom

لَقَد أَلقاكَ في تَعَبٍ وَهَمٍّ

لَقَد أَلقاكَ في تَعَبٍ وَهَمٍّ

وَليدٌ جاءَ بَينَ دَمٍ وَغِرسِ

وَليدٌ جاءَ بَينَ دَمٍ وَغِرسِ

Indeed, you have been cast into toil and worry

They did cast you in fatigue and worry

by a newborn who came amid blood and afterbirth.

A newborn came between blood and planting

وَما الفَتَيانِ إِلّا مِثلُ نامٍ

وَما الفَتَيانِ إِلّا مِثلُ نامٍ

مِنَ الفِتيانِ تَحتَ ثَرىً وَكِرسِ

مِنَ الفِتيانِ تَحتَ ثَرىً وَكِرسِ

The two youths are only like a sleeper

The two young men are but like sleeping

among young men beneath soil and caked dung.

Of the youth beneath soil and covered

تَشابَهَتِ الخُطوبُ فَما تَناءَت

تَشابَهَتِ الخُطوبُ فَما تَناءَت

حُرَيرَةُ لابِسٍ وَقَميصُ بِرسِ

حُرَيرَةُ لابِسٍ وَقَميصُ بِرسِ

Calamities are alike; no gulf separates

Difficulties came alike so the garment

a wearer's silken garment from a cotton shirt.

Of Labis and Burj's shirt did not differ

وَما غُذِيَ الأَميرُ كَما رَعاهُ

وَما غُذِيَ الأَميرُ كَما رَعاهُ

فَنيقُ الشَولِ مِن سَلَمٍ وَشِرسِ

فَنيقُ الشَولِ مِن سَلَمٍ وَشِرسِ

No prince was fed on the likes of what

Nor was the prince fed as he was raised

the dry herd's pampered bull-camel grazed—acacia and thornbush.

Delicate of partnership and aggressive

كَأَنَّ الشَدوَ في الأَعراسِ نَوحٌ

كَأَنَّ الشَدوَ في الأَعراسِ نَوحٌ

وَأَصواتُ النَوادِبِ لَهوُ عُرسِ

وَأَصواتُ النَوادِبِ لَهوُ عُرسِ

As though singing at weddings were lamentation,

As if the wedding songs were Noah's weeping

and mourning women's voices the merriment of a wedding.

And the voices of mourners the joy of the wed

أَنامُكِ أَيُّها الدُنِّيا ثِمارٌ

أَنامُكِ أَيُّها الدُنِّيا ثِمارٌ

فَما تَبَقى عَلى وَمَدٍ وَقَرسِ

فَما تَبَقى عَلى وَمَدٍ وَقَرسِ

Your creatures, O world, are fruits

I sleep, Oh world, ripe fruit

that survive neither sultry heat nor freezing cold.

That does not remain for long

وَلَو بَقِيَت لِأَدرَكَها مُزيلٌ

وَلَو بَقِيَت لِأَدرَكَها مُزيلٌ

بِريبِ الدَهرِ مِن عَجمٍ وَضَرسِ

بِريبِ الدَهرِ مِن عَجمٍ وَضَرسِ

And even if they lasted, a destroyer would overtake them

And if it remained, a remover would take it

through time's vicissitudes—gnawing and grinding.

With the mischief of time, foreigner or biter

وَلَيسَ اِبنُ الزُبيرِ صَحيحَ رَأيٍ

وَلَيسَ اِبنُ الزُبيرِ صَحيحَ رَأيٍ

إِذا مانابَ عَن مَدَرٍ بِوَرسِ

إِذا مانابَ عَن مَدَرٍ بِوَرسِ

Ibn al-Zubayr was not sound in judgment

And Ibn Az-Zubair has no sound opinion

when he substituted yellow wars-dye for clay.

If he turns away from guidance with hesitation