تَلَفُ البَصائِرِ وَالزَمانُ مُفَجَّعٌ

تَلَفُ البَصائِرِ وَالزَمانُ مُفَجَّعٌ

أَدهى وَأَفجَعُ مَن تَوى الأَبصارِ

أَدهى وَأَفجَعُ مَن تَوى الأَبصارِ

The loss of insight—and time is fraught with grief—

The eyes and time are devastated

Is graver and more grievous than the loss of sight.

More devastating and grievous than twisted eyes

بَلَغَ الفَتى هَرَماً فَظَنَّ زَمانَهُ

بَلَغَ الفَتى هَرَماً فَظَنَّ زَمانَهُ

هَرِماً وَذَمَّ تَقادُمَ الأَعصارِ

هَرِماً وَذَمَّ تَقادُمَ الأَعصارِ

The young man reached old age, then thought his time

The youth reached old age and thought his time

Aged too, and blamed the aging of the eras.

Was old and blamed the passing of eras

كَم عايَنَ الفَتَياتِ بَعدَ شَبيبَةٍ

كَم عايَنَ الفَتَياتِ بَعدَ شَبيبَةٍ

عُجُزاً وَدُنياهُنَّ في الأَعصارِ

عُجُزاً وَدُنياهُنَّ في الأَعصارِ

How often he saw young women, after their youth,

How many young women after youth

Become old women, while their world lived on through the ages.

He saw in their weakness through the eras

وَرُميتُ بِالهِمَمِ الطَوالِ وَغالَها

وَرُميتُ بِالهِمَمِ الطَوالِ وَغالَها

كَرُّ الخَطوبِ فَعَوَّضَت بِقِصارِ

كَرُّ الخَطوبِ فَعَوَّضَت بِقِصارِ

And I was assailed by far-reaching ambitions, which were ravaged

And I was cast with high ambitions though arduous

By misfortunes’ repeated assaults, which gave me shorter ones instead.

The bitterness of events made up for with brevity

وَالوَحشُ في الفَلَواتِ أَجمَلُ عِشرَةٍ

وَالوَحشُ في الفَلَواتِ أَجمَلُ عِشرَةٍ

لِلمَرءِ مِن أَهليهِ في الأَمصارِ

لِلمَرءِ مِن أَهليهِ في الأَمصارِ

And wild beasts in the deserts are pleasanter company

And solitude in the deserts is a better company

For a man than his own kin in the cities.

For a man than his family in the settlements

وَإِذا حَصَلتَ مُراقِباً في مَنزِلٍ

وَإِذا حَصَلتَ مُراقِباً في مَنزِلٍ

سُكّانَهُ أُلفيتَ خِدَنَ حِصارِ

سُكّانَهُ أُلفيتَ خِدَنَ حِصارِ

And if you find yourself in a dwelling, watching

And if you become an observer in a home

Its inhabitants, you prove a close companion of siege.

You befriend the inmates under siege

وَالحِلمُ أَفضَلُ ناصِرٍ تَدعونَهُ

وَالحِلمُ أَفضَلُ ناصِرٍ تَدعونَهُ

فَاِلزَمهُ يَكفِكَ قِلَّةَ الأَصارِ

فَاِلزَمهُ يَكفِكَ قِلَّةَ الأَصارِ

And forbearance is the best helper you call upon;

Wisdom is the best supporter you call upon

So cling to it: it will make up for a lack of kinship ties.

So stick to it, it will suffice your few resources

وَتَفَكُّرُ الإِنسانِ يَثني غَربَهُ

وَتَفَكُّرُ الإِنسانِ يَثني غَربَهُ

وَيَرُدُّ جامِحَهُ إِلى الإِقصارِ

وَيَرُدُّ جامِحَهُ إِلى الإِقصارِ

And a person’s reflection checks his sharp edge

And man's contemplation makes his setting sun slope

And brings his unruly spirit back to restraint.

And holds back his recklessness into descent