الجُلُّ مودٍ وَلا جُلمودَ يَترُكُهُ

الجُلُّ مودٍ وَلا جُلمودَ يَترُكُهُ

رَيبُ الزَمانِ فَأَنّى يخلُدُ القَزَمُ

رَيبُ الزَمانِ فَأَنّى يخلُدُ القَزَمُ

The mighty perish, and no boulder is spared

The sand dunes yield but leave no trace behind,

by time's vicissitudes—how, then, can the dwarf live forever?

How can a short-lived thing claim immortality?

شَدَّت عَلَيهُم مَناياهُم تُوَسِّطُهُم

شَدَّت عَلَيهُم مَناياهُم تُوَسِّطُهُم

كَالخَيلِ شُدَّت عَلى أَوساطِها الحُزُمُ

كَالخَيلِ شُدَّت عَلى أَوساطِها الحُزُمُ

Their deaths charge upon them, cleaving them in two,

Death took them suddenly in their prime,

like horses with girths drawn tight around their middles.

Like belts tightened around the horses' bellies.

لا تَسأَلوا الناسَ وَاِغدوا آكِلي مَقِرٍ

لا تَسأَلوا الناسَ وَاِغدوا آكِلي مَقِرٍ

إِنَّ النُفوسَ عَلى إِمساكِها عُزُمُ

إِنَّ النُفوسَ عَلى إِمساكِها عُزُمُ

Do not beg from people; go forth eating bitter aloes.

Do not ask people for favors, but go and earn your bread,

For souls are resolute in their withholding.

Souls are determined to withhold their giving.

لَعَلَّ أَربابَ أَيدٍ لِلنَدى بُسِطَت

لَعَلَّ أَربابَ أَيدٍ لِلنَدى بُسِطَت

يَومَ الحِسابِ عَلى أَيديهِمُ أُزُمُ

يَومَ الحِسابِ عَلى أَيديهِمُ أُزُمُ

Perhaps those whose hands were outstretched in generosity

Perhaps generous hands were outstretched,

will bite their own hands on the Day of Reckoning.

On Judgement Day, their palms will show the marks.

لا وِردَ لي وَالمَطايا في خَزائِمِها

لا وِردَ لي وَالمَطايا في خَزائِمِها

وَكُلُّ صاحِبِ سِنٍّ حَبلُهُ خَزَمُ

وَكُلُّ صاحِبِ سِنٍّ حَبلُهُ خَزَمُ

I have no watering-place, while the mounts are in their nose-rings,

My camels have no bridles or saddlebags,

and every aged person's rope is of khazam-tree fibre.

Each old man's rope frays out.

ما لي أَرى حُزَماءَ الناسِ في شَرقٍ

ما لي أَرى حُزَماءَ الناسِ في شَرقٍ

كَأَنَّما الحَزمُ في أَحشائِهِم حَزَمُ

كَأَنَّما الحَزمُ في أَحشائِهِم حَزَمُ

Why do I see the prudent among people choking,

Why do I see the wise men of the East downcast

as though prudence were a choking pain in their entrails?

As if wisdom itself lies crushed inside them?

يا نِسوَةَ الحَيِّ إِن كُنتُنَّ أَظبِيَةً

يا نِسوَةَ الحَيِّ إِن كُنتُنَّ أَظبِيَةً

فَكُلُّكُنَّ يَصيدُ الخادِرُ الرُزَمُ

فَكُلُّكُنَّ يَصيدُ الخادِرُ الرُزَمُ

O women of the tribe, if you are gazelles,

O women of the camp, if you are gazelles,

the lair-dwelling, growling lion hunts you all.

Then which of you can escape the clever hunter?

كُثَيِّرٌ أَنا في حَرفي أَهَبتُ لَهُ

كُثَيِّرٌ أَنا في حَرفي أَهَبتُ لَهُ

في التاءِ يَلزِمُ حَرفاً لَيسَ يَلتَزِمُ

في التاءِ يَلزِمُ حَرفاً لَيسَ يَلتَزِمُ

Kuthayyir—in my rhyme I called out to him:

Prolific am I in my art, granting it

with tāʾ he keeps to a letter he is not bound to keep.

A letter needing no other to cling to.

وَالمَرءُ يَرفَعُ أَفعالاً فَتَخفِضُهُ

وَالمَرءُ يَرفَعُ أَفعالاً فَتَخفِضُهُ

حَتّى إِذا ماتَ أَضحى وَهوَ مُنجَزِمُ

حَتّى إِذا ماتَ أَضحى وَهوَ مُنجَزِمُ

And a man raises deeds, but they bring him low,

A man raises up actions only to be brought down by them,

until, when he dies, he ends up cut off.

Until, when he dies, he becomes completely broken.