أَصحابُ لَيكَةَ أُهلِكوا بِظَهيرَةٍ

أَصحابُ لَيكَةَ أُهلِكوا بِظَهيرَةٍ

حَميَت وَعادٌ بِالرِياحِ الصَرصَرِ

حَميَت وَعادٌ بِالرِياحِ الصَرصَرِ

The people of Laykah were destroyed at a noontide

The people of Layka were destroyed at midday,

that blazed with heat, and ʿAd by bitter, howling winds.

The winds of Hamiya and 'Aad blew with biting cold.

هَوِّن عَلَيكَ أَنِلتَ نَصراً في الوَغى

هَوِّن عَلَيكَ أَنِلتَ نَصراً في الوَغى

أَم قالَ جَدُّكَ صادِقاً لا تُنصَرِ

أَم قالَ جَدُّكَ صادِقاً لا تُنصَرِ

Take it lightly, whether you gained victory in battle

Be lenient if you gained victory in battle,

or your fortune truthfully said, "You shall not be granted victory."

Or did your grandfather truthfully say you'll never prevail?

كِسرى أَصابَ الكَسرُ جابِرَ مُلكِهِ

كِسرى أَصابَ الكَسرُ جابِرَ مُلكِهِ

وَالقَصرُ كَرَّ عَلى تَطاوُلِ قَيصَرِ

وَالقَصرُ كَرَّ عَلى تَطاوُلِ قَيصَرِ

Kisra: ruin struck the restorer of his kingdom,

Chosroes' kingdom was broken by its breaking,

and diminution assailed Caesar's towering pride.

And the palace bent under the haughtiness of Caesar.

لا تَحمَدَنَّ وَلا تَذَمَّنَّ اِمرِأً

لا تَحمَدَنَّ وَلا تَذَمَّنَّ اِمرِأً

فينا فَغَيرُ مُقَصِّرٍ كَمُقَصِّرِ

فينا فَغَيرُ مُقَصِّرٍ كَمُقَصِّرِ

Never praise or blame a man

Do not praise or blame a man,

among us, for one who does not fall short is like one who does.

Among us there is no slack one like the slack one.

آلَيتُ لا يَنفَكُّ جِسمِيَ في أَذاً

آلَيتُ لا يَنفَكُّ جِسمِيَ في أَذاً

حَتّى يَعودَ إِلى قَديمِ العُنصُرِ

حَتّى يَعودَ إِلى قَديمِ العُنصُرِ

I have sworn: my body will remain in pain

I have become decrepit, my body won't heal

until it returns to its original element.

Until it returns to its original composition.

وَإِذا رَجَعتُ إِلَيهِ صارَت أَعظُمي

وَإِذا رَجَعتُ إِلَيهِ صارَت أَعظُمي

تُرباً تَهافَتَ في طِوالِ الأَعصُرِ

تُرباً تَهافَتَ في طِوالِ الأَعصُرِ

And when I return to it, my bones will become

And if it returns to it, my bones

dust that crumbles through the long ages.

Will be dust scattered over the ages.

وَاللَهُ خالِقُنا اللَطيفُ مُكَوِّنٌ

وَاللَهُ خالِقُنا اللَطيفُ مُكَوِّنٌ

ما لا يَبينُ لِسامِعٍ أَو مُبصِرِ

ما لا يَبينُ لِسامِعٍ أَو مُبصِرِ

And God, our Creator, the Subtle One, was bringing into being

God, exalted, created us perfectly,

what no hearer or beholder could discern,

What cannot be seen by a listener or observer.

أَيّامَ لَم تَكُ في المَواطِنِ كُوفَةٌ

أَيّامَ لَم تَكُ في المَواطِنِ كُوفَةٌ

لِمُكَوِّفٍ أَو بَصرَةٌ لِمُبَصِّرِ

لِمُكَوِّفٍ أَو بَصرَةٌ لِمُبَصِّرِ

in days when no Kufa stood among the settlements

There were days when Kufa was not a garrison

for its founder, nor Basra for its founder.

For one stationed or Basra for one observing.

كَم أَهرَمَ الفَتَياتِ وَقتٌ ذاهِبٌ

كَم أَهرَمَ الفَتَياتِ وَقتٌ ذاهِبٌ

وَالشَمسُ تَطلُعُ كَالفَتاةِ المُعصِرِ

وَالشَمسُ تَطلُعُ كَالفَتاةِ المُعصِرِ

How often passing time has made young women old,

How much vanishing time made the girls grow old,

while the sun rises like a maiden coming of age.

The sun rises like a tightly wrapped maiden.

وَالعَقلُ يَعجَبُ لِلشُروعِ تَمَجُّسٍ

وَالعَقلُ يَعجَبُ لِلشُروعِ تَمَجُّسٍ

وَتَحَنُّفٍ وَتَهَوُّدٍ وَتَنَصُّرِ

وَتَحَنُّفٍ وَتَهَوُّدٍ وَتَنَصُّرِ

And reason marvels at the creeds: embracing Magianism,

Reason is amazed by sanctimonious behaviour,

the Hanif faith, Judaism, and Christianity.

And by affectation, Judaizing, and Christianizing.

فَاِحذَر وَلا تَدَعِ الأُمورَ مُضاعَةً

فَاِحذَر وَلا تَدَعِ الأُمورَ مُضاعَةً

وَاِنظُر بِقَلبِ مُفَكِّرٍ مُتَبَصِّرِ

وَاِنظُر بِقَلبِ مُفَكِّرٍ مُتَبَصِّرِ

So beware, and do not leave matters neglected;

So beware and don't neglect matters,

and look with the heart of a thoughtful, discerning person.

And look with a thinking, observant heart.

فَالنَفسُ إِن هِيَ أُطلِقَت مِن سِجنِها

فَالنَفسُ إِن هِيَ أُطلِقَت مِن سِجنِها

فَكَأَنَّها في شَخصِها لَم تُحصَرِ

فَكَأَنَّها في شَخصِها لَم تُحصَرِ

For if the soul is released from its prison,

For if the soul is freed from its prison,

it is as though it had never been confined in its body.

It is as if it was never confined in its person.

وَالطولُ في وَسطى البَنانِ لَعِلَّةٍ

وَالطولُ في وَسطى البَنانِ لَعِلَّةٍ

كَالنَقصِ في إِبهامِها وَالخِنصِرِ

كَالنَقصِ في إِبهامِها وَالخِنصِرِ

And the middle finger's length has a cause,

Elongation at the waist is due to some condition,

as does the shortness of the thumb and little finger.

Like shortness in the thumb and little finger.