وَعَظَ الزَمانُ فَما فَهِمتَ عِظاتِهِ

وَعَظَ الزَمانُ فَما فَهِمتَ عِظاتِهِ

وَكَأَنَّهُ في صَمتِهِ يَتَكَلَّمُ

وَكَأَنَّهُ في صَمتِهِ يَتَكَلَّمُ

Time admonished you, but you did not understand its admonitions.

Time admonished, yet you did not understand its admonishments

And it is as though, in its silence, it speaks.

As if it speaks in its silence

لَو حاوَرَتكَ الضَأنُ قالَ حَصيفُها

لَو حاوَرَتكَ الضَأنُ قالَ حَصيفُها

الذِئبُ يَظلِمُ وَاِبنَ آدَمَ أَظلَمُ

الذِئبُ يَظلِمُ وَاِبنَ آدَمَ أَظلَمُ

If the sheep conversed with you, their wise one would say:

If the sheep conversed with you, their bleating would say

The wolf does wrong, but the son of Adam is more unjust.

The wolf oppresses, yet man's son is more oppressive

أَطَرَدتَ عَنّا فارِساً ذا رُجلَةٍ

أَطَرَدتَ عَنّا فارِساً ذا رُجلَةٍ

ساقَتهُ حاجَتُهُ وَلَيلٌ مُظلِمُ

ساقَتهُ حاجَتُهُ وَلَيلٌ مُظلِمُ

Did you drive from us a horseman strong of foot,

You chased away a noble knight

Driven by his need and a dark night?

Whose need drove him in the dark of night

وَيَزيدُهُ عُذراً لَدَينا أَنَّهُ

وَيَزيدُهُ عُذراً لَدَينا أَنَّهُ

سَدرانُ لَيسَ بِعالِمٍ ما تَعلَمُ

سَدرانُ لَيسَ بِعالِمٍ ما تَعلَمُ

And what further excuses him in our eyes is that he

Making his excuse to us greater

Is heedless, not knowing what you know.

An ignorant tree not knowing what you know

تَهوى سَلامَتَنا وَتَرعى سَرحَنا

تَهوى سَلامَتَنا وَتَرعى سَرحَنا

وَجِرابُ ضارٍ مِن حِرابِكَ أَسلَمُ

وَجِرابُ ضارٍ مِن حِرابِكَ أَسلَمُ

You desire our safety and tend our grazing flock,

He desires our safety and pastures over our meadow

And a predator's belly is safer than your spears.

While the fold of harm from your enclosures is safer

أَظفارُكَ اِستَعلَت إِلى أَظفارِهِ

أَظفارُكَ اِستَعلَت إِلى أَظفارِهِ

بَأساً وَتِلكَ وَقتُ وَهذي تُقلَمُ

بَأساً وَتِلكَ وَقتُ وَهذي تُقلَمُ

Your nails have risen to rival his claws

Your claws overreached to his claws

In might; those protected him, while these are trimmed.

In valor, but this is the time for that to be clipped

لَو كانَ غُصناً في المَنابِتِ ناضِراً

لَو كانَ غُصناً في المَنابِتِ ناضِراً

لَأَلَمَّ يَذبُلُ يَذبُلٌ وَيُلَملِمُ

لَأَلَمَّ يَذبُلُ يَذبُلٌ وَيُلَملِمُ

Were it a verdant branch among growing plants,

If he were a blossoming branch in the groves

Yadhbul and Yalamlam would be close to withering.

He would not wither, wither and be broken

صَبراً عَلى دُنياكَ يَنقَضِ حينُها

صَبراً عَلى دُنياكَ يَنقَضِ حينُها

فَكَأَنَّها حُلمٌ بِنَومٍ يَحلَمُ

فَكَأَنَّها حُلمٌ بِنَومٍ يَحلَمُ

Be patient with your world: its time will pass,

Patience over your world that will soon pass

For it is like a dream one dreams in sleep.

As if it were a dream in slumber one dreams

وَلَرُبَّما قَضَتِ الأَناةُ مَآرِباً

وَلَرُبَّما قَضَتِ الأَناةُ مَآرِباً

مِن نازِحٍ وَلِكُلِّ عالٍ سُلَّمُ

مِن نازِحٍ وَلِكُلِّ عالٍ سُلَّمُ

And often deliberation has fulfilled desires

And maybe time will undo those who plot

From far away; and for every height there is a ladder.

Against the emigrant, and for each lofty one there is a ladder

وَالناسُ شَتّى مِن حُلومٍ مُظهِرٌ

وَالناسُ شَتّى مِن حُلومٍ مُظهِرٌ

جَهلاً يَعُرُّ وَجاهِلٌ يَتَحَلَّمُ

جَهلاً يَعُرُّ وَجاهِلٌ يَتَحَلَّمُ

And people differ: among them a wise man displays

People vary, some feigning ignorance

Ignorance that disgraces, while an ignorant man feigns wisdom.

Foolish in ignorance and foolish in pretense

فارَقتَ فَاِستَعلَت هُمومُكَ وَالمَدى

فارَقتَ فَاِستَعلَت هُمومُكَ وَالمَدى

يَأسو بِطولِ مُرورِهِ ما يُكلَمُ

يَأسو بِطولِ مُرورِهِ ما يُكلَمُ

You parted, and your cares rose high; and time

You parted, so your concerns mounted, and the expanse

Heals what is wounded through its long passage.

Despairs in the length of its course without conversation

وَإِذا يَدٌ قُطِعَت فَإِنَّ عَشيرَها

وَإِذا يَدٌ قُطِعَت فَإِنَّ عَشيرَها

لَو حُرِّقَت بِالنارِ لا يَتَأَلَّمُ

لَو حُرِّقَت بِالنارِ لا يَتَأَلَّمُ

And when a hand is severed, its companion

When a hand is severed, its kindred

Feels no pain, even if the hand is burned in fire.

If burned by fire, would not feel pain