لَقَد دَجّى الزَمانُ فَلا تَدَجّوا

لَقَد دَجّى الزَمانُ فَلا تَدَجّوا

وَلَجَّ فَلَم يَدَع خَصماً يَلَجُّ

وَلَجَّ فَلَم يَدَع خَصماً يَلَجُّ

Time has indeed grown dark; do not trudge on.

Time has darkened, so do not make it darker,

And it has persisted, leaving no adversary still defiant.

And it has become confused, leaving no opponent confused.

أَراني قَد نَصَحتُ فَما لِنُصحي

أَراني قَد نَصَحتُ فَما لِنُصحي

إِذا ما غارَ في أُذُنٍ يُمَجُّ

إِذا ما غارَ في أُذُنٍ يُمَجُّ

I see that I have given counsel; what ails my counsel,

Do I see that I have advised, yet my advice is useless,

that whenever it sinks into an ear, it is spat out?

When it pours into an ear that shuts out all counsel?

عَجِبنا لِلرَكائِبِ مُبرَياتٍ

عَجِبنا لِلرَكائِبِ مُبرَياتٍ

يَسيلُ بِهِنَّ بَعدَ الفَجِّ فَجُّ

يَسيلُ بِهِنَّ بَعدَ الفَجِّ فَجُّ

We marveled at the nose-ringed riding camels:

Strange are the riding camels, their saddles emptied,

one mountain pass after another streams with them.

Flowing with them after death's rending are more tears.

تُنِصُّ إِلى تِهامَةَ مُبتَغاها

تُنِصُّ إِلى تِهامَةَ مُبتَغاها

صَلاحَ وَلَيسَ في النِياتِ وَجُّ

صَلاحَ وَلَيسَ في النِياتِ وَجُّ

They hasten toward Tihamah, their goal

You aim for well-being in Tehama, seeking it,

Salah, with Wajj absent from their intentions.

And good faith, though intentions harbor no ill thoughts.

هِيَ الدُنِّيا عَلى ما نَحنُ فيهِ

هِيَ الدُنِّيا عَلى ما نَحنُ فيهِ

مَعاشٌ يُمتَرى وَدَمٌ يُثَجُّ

مَعاشٌ يُمتَرى وَدَمٌ يُثَجُّ

Such is the world, as we find ourselves within it:

Such is this life we're in -

a livelihood milked out, and blood poured forth.

A livelihood bought and blood spilled out.

لَيالِيَ ما بِمَكَّةَ مِن مَقامٍ

لَيالِيَ ما بِمَكَّةَ مِن مَقامٍ

وَلا بَيتٌ بِأَبطَحِها يَحِجُّ

وَلا بَيتٌ بِأَبطَحِها يَحِجُّ

In nights when there was no station in Mecca,

No dwelling place in Mecca's valley

nor a House in its pebbled valley visited on pilgrimage.

Or house on its plain brings pilgrims rest.

وَما فَتِئَت وُلاةُ الأَمرِ فيها

وَما فَتِئَت وُلاةُ الأَمرِ فيها

على الصَفراءِ تُصرِفُ أَو تَشِجُّ

على الصَفراءِ تُصرِفُ أَو تَشِجُّ

And its holders of power have never ceased

Rulers of authority there weary it

gnashing their teeth over gold, or splitting heads.

With yellow gold they dispense or treasures they hoard.

وَقَد كُذِبَ الصَحيحُ بِلا اِرتِيابٍ

وَقَد كُذِبَ الصَحيحُ بِلا اِرتِيابٍ

فَهَل صَدَقَ الأَصَمُّ أَو الأَشَجُّ

فَهَل صَدَقَ الأَصَمُّ أَو الأَشَجُّ

And the sound man has been lied to, beyond doubt;

The true has been denied, without doubt,

so has al-Asamm or al-Ashajj spoken truth?

So has the deaf or the blind spoken truth?

مَضى أَهلُ الرَجاءِ عَلى سَبيلٍ

مَضى أَهلُ الرَجاءِ عَلى سَبيلٍ

كَأَنَّهُمُ العَظائِمُ لَم يُرَجّوا

كَأَنَّهُمُ العَظائِمُ لَم يُرَجّوا

The people of hope have gone along a path,

The hopeful have departed down a road

as though they were mighty things, never shaken.

As though the greatest calamities passed them by.

فَما لِلرُمحِ قَرَّبَهُ رِجالٌ

فَما لِلرُمحِ قَرَّبَهُ رِجالٌ

يُنَصَّلُ لِلمَنيَّةِ أَو يُزَجُّ

يُنَصَّلُ لِلمَنيَّةِ أَو يُزَجُّ

Why, then, is the spear that men have brought forth

Why has the spear been wielded by men

fitted with a spearhead for death, or with a butt-spike?

Who are destined for death or will be routed?