أَماليُّ الزَمانِ عَلى بَنيهِ

أَماليُّ الزَمانِ عَلى بَنيهِ

حَوادِثُ أَصبَحَت شَرَّ الأَمالي

حَوادِثُ أَصبَحَت شَرَّ الأَمالي

Time’s dictations to his sons

The hopes of time upon its sons

are calamities that have become the worst of dictations.

Are events that have become the worst of hopes

أَصابَ الرَملَةَ الحَدَثانُ يَوماً

أَصابَ الرَملَةَ الحَدَثانُ يَوماً

فَخَصَّ وَما يَزالُ أَخا اِشتِمالِ

فَخَصَّ وَما يَزالُ أَخا اِشتِمالِ

The ravages of Time struck Ramla one day,

Misfortune struck Al-Ramla one day

singling her out, though ever all-embracing.

So it singled out and still clasps embracing

وَهَل عُصِمَت جِبالٌ أَو بِحارٌ

وَهَل عُصِمَت جِبالٌ أَو بِحارٌ

فَتَنجو ساكِناتٌ بِالرِمالِ

فَتَنجو ساكِناتٌ بِالرِمالِ

And have mountains or seas been spared,

Have any mountains or seas been protected

that those dwelling in the sands should escape?

To rescue those dwelling in the sands?

وَما لِمُجاوِرِ الأَيّامِ عَقلٌ

وَما لِمُجاوِرِ الأَيّامِ عَقلٌ

يُكَشِّفُ لَيلَهُ فَيَقولُ مالي

يُكَشِّفُ لَيلَهُ فَيَقولُ مالي

And no neighbor of the days is wise

What mind has the neighbor of days

who lays bare his night and says, ‘My wealth!’

To uncover his night and say: what's mine is mine?

فَلا تَبني خِيامَكَ في مَحَلٍّ

فَلا تَبني خِيامَكَ في مَحَلٍّ

فَإِنَّ القاطِنينَ عَلى اِحتِمالِ

فَإِنَّ القاطِنينَ عَلى اِحتِمالِ

So do not pitch your tents in any place,

So do not erect your tents in a place

for those who settle are poised to depart.

Where the inhabitants are prone to misfortune

وَأَجنِحَةُ النُسورِ إِذا أَتَتها

وَأَجنِحَةُ النُسورِ إِذا أَتَتها

مَناياها كَأَجنِحَةِ النِمالِ

مَناياها كَأَجنِحَةِ النِمالِ

And vultures’ wings, when overtaken

And the wings of eagles when death comes to them

by their deaths, are like the wings of ants.

Are like the wings of ostriches

إِذا كانَ الجَمالُ إلى اِنتِساخٍ

إِذا كانَ الجَمالُ إلى اِنتِساخٍ

فَحُزناً جَرَّ مَوهوبَ الجَمالِ

فَحُزناً جَرَّ مَوهوبَ الجَمالِ

If beauty is destined to fade,

When beauty declines into ugliness

then it brings sorrow to one endowed with beauty.

Sorrow has dragged the bestowed beauty

وَما طَيرُ اليَمينِ بِمُبهِجاتي

وَما طَيرُ اليَمينِ بِمُبهِجاتي

فَأَخشى الهَمَّ مِن طَيرِ الشِمالِ

فَأَخشى الهَمَّ مِن طَيرِ الشِمالِ

And birds on the right do not gladden me,

The bird of fortune does not gladden me

that I should fear distress from birds on the left.

So I fear grief from the bird of misfortune

مَضى رَوضٌ وَجاءَ وَلَم يُخَبِّر

مَضى رَوضٌ وَجاءَ وَلَم يُخَبِّر

فَنَسأَلَهُ عَنِ الشَربِ الثِمالِ

فَنَسأَلَهُ عَنِ الشَربِ الثِمالِ

A meadow departed and returned, yet did not speak,

A meadow passed and another came but did not

that we might ask it about the drunken drinkers.

Inform us of the fresh drink

فَيا دارَ الخَسارِ أَلا خَلاصٌ

فَيا دارَ الخَسارِ أَلا خَلاصٌ

فَأَذهَبَ في الجَنوبِ أَو الشِمالِ

فَأَذهَبَ في الجَنوبِ أَو الشِمالِ

So, O abode of loss, is there no escape,

Oh home of loss, no deliverance

that I might go south or north?

To go south or north

وَظُلمٌ أَن أُحاوِلَ فيكِ رِبحاً

وَظُلمٌ أَن أُحاوِلَ فيكِ رِبحاً

وَلَم أَخرُج إِلَيكِ بِرَأسِ مالِ

وَلَم أَخرُج إِلَيكِ بِرَأسِ مالِ

And it is unjust for me to seek profit in you,

It is injustice that I seek profit in you

when I set out toward you with no capital.

When I did not come to you with capital

وَهَل دونَ السَلامَةِ بُعدُ أَرضٍ

وَهَل دونَ السَلامَةِ بُعدُ أَرضٍ

فَيُطوى بِالأَيانِقِ وَالجِمالِ

فَيُطوى بِالأَيانِقِ وَالجِمالِ

And is there a stretch of land between us and safety,

Is there any land beyond safety

that could be crossed on she-camels and he-camels?

To be folded with the beautiful and fair?

نَموتُ لِأَنَّنا حُلَفاءُ نَقصٍ

نَموتُ لِأَنَّنا حُلَفاءُ نَقصٍ

وَيَبقى مَن تَفَرَّدَ بِالكَمالِ

وَيَبقى مَن تَفَرَّدَ بِالكَمالِ

We die because we are allies of imperfection,

We die because we are allies of deficiency

and the one who alone possesses perfection remains.

And he who monopolizes perfection remains