أَقاتِلِيَ الزَمانُ قِصاصَ عَمدٍ

أَقاتِلِيَ الزَمانُ قِصاصَ عَمدٍ

لِأَنّي قَد قَتَلتُ بَنيهِ خُبرا

لِأَنّي قَد قَتَلتُ بَنيهِ خُبرا

Will Time kill me in requital for deliberate murder,

Time takes revenge on me for a deliberate crime,

because I have slain its sons through knowledge?

For I have killed its children in full knowledge.

وَلَم أَسفِك دِماءَهُمُ وَلَكِن

وَلَم أَسفِك دِماءَهُمُ وَلَكِن

عَرَفتُ شُؤونَهُم كَشفاً وَسَبرا

عَرَفتُ شُؤونَهُم كَشفاً وَسَبرا

And I have not shed their blood, but

And though I did not shed their blood,

have learned their affairs by uncovering and probing.

I came to know their affairs completely and probed them.

غَدَوتُ وَرَيبَهُ فَرَسَي رِهانٍ

غَدَوتُ وَرَيبَهُ فَرَسَي رِهانٍ

يُجيدُ نَوائِباً وَأُجيدُ صَبرا

يُجيدُ نَوائِباً وَأُجيدُ صَبرا

I and its vicissitudes have become two racing steeds:

I went out early while my steed Rihān was a pledge,

it excels at calamities, and I excel at patience.

Skillful in difficulties, and I am patient.

كَأَنَّ نُفوسَنا إِبلٌ صِعابٌ

كَأَنَّ نُفوسَنا إِبلٌ صِعابٌ

بُراها عَقلُها وَالعيسُ تُبرى

بُراها عَقلُها وَالعيسُ تُبرى

Our souls are like unruly camels;

It is as though our souls are unruly camels

their nose-rings are their reason, and pale camels are ringed.

Whose intellect controls them while the verse is elucidated.

وَكَم ساعٍ لِيُحبَرَ في بِناءٍ

وَكَم ساعٍ لِيُحبَرَ في بِناءٍ

فَلَم يُرزَق بِما يَبنيهِ حَبرا

فَلَم يُرزَق بِما يَبنيهِ حَبرا

How many strive to find delight in a building,

How many hours one longs to build in construction

yet are granted no joy in what they build!

Yet is not granted what he would build in verse!

كَأُمِّ القَزِّ يَخرُجُ مِن حَشاها

كَأُمِّ القَزِّ يَخرُجُ مِن حَشاها

ذُرى بَيتٍ لَها فَيَعودُ قَبرا

ذُرى بَيتٍ لَها فَيَعودُ قَبرا

Like the silkworm, from whose belly emerges

Like the mother ostrich who comes out of her nest

the roof of her own house, which then becomes a grave.

With chicks of a house that will return to being a grave.

لَعَلَّكَ مُنجِزي أَغبارَ ديني

لَعَلَّكَ مُنجِزي أَغبارَ ديني

إِذا قُمنا مِنَ الأَجداثِ غُبرا

إِذا قُمنا مِنَ الأَجداثِ غُبرا

Perhaps you will pay me the balance of the debt owed me,

Perhaps you will fulfill the dust of my religion

when we rise dust-covered from the graves.

When we rise from the graves covered in dust.

وَحافِرِ مَعدِنٍ لاقى تَباراً

وَحافِرِ مَعدِنٍ لاقى تَباراً

وَكانَ عَناؤُهُ لِيُصيبَ تِبرا

وَكانَ عَناؤُهُ لِيُصيبَ تِبرا

And many a digger in a mine has met ruin,

And the digger of a mine met with ruin

though his toil was meant to obtain raw gold.

Though his toil was to obtain sulfur.

تَوافَقنا عَلى شِيَمٍ خِساسٍ

تَوافَقنا عَلى شِيَمٍ خِساسٍ

فَما بالُ الجَهولِ يُسِرُّ كِبرا

فَما بالُ الجَهولِ يُسِرُّ كِبرا

We share base traits;

We agreed upon a despicable disposition.

so why does the fool secretly harbor pride?

So why does the ignorant take pride in greatness?

فَهَذا يَسأَلُ البُخَلاءَ نَيلاً

فَهَذا يَسأَلُ البُخَلاءَ نَيلاً

وَهَذا يَضرِبُ الكُرَماءَ هَبرا

وَهَذا يَضرِبُ الكُرَماءَ هَبرا

So this one asks the miserly for a gift,

For this one asks the misers for attainment

and that one strikes the generous with hacking blows.

While that one beats the generous out of insolence.

جُلوسُ المَرءِ في وَبَرٍ مَليكاً

جُلوسُ المَرءِ في وَبَرٍ مَليكاً

نَظيرُ طُلوعِهِ في الهَضبِ وَبرا

نَظيرُ طُلوعِهِ في الهَضبِ وَبرا

A man's sitting as king in a haircloth tent

A man sitting proudly in a wasteland

is like his climbing the rocky hills as a hyrax.

Is like his rising in the plateau in the early dawn.

وَدَعواكَ الطَبيبَ لِجَبرِ عُضوٍ

وَدَعواكَ الطَبيبَ لِجَبرِ عُضوٍ

أَخَفُّ عَلَيكَ مِن دَعواكَ جَبرا

أَخَفُّ عَلَيكَ مِن دَعواكَ جَبرا

And your summoning a physician to mend a limb

And calling you a doctor to mend a limb

is easier for you than summoning a king.

Is lighter for you than calling you an undertaker.

وَما يَحمي الفَتى كِبَراً وَزَرداً

وَما يَحمي الفَتى كِبَراً وَزَرداً

بِمَوتٍ لِبسُهُ زَرداً وَكِبرا

بِمَوتٍ لِبسُهُ زَرداً وَكِبرا

And no youth is shielded from old age or choking

Neither advanced age nor youth protects the young man

at death by wearing chain mail and a robe.

With a death wrapping him in advanced age and youth.

نُقَضّي وَقتَنا بِغِنىً وَعُدمٍ

نُقَضّي وَقتَنا بِغِنىً وَعُدمٍ

وَنُنفِقُ لَفظَنا هَمساً وَنَبرا

وَنُنفِقُ لَفظَنا هَمساً وَنَبرا

We pass our time in wealth and poverty,

We spend our time in wealth and poverty

and expend our speech in whispers and raised tones.

And expend our words whispering and yelling.

إِلى الخَلّاقِ أَبرَأُ مِن لِسانٍ

إِلى الخَلّاقِ أَبرَأُ مِن لِسانٍ

تَعَوَّدَ أَن يَروعَ الناسَ أَبرا

تَعَوَّدَ أَن يَروعَ الناسَ أَبرا

Before the Creator I disavow a tongue

I disavow, before the Creator, a tongue

accustomed to frightening people with slander.

That grew accustomed to frightening people, by God!

وَمَن يُبدِع طَوِيّاً في سُهولٍ

وَمَن يُبدِع طَوِيّاً في سُهولٍ

فَلا يَترُك مَعَ الطارينَ زُبرا

فَلا يَترُك مَعَ الطارينَ زُبرا

And whoever builds a stone-lined well on the plains,

And he who innovates lengthy poetical pieces in plains

let him leave no stones with passersby.

Should not leave the birds behind with the ants.

كَأَنّا في بِحارٍ مِن خُطوبٍ

كَأَنّا في بِحارٍ مِن خُطوبٍ

وَلَيسَ يَرى لَها الراؤونَ عِبرا

وَلَيسَ يَرى لَها الراؤونَ عِبرا

It is as though we were in seas of calamities,

It is as though we are in seas of calamities

and those who look can see no shore.

And the seers do not perceive a moral for them.