تَغدو عَلى الأَرضِ في حالاتِ ساكِنِها

تَغدو عَلى الأَرضِ في حالاتِ ساكِنِها

وَتَحتَها لِهُدوءِ الجِسِّ نَضطَجِعُ

وَتَحتَها لِهُدوءِ الجِسِّ نَضطَجِعُ

You go forth upon the earth amid its dwellers' changing circumstances,

You walk on earth in the state of its inhabitants

and beneath it we lie down, for the body's repose.

And under it, I lie down for the tranquility of the body

وَالمَوتُ خَيرٌ وَفيهِ لِاِمرِئٍ دَعَةٌ

وَالمَوتُ خَيرٌ وَفيهِ لِاِمرِئٍ دَعَةٌ

إِن يُضرَبِ التُربُ لا يَحدُث لَهُ وَجَعُ

إِن يُضرَبِ التُربُ لا يَحدُث لَهُ وَجَعُ

And death is better, and in it a person finds ease;

And death is better, and in it there is rest for a person

if the soil is struck, no pain arises for him.

If dust is struck, no pain comes to him

تَشابَهَ القَومُ في عِلمي إِذا جَبُنوا

تَشابَهَ القَومُ في عِلمي إِذا جَبُنوا

فَلا أَلومُ وَلا أُثني إِذا شَجُعوا

فَلا أَلومُ وَلا أُثني إِذا شَجُعوا

People are alike, to my knowledge, when they are cowardly;

The people are alike in my knowledge when they are cowardly

so I neither blame them nor praise them when they are brave.

So I neither blame nor praise when they are brave

قَريضُهُم كَقَريضِ البارِكاتِ وَما

قَريضُهُم كَقَريضِ البارِكاتِ وَما

سَجعُ الحَمائِمِ إِلّا مِثلَ ما سَجَعوا

سَجعُ الحَمائِمِ إِلّا مِثلَ ما سَجَعوا

Their verse is like the cud-chewing of kneeling she-camels; nor is

Their rhyming is like the rhyming of the prolific ones, and

the cooing of doves anything but the like of their rhyming.

The cooing of doves is just like what they rhymed

تَرى وَميضَ حَياءٍ لا حَيا قَلِقاً

تَرى وَميضَ حَياءٍ لا حَيا قَلِقاً

عِندَ الثُرَيّا وَهَل سارٍ فَمُنتَجِعُ

عِندَ الثُرَيّا وَهَل سارٍ فَمُنتَجِعُ

You see a restless flash of modesty, not rain,

You see the glimmer of a life with no living, restless

near the Pleiades—and is there a night traveler seeking pasture?

By the burial ground, is there any traveller so I may lie down?

بِئسَ المَعاشِرُ إِن ناموا فَلا اِنتَبَهوا

بِئسَ المَعاشِرُ إِن ناموا فَلا اِنتَبَهوا

مِنَ الرُقادِ وَإِن غابوا فَلا رَجَعوا

مِنَ الرُقادِ وَإِن غابوا فَلا رَجَعوا

Wretched are the people! If they sleep, may they never awaken

Evil are those who socialize - if they sleep, they do not wake

from slumber; and if they go away, may they never return.

From slumber, and if they are absent, they do not return

كَم أَنفَدَ اللَيلَ ناسٌ غَفلَةً وَكَرىً

كَم أَنفَدَ اللَيلَ ناسٌ غَفلَةً وَكَرىً

وَلَو أَحَسوّا خَفيَّ الأَمرِ ما هَجَعوا

وَلَو أَحَسوّا خَفيَّ الأَمرِ ما هَجَعوا

How often people have spent the night in heedlessness and drowsiness!

How many have wasted the night in heedlessness and dislike

And had they sensed the hidden aspect of the matter, they would not have slept.

If they sensed the subtle matter, they would not have slept

يَشجو الفُراقُ فَلَولا إِلفُ مُفتَقِدٍ

يَشجو الفُراقُ فَلَولا إِلفُ مُفتَقِدٍ

لِلظاعِنينَ لَما أَبكَوا وَلا فَجِعوا

لِلظاعِنينَ لَما أَبكَوا وَلا فَجِعوا

Parting saddens; were it not for the bereft one's affection

Separation laments - if not for missing a loved one

for those who depart, they would neither make others weep nor suffer grief.

The grieved would not have wept nor mourned