سَلَوتُ عَنِ الدَهرِ الَّذي كانَ مُعجِباً

سَلَوتُ عَنِ الدَهرِ الَّذي كانَ مُعجِباً

وَمِثلُ الَّذي قَد كانَ مِن دَهرِنا يُسلي

وَمِثلُ الَّذي قَد كانَ مِن دَهرِنا يُسلي

I have grown indifferent to time, which once delighted me,

I asked about the days of old that were so wondrous,

and things like those our time has brought make one forget.

And the like of which have passed in our time,

وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي لا مَحالَةُ مَيِّتٌ

وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي لا مَحالَةُ مَيِّتٌ

فَمُتَّبِعٌ آثارَ مَن قَد خَلا قَبلي

فَمُتَّبِعٌ آثارَ مَن قَد خَلا قَبلي

And I am certain that I shall inevitably die,

And I knew for sure that I will inevitably die,

and so shall follow the tracks of those who passed before me;

So I follow in the footsteps of those who went before me.

وَأَنّي الَّذي لا بَدَّ أَن سَيُصيبُهُ

وَأَنّي الَّذي لا بَدَّ أَن سَيُصيبُهُ

حِمامُ المَنايا مِن وَفاةٍ وَمِن قَتلِ

حِمامُ المَنايا مِن وَفاةٍ وَمِن قَتلِ

and that I am one who must be overtaken

And I who must inevitably be struck

by death's decree, through natural death or killing.

By the blows of death, whether gently or violently.

فَما أَنا بِالباقي وَلا الدَهرُ فَاِعلَمي

فَما أَنا بِالباقي وَلا الدَهرُ فَاِعلَمي

بِراضٍ بِما قَد كانَ أَذهَبَ مِن عَقلي

بِراضٍ بِما قَد كانَ أَذهَبَ مِن عَقلي

For I shall not endure, nor is time—know this—

So I am not remaining, nor is time to blame.

content with what it has already taken of my reason,

Be content with what had addled my mind.

وَلا مُنصِفي يَوماً فَأُدرِكَ عِندَهُ

وَلا مُنصِفي يَوماً فَأُدرِكَ عِندَهُ

مَظالِمَهُ عِندي وَلا تارِكاً أَكلي

مَظالِمَهُ عِندي وَلا تارِكاً أَكلي

nor will it ever do me justice, that I might obtain from it

It will not make me just one day so I would find in it

redress for its wrongs against me; nor will it stop devouring me.

Its injustices against me or leaving me hungry.

وَأَينَ أَخِلّائي الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم

وَأَينَ أَخِلّائي الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم

وَكُلُّهُمُ قَد كانَ في غِبطَةٍ مِثلي

وَكُلُّهُمُ قَد كانَ في غِبطَةٍ مِثلي

And where are my close friends whom I once knew,

And where are my dear friends whom I was accustomed to,

all of them once enjoying good fortune like me?

While all of them were in a bliss like mine?

دَعَتهُم مَقاديرٌ فَأَصبَحتُ بَعدَهُم

دَعَتهُم مَقاديرٌ فَأَصبَحتُ بَعدَهُم

بَقِيَّةُ دَهرٍ لَيسَ يُسبَقُ بِالذَحلِ

بَقِيَّةُ دَهرٍ لَيسَ يُسبَقُ بِالذَحلِ

The decrees of fate summoned them, and after them I became

Fates called them and after them I remained

a remnant of time, which cannot be outstripped in vengeance.

A remnant of a lifetime that does not withstand aridity.

بَلَوتُ مِنَ الدَهرِ الَّذي فيهِ واعِظٌ

بَلَوتُ مِنَ الدَهرِ الَّذي فيهِ واعِظٌ

وَجارَيتُ بِالنُعمى وَطالَبتُ بِالتَبلِ

وَجارَيتُ بِالنُعمى وَطالَبتُ بِالتَبلِ

I have experienced from time what offers a lesson,

I experienced from time things I should be preached about

and have vied in generosity and sought vengeance.

And I sought blessings and asked to be tested.

وَجُرِّبتُ عِندَ المُضلِعاتِ فَلَم أَكُن

وَجُرِّبتُ عِندَ المُضلِعاتِ فَلَم أَكُن

ضَريعَ زَمانٍ لا أُمِرَّ وَلا أُحلي

ضَريعَ زَمانٍ لا أُمِرَّ وَلا أُحلي

And I was tested amid crushing trials, yet was not

And when calamities happened, I was not

time's fallen victim, able neither to embitter nor to sweeten.

As a loving son of a time that does not command or make cheerful.

وَبَيداءُ تَغتالُ المَطِيَّ قَطَعتُها

وَبَيداءُ تَغتالُ المَطِيَّ قَطَعتُها

بِرَكّابِ هَولٍ لَيسَ بِالعاجِزِ الوَغلِ

بِرَكّابِ هَولٍ لَيسَ بِالعاجِزِ الوَغلِ

And I have crossed a desert that stealthily slays mounts,

And the open country that kills the rider, I crossed it

as a rider of terrors, no helpless, worthless fellow,

With a riding beast not crippled or stumbling.

إِذا الأَرضُ سَدَّتها الهَواجِرُ وَاِرتَدَت

إِذا الأَرضُ سَدَّتها الهَواجِرُ وَاِرتَدَت

مُلاءَ سَمومٍ لَم يُسَدَّينَ بِالغَزلِ

مُلاءَ سَمومٍ لَم يُسَدَّينَ بِالغَزلِ

when the noonday heats shrouded the earth and it donned

When the land closes its burrows, I returned

mantles of scorching wind, with no spun yarn for their warp;

Wearing the garments of poisons not pierced.

وَكانَ الَّذي يَبدو لَنا مِن سَرابِها

وَكانَ الَّذي يَبدو لَنا مِن سَرابِها

فُضولُ سُيولِ البَحرِ مِن مائِهِ الضَحلِ

فُضولُ سُيولِ البَحرِ مِن مائِهِ الضَحلِ

and what appeared to us of its mirage was

And what appears to us from its mirage

the overflow of the sea's torrents from its shallow waters.

Is the floods of the sea from its shallow water.

وَيَدعو القَطا فيها القَطا فَيُجيبُهُ

وَيَدعو القَطا فيها القَطا فَيُجيبُهُ

تَوائِمُ أَطفالٍ مِنَ السَبسَبِ المَحلِ

تَوائِمُ أَطفالٍ مِنَ السَبسَبِ المَحلِ

And sandgrouse there call to sandgrouse, and answering them are

And the male partridge calls out the female in it, so she answers him

twin chicks from the barren, open waste,

With twins of chicks from the finely scattered foreground.

دَوارِجُ أَخلَفنَ الشَكيرَ كَأَنَّما

دَوارِجُ أَخلَفنَ الشَكيرَ كَأَنَّما

جَرى في مَآقيها مَراوِدُ مِن كُحلِ

جَرى في مَآقيها مَراوِدُ مِن كُحلِ

scurrying birds that have outgrown their down, as though

Young pigeons left the chickpea plant as if

wands of kohl had passed along the inner corners of their eyes.

In its watering places flew decisive kohl.