حَللت بيوْمي إذ رَحلتُ عنِ الأمْسِ

حَللت بيوْمي إذ رَحلتُ عنِ الأمْسِ

وِسِرْتُ ولم أُعمِلْ جوادي ولا عَنْسي

وِسِرْتُ ولم أُعمِلْ جوادي ولا عَنْسي

I alighted in my present day as I departed from yesterday,

The day I departed was brightened

And I journeyed, employing neither my steed nor my sturdy she-camel.

As I journeyed on, not spurring my steed or companion.

مراحلُ دنْيانا مراحِلنُا الَّتي

مراحلُ دنْيانا مراحِلنُا الَّتي

ترَاَنا عليها نقطَعُ العَيشَ بِالخمسِ

ترَاَنا عليها نقطَعُ العَيشَ بِالخمسِ

The stages of our world are our stages, those

Our lives are but stages we traverse,

On which you see us traverse life through the five senses.

Each portioned out in bits from the whole.

ونَحنُ بِدارٍ يَعْقُبُ الخوفُ أَمنَها

ونَحنُ بِدارٍ يَعْقُبُ الخوفُ أَمنَها

وتذهبُ فيها وحشةُ الأمْنِ بالأُنْسِ

وتذهبُ فيها وحشةُ الأمْنِ بالأُنْسِ

And we dwell in an abode whose safety is followed by fear,

And we dwell in a home where peace follows fear

And there, the loneliness of safety sweeps companionship away.

And where the coziness of company chases away the pangs of loneliness.

ليالٍ وأيامٌ بساعاتها سَعَتْ

ليالٍ وأيامٌ بساعاتها سَعَتْ

لتفريقِها ما بين جِسْمِكَ والنّفْسِ

لتفريقِها ما بين جِسْمِكَ والنّفْسِ

Nights and days, with their hours, have striven

Nights and days with hours that seemed to crawl

To separate your body from the soul.

Separating your spirit, mind and flesh.

وإنّي وإنْ أصبحتُ منها مسُلَّماً

وإنّي وإنْ أصبحتُ منها مسُلَّماً

لأكْثرُ قوْلي ليتَ شعريَ هل أُمسي

لأكْثرُ قوْلي ليتَ شعريَ هل أُمسي

And I, though I reach morning unscathed by them,

And though I rose up each morn resigned

Often say, 'Would that I knew: shall I reach evening?'

My refrain remained, "Would that eve might find..."

ومن حلّ في سبعين عاماً كأنَّهُ

ومن حلّ في سبعين عاماً كأنَّهُ

عِلاجُ علِيلٍ في مُواصَلَةِ النُّكسِ

عِلاجُ علِيلٍ في مُواصَلَةِ النُّكسِ

And whoever has reached seventy years is like

One who has lived seventy years, it's as if

An invalid's treatment amid continual relapses.

He were doctoring the incurable in their steady decline.

فَما فَهمُ الأَشياء بالدرْسِ وَحْدَهُ

فَما فَهمُ الأَشياء بالدرْسِ وَحْدَهُ

ولكنه بدءُ التفهّم والدّرْسِ

ولكنه بدءُ التفهّم والدّرْسِ

So understanding things comes not through study alone;

So wisdom is not gained by study alone,

Rather, it is the beginning of comprehension and study.

Rather it starts with learning then knowing.

وكم حِكَمٍ في خطِّ قوْمٍ كثيرةٍ

وكم حِكَمٍ في خطِّ قوْمٍ كثيرةٍ

وأفْضَلُ منها لَمْعَهٌ من سَنا الحسِّ

وأفْضَلُ منها لَمْعَهٌ من سَنا الحسِّ

And how many maxims abound in people's writing!

And many insights in people's lines there are,

Yet better than these is a gleam from perception's radiance.

But the best of them are motes from the suns of perception.