الأمسُ ينشُرنا وَيَطوينا الغَدُ

الأمسُ ينشُرنا وَيَطوينا الغَدُ

وَاليَومُ بينهما وَفيهِ نوجَدُ

وَاليَومُ بينهما وَفيهِ نوجَدُ

Yesterday unfolds us, and tomorrow folds us away.

Yesterday unfolds us, and tomorrow folds us away.

Today lies between them, and in it we exist.

And today lies between them, and in it we exist.

فاربأ بعمرك أَن يَروحَ مضيَّعاً

فاربأ بعمرك أَن يَروحَ مضيَّعاً

فيهِ فذلك عَن قَليلٍ ينفَدُ

فيهِ فذلك عَن قَليلٍ ينفَدُ

So deem your life too precious to pass away squandered

So cherish your lifetime, lest it pass squandered

therein; for that, before long, runs out.

in this day, for your lifetime will soon run out.

جَرتِ الطَبيعةُ أَن يَروحَ مضيَّعاً

جَرتِ الطَبيعةُ أَن يَروحَ مضيَّعاً

وَعَليهِ تَجري ما تَمادى السرمَدُ

وَعَليهِ تَجري ما تَمادى السرمَدُ

Nature's course has ordained that it pass away, squandered,

Nature's course is for it to pass squandered,

and on that course it runs as long as eternity endures.

and it follows that course as long as eternity endures.

مَن كانَ معتبرً لهذا لم يجد

مَن كانَ معتبرً لهذا لم يجد

في الدهرِ بدعاً عند ما يتفقَّدُ

في الدهرِ بدعاً عند ما يتفقَّدُ

Whoever takes heed of this will find

Whoever takes heed of this finds no

nothing strange in time when he examines it,

novelty in time when he examines it.

وَرأَى تصاريفَ الزَمانِ تكافأَت

وَرأَى تصاريفَ الزَمانِ تكافأَت

بَعضٌ يُذَمُّ بِهِ وَبَعضٌ يُحمَدُ

بَعضٌ يُذَمُّ بِهِ وَبَعضٌ يُحمَدُ

and sees the vicissitudes of time balance one another:

And he sees that time's vicissitudes are balanced:

some are blamed through it, and others are praised.

some earn it blame, and some earn it praise.

فبكاؤُنا للميت عند وَفاتِهِ

فبكاؤُنا للميت عند وَفاتِهِ

كسرورنا بحياة طفلٍ يولَدُ

كسرورنا بحياة طفلٍ يولَدُ

Thus our weeping for the dead at his passing

For our weeping for the dead at his passing

is like our joy in the life of a child being born.

is like our joy in the life of a child being born.

وَكذلك الدنيا الغَرورُ فانَّها

وَكذلك الدنيا الغَرورُ فانَّها

ان احسنت كانَت تسرُّ وَتُكمِدُ

ان احسنت كانَت تسرُّ وَتُكمِدُ

So too is this beguiling world; for

Such, too, is the deceptive world, for

when it favors us, it both gladdens and grieves.

if it does good, it brings both joy and grief.

هَذا الشُمَيِّلُ مُلحِمٌ من عزِّهِ

هَذا الشُمَيِّلُ مُلحِمٌ من عزِّهِ

وَالمَجدِ انزلهُ القضاءُ الانكَدُ

وَالمَجدِ انزلهُ القضاءُ الانكَدُ

Here is al-Shumayyil, Mulhim—from his might

This is Mulhim al-Shumayyil; from his honor

and glory baleful fate brought him down.

and glory, cruel fate brought him down.

حسدَتهُ دنياهُ على ما نالَهُ

حسدَتهُ دنياهُ على ما نالَهُ

فيها وايُّ طَبيعةٍ لا تحسُدُ

فيها وايُّ طَبيعةٍ لا تحسُدُ

His world envied him for what he attained

His world envied him for what he attained

within it—and what natural gift is not envied?

within it—and what nature does not envy?

كُلٌّ يَسود بنا على مَن دونهُ

كُلٌّ يَسود بنا على مَن دونهُ

وَالمَوتُ سيِّدنا فاين السيِّدُ

وَالمَوتُ سيِّدنا فاين السيِّدُ

Each among us lords it over those beneath him,

Each rules through us over those beneath him,

while Death is our lord—what an excellent lord!

and death is our master—where, then, is the master?

يا رحمةَ اللَه العليِّ تعهَّدي

يا رحمةَ اللَه العليِّ تعهَّدي

لَحداً بِهِ شخص العُلى متوسِّدُ

لَحداً بِهِ شخص العُلى متوسِّدُ

O mercy of God Most High, watch over

O mercy of God Most High, watch over

a grave where the embodiment of loftiness lies pillowed:

a grave where the embodiment of greatness rests his head.

ركنٌ بِهِ اللاجي يعوذ وعندهُ

ركنٌ بِهِ اللاجي يعوذ وعندهُ

يقف اعتدآءُ الدهر وهو مقيَّدُ

يقف اعتدآءُ الدهر وهو مقيَّدُ

a pillar in whom the refuge-seeker sought shelter, and before whom

A pillar in whom the refugee finds shelter, and before whom

the assaults of time halted, shackled.

time's assault halts, shackled.

هُزَّت صروحُ المجد حين هَوى فَلَم

هُزَّت صروحُ المجد حين هَوى فَلَم

يَكُ بينها من ماردٍ يتمرَّدُ

يَكُ بينها من ماردٍ يتمرَّدُ

The citadels of glory shook when he fell, and not

The towers of glory were shaken when he fell, and no

one rebellious giant among them could resist.

giant among them rose in defiance.

وَجرت مدامعُها عليهِ فَلَيسَ من

وَجرت مدامعُها عليهِ فَلَيسَ من

عجبٍ اذا قلنا بكاهُ الجملدُ

عجبٍ اذا قلنا بكاهُ الجملدُ

Their tears streamed for him, so there is no

Their tears flowed over him, so it is no

wonder if we say the very rock wept for him.

wonder if we say the hard rock wept for him.

رجلٌ يُعَدُّ لدى الرجال بجسمهم

رجلٌ يُعَدُّ لدى الرجال بجسمهم

لكن لدى قيمَ الرجال يُعدَّدُ

لكن لدى قيمَ الرجال يُعدَّدُ

One man, counted among men by bodily measure,

A man counted as one among men in bodily form,

but by the standards of men's worth, counted as many;

but by men's worth, he is counted as many.

مَن لم يُصِب احداً بمكروهٍ سوى

مَن لم يُصِب احداً بمكروهٍ سوى

حسدٍ لَهُ قد غيظَ منهُ الحُسَّدُ

حسدٍ لَهُ قد غيظَ منهُ الحُسَّدُ

one who never afflicted anyone with harm, save

One who afflicted no one with harm, save

envy of him, which enraged the envious;

envy of him, which enraged the envious.

وَمنِ الكَمالُ والاستقامة شأنهُ

وَمنِ الكَمالُ والاستقامة شأنهُ

من حيثُ طابَ فَعالُهُ والمحتدُ

من حيثُ طابَ فَعالُهُ والمحتدُ

one whose character was perfection and rectitude,

And one whose way was perfection and uprightness,

in that his deeds and his lineage were noble;

since his deeds and lineage were noble.

سامي الحجي والنفسِ حتىّ انها

سامي الحجي والنفسِ حتىّ انها

لَطُفت فَراحَت للعُلى تَتَصعَّدُ

لَطُفت فَراحَت للعُلى تَتَصعَّدُ

lofty in intellect and soul, until his soul

Lofty in intellect and soul, so much so that the soul

grew ethereal and began ascending toward the heights—

grew subtle and went ascending to the heights.

نَفسٌ ترفَّع كُنهُها عن جسمها

نَفسٌ ترفَّع كُنهُها عن جسمها

كالنار لا تأوي الرمادَ يُبدَّدُ

كالنار لا تأوي الرمادَ يُبدَّدُ

a soul whose essence rose above its body,

A soul whose essence transcended its body,

like fire: it does not lodge in ash, but scatters it.

like fire that does not dwell in scattered ash.

مُدَّت الى نَيل العلوم لَهُ يَدٌ

مُدَّت الى نَيل العلوم لَهُ يَدٌ

وَيَدٌ الى حيثُ العلى والسؤدُدُ

وَيَدٌ الى حيثُ العلى والسؤدُدُ

One hand of his stretched toward attaining knowledge,

One hand of his was extended to acquire the sciences,

and another toward the realm of loftiness and mastery.

and another toward where eminence and lordship lie.

فاصاب ذي من كلّ فَنٍّ غايةٌ

فاصاب ذي من كلّ فَنٍّ غايةٌ

واصاب هاتيك العلآءُ الامجدُ

واصاب هاتيك العلآءُ الامجدُ

Thus this hand attained the furthest goal in every art,

So this hand attained the utmost in every discipline,

and that one attained the most glorious heights.

and that one attained the most glorious eminence.

خاض القَريض فنال من ابحارِهِ

خاض القَريض فنال من ابحارِهِ

درّا بِهِ جيدُ القريض يُقلَّدُ

درّا بِهِ جيدُ القريض يُقلَّدُ

He plunged into poetry and gained from its seas

He plunged into poetry and won from its seas

pearls with which the neck of verse is adorned.

pearls with which poetry's neck is adorned.

وَحوى الفروع من العلوم فَلَم يكن

وَحوى الفروع من العلوم فَلَم يكن

من مَطلبٍ الّا لَهُ فيهِ يَدُ

من مَطلبٍ الّا لَهُ فيهِ يَدُ

He mastered the branches of the sciences; there was

He mastered the branches of knowledge, and there was no

no field of inquiry in which he had no hand.

pursuit in which he did not have a hand.

وَسما الى رُتَب السياسة فالتُقى

وَسما الى رُتَب السياسة فالتُقى

فيها يراعٌ عندَهُ ومهنَّدُ

فيها يراعٌ عندَهُ ومهنَّدُ

He rose to the ranks of statesmanship, where there came together

He rose to the ranks of politics, and there came together

in him a reed pen and an Indian-forged sword.

in him a reed pen and an Indian-steel sword.

وَالكُلُّ أَتلَفَهُ الزَمانُ كانهُ

وَالكُلُّ أَتلَفَهُ الزَمانُ كانهُ

لَولا بَقآءُ الذكر لَم يكُ يُعهدُ

لَولا بَقآءُ الذكر لَم يكُ يُعهدُ

Time destroyed it all, as though

And time destroyed it all, as though,

were it not for enduring remembrance, it had never been known.

but for lasting remembrance, it had never been known.

ماذا نؤَمِّل من زَمانِ سُحبُهُ

ماذا نؤَمِّل من زَمانِ سُحبُهُ

تَبكي بِهِ وَرياحهُ تَتَنهَّدُ

تَبكي بِهِ وَرياحهُ تَتَنهَّدُ

What can we hope from an age whose clouds

What can we hope for from a time whose clouds

weep for him and whose winds sigh?

weep within it and whose winds sigh?

نَبكي على صُوَر المُوادِ وانما

نَبكي على صُوَر المُوادِ وانما

تلك الموادُ بعينها لا تُفقَدُ

تلك الموادُ بعينها لا تُفقَدُ

We weep over the forms of matter, although

We weep over the forms of matter, yet

that very matter itself is never lost.

that very matter is not lost.

فاذا اعتبرنا ذاك نعلم ان من

فاذا اعتبرنا ذاك نعلم ان من

نَبكيهِ باقٍ في الوجود مُخلَّدُ

نَبكيهِ باقٍ في الوجود مُخلَّدُ

If we reflect on that, we know that the one

So when we reflect on that, we know that the one

we weep for remains in existence, immortal.

we mourn remains in existence, immortal.

وَالنفس باقيةٌ فَلا موتٌ اذن

وَالنفس باقيةٌ فَلا موتٌ اذن

الّا تَشوُّشُ صورةٍ ستُجَدَّدُ

الّا تَشوُّشُ صورةٍ ستُجَدَّدُ

The soul endures; there is no death, then,

And the soul endures; thus death is nothing

except the disarraying of a form that will be renewed.

but the disruption of a form that will be renewed.