أَيُّwhat شَيءٍthing يَبْقَىendures عَلَىdespite الْحَدَثَانِtime's vicissitudes
أَيُّ شَيءٍ يَبْقَى عَلَى الْحَدَثَانِ
وَالْمَنَايَاand death خَصِيمَةُthe adversary of الْحَيَوَانِliving beings
وَالْمَنَايَا خَصِيمَةُ الْحَيَوَانِ
What can endure the vicissitudes of time,
What remains for the vicissitudes
when death is the adversary of all that lives?
And death is the adversary of the living
قَدْindeed بَلَوْنَاwe have experienced كَيْدَthe guile of الزَّمَانِtime وَلَكِنْand yet
قَدْ بَلَوْنَا كَيْدَ الزَّمَانِ وَلَكِنْ
شَغَلَتْنَاhave distracted us عَنْهُfrom it ضُرُوبُkinds of الأَمَانِيwishes
شَغَلَتْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرُوبُ الأَمَانِي
We have experienced time's guile, and yet
We have tested the cunning of time, but
all manner of wishes have distracted us from it.
Its delusions have distracted us
فَلَكٌa celestial sphere لاnot يَزَالُceases يَجْرِيto run its course عَلَىover النَّاmankind (first part)
فَلَكٌ لا يَزَالُ يَجْرِي عَلَى النَّا
سِcompletion of 'mankind' بِضِدَّيْنِwith two opposites مِنْof عُلاًexaltation وَهَوَانِand abasement
سِ بِضِدَّيْنِ مِنْ عُلاً وَهَوَانِ
A sphere ceaselessly runs its course over mankind,
A star that continues to run among the people
with two opposites: exaltation and abasement.
With two opposites, glory and demise
فَهْوَso it طَوْرَاًat times يَكُونُis كَالْوَالِدِlike a father الْبَرْkindly (first part)
فَهْوَ طَوْرَاً يَكُونُ كَالْوَالِدِ الْبَرْ
رِcompletion of 'kindly' وَطَوْرَاًand at times كَالنَّاقِمِlike an avenger الْغَضْبَانِwrathful
رِ وَطَوْرَاً كَالنَّاقِمِ الْغَضْبَانِ
At times it is like a kindly father,
It is sometimes like a righteous father
and at times like a wrathful avenger.
And sometimes like a wrathful avenger
لَيْسَdoes not يُبْقِيspare عَلَىupon وَلِيدٍan infant وَلاnor كَهْa middle-aged man (first part)
لَيْسَ يُبْقِي عَلَى وَلِيدٍ وَلا كَهْ
لٍcompletion of 'a middle-aged man' وَلاnor سُوقَةٍcommon folk وَلاnor سُلْطَانِa sultan
لٍ وَلا سُوقَةٍ وَلا سُلْطَانِ
It spares neither infant nor middle-aged man,
It leaves no descendant, ruins or governor, no sultan
neither commoner nor sultan.
How can man hope for eternity in it
كَيْفَhow يَرْجُوhopes for الإِنْسَانُhumankind فِيهِin it خُلُوداًimmortality
كَيْفَ يَرْجُو الإِنْسَانُ فِيهِ خُلُوداً
بَعْدَafter مَاthat قَدْalready مَضَىpassed away أَبُوthe father of الإِنْسَانِhumankind
بَعْدَ مَا قَدْ مَضَى أَبُو الإِنْسَانِ
How can man hope for immortality in it,
After the father of man has passed
after the father of mankind has already passed away?
Where are those who were before us since
أَيْنَwhere مَنْthose who كَانَwere قَبْلَنَاbefore us مُنْذُsince دَارَتْrevolved
أَيْنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا مُنْذُ دَارَتْ
كُرَةُthe globe of الأَرْضِthe earth وَهْيَwhile it was ذَاتُpossessing دُخَانِsmoke
كُرَةُ الأَرْضِ وَهْيَ ذَاتُ دُخَانِ
Where are those who lived before us, since the first turning
The sphere of earth rotated, it being smoky
of earth's globe, when it was shrouded in smoke?
Nations who have lasted eternally for a while
أُمَمٌnations أَخْلَدَتْput their trust إِلَىin الدَّهْرِtime حِيناًfor a while
أُمَمٌ أَخْلَدَتْ إِلَى الدَّهْرِ حِيناً
ثُمَّthen ضَاعَتْwere lost فِيin لُجَّةِthe depths of النِّسْيَانِoblivion
ثُمَّ ضَاعَتْ فِي لُجَّةِ النِّسْيَانِ
Nations that put their trust in time awhile,
Then were lost in the abyss of oblivion
then were lost in the depths of oblivion.
The hand of death reaped them and they became
حَصَدَتْهَاreaped them يَدُthe hand of الْمَنُونِdeath فَصَارَتْand so they became
حَصَدَتْهَا يَدُ الْمَنُونِ فَصَارَتْ
خَبَراًa tale فِيin الْوُجُودِthe world بَعْدَafter عِيَانِbeing plainly seen
خَبَراً فِي الْوُجُودِ بَعْدَ عِيَانِ
The hand of death reaped them, and they became
News of existence after sight
a tale in the world, after being plainly seen.
So mark the features of the earth and ask
فَتَرَسَّمْso trace مَعَالِمَthe landmarks of الأَرْضِthe earth وَاسْأَلْand ask
فَتَرَسَّمْ مَعَالِمَ الأَرْضِ وَاسْأَلْ
فَعَسَىso perhaps أَنْthat يُجِيبَكَwill answer you الْهَرَمَانِthe two pyramids
فَعَسَى أَنْ يُجِيبَكَ الْهَرَمَانِ
So trace the earth's landmarks, and ask;
Perhaps the pyramids will answer you
perhaps the two pyramids will answer you.
A sign whose craftmanship shows that Hermes
أَثَرٌa monument دَلَّshowed صُنْعُهُits workmanship أَنَّthat هُرْمِيHermes (first part)
أَثَرٌ دَلَّ صُنْعُهُ أَنَّ هُرْمِي
سَcompletion of 'Hermes' بَنَاهُbuilt it مِنْamong أَبْدَعthe most wondrous الْبُنْيَانِstructures
سَ بَنَاهُ مِنْ أَبْدَع الْبُنْيَانِ
A monument whose workmanship shows that Hermes
Built it from the most wondrous of buildings
built it as one of the most wondrous structures.
He feared the loss of knowledge when
خَافَhe feared ضَيْعَthe loss of الْعُلُومِthe sciences حِينَwhen أَتَتْهُcame to him
خَافَ ضَيْعَ الْعُلُومِ حِينَ أَتَتْهُ
بَيِّنَاتٌclear signs دَلَّتْpointed عَلَىto الطُّوفَانِthe Flood
بَيِّنَاتٌ دَلَّتْ عَلَى الطُّوفَانِ
He feared the loss of the sciences when there came to him
Clear proofs came to him of the Deluge
clear signs pointing to the Flood.
So he built it from rocks brought
فَبَنَاهُso he built it مِنَfrom الصُّخُورِthe rocks اللَّوَاتِيwhich
فَبَنَاهُ مِنَ الصُّخُورِ اللَّوَاتِي
جَلَبَتْهَاbrought them الْقُيُونُthe craftsmen مِنْfrom أُسْوَانِAswan
جَلَبَتْهَا الْقُيُونُ مِنْ أُسْوَانِ
So he built it from the rocks that
By the centuries from Aswan
the craftsmen brought from Aswan.
Layers within which are rooms
طَبَقَاتٌtiers فِيin جَوْفِهَاtheir interior حُجُرَاتٌchambers
طَبَقَاتٌ فِي جَوْفِهَا حُجُرَاتٌ
ضُمِّنَتْwere filled with كُلَّevery حِكْمَةٍwisdom وَبَيَانِand exposition
ضُمِّنَتْ كُلَّ حِكْمَةٍ وَبَيَانِ
Tiers, with chambers deep inside them,
That contain all wisdom and clarity
filled with every kind of wisdom and exposition.
They remained after their makers so they were
بَقِيَتْthey remained بَعْدَafter صَانِعِيهَاtheir makers فَكَانَتْand so they became
بَقِيَتْ بَعْدَ صَانِعِيهَا فَكَانَتْ
أَثَرَاًa monument نَاطِقاًspeaking بِغَيْرِwithout لِسَانِa tongue
أَثَرَاً نَاطِقاً بِغَيْرِ لِسَانِ
They outlived their makers, becoming
Silent witness without a tongue
a monument speaking without a tongue.
After a while it will wear out and the
سَوْفَwill تَبْلَىdecay مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter حِينٍa while وَيُمْحَىand will be erased
سَوْفَ تَبْلَى مِنْ بَعْدِ حِينٍ وَيُمْحَى
ذِكْرُthe memory of هُرْمِيسَHermes مِنْfrom سِجِلِّthe record of الزَّمَانِtime
ذِكْرُ هُرْمِيسَ مِنْ سِجِلِّ الزَّمَانِ
They will decay after a time, and erased will be
Memory of Hermes will be erased from the register of time
the memory of Hermes from the record of time.
This life is but delusion
إِنَّمَاnothing but هذِهِthis الْحَيَاةُlife غُرُورٌdelusion
إِنَّمَا هذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ غُرُورٌ
تَنْقَضِيpasses away بِالشَّقَاءِin misery وَالْحِرْمَانِand deprivation
تَنْقَضِي بِالشَّقَاءِ وَالْحِرْمَانِ
This life is nothing but delusion,
That passes with misery and deprivation
passing away in misery and deprivation.
In it is nothing but fantasies and imaginations
لَيْسَthere is not فِيهَاin it سِوَىanything except خَيَالاتِphantoms of وَهْمٍillusion
لَيْسَ فِيهَا سِوَى خَيَالاتِ وَهْمٍ
تَمْتَرِيهَاdraw them forth قَرَائِحُthe creative faculties of الأَذْهَانِminds
تَمْتَرِيهَا قَرَائِحُ الأَذْهَانِ
There is nothing in it but phantoms of illusion,
Feigned by perceptions of the minds
drawn forth by the creative faculties of minds.
Whims they have included in words
خَطَرَاتٌfleeting thoughts قَدْindeed ضَمَّنُوهَاthey embodied them in كَلاماًspeech
خَطَرَاتٌ قَدْ ضَمَّنُوهَا كَلاماً
فَلْسَفِيّاًphilosophical لَمْdid not يَقْتَرِنْbe connected بِمَعَانِيwith meanings
فَلْسَفِيّاً لَمْ يَقْتَرِنْ بِمَعَانِي
Fleeting thoughts they have embodied in speech,
Philosophic not combined with meanings
philosophical, unconnected with meaning.
Every living being thinks a thing but
كُلُّevery حَيّliving being يَظُنُّsupposes أَمْرَاًsomething وَلَكِنْand yet
كُلُّ حَيّ يَظُنُّ أَمْرَاً وَلَكِنْ
أَيْنَwhere مِنْهُfrom him مَحَجَّةُthe clear path of الْبُرْهَانِproof
أَيْنَ مِنْهُ مَحَجَّةُ الْبُرْهَانِ
Every living being supposes something, and yet
Where is the evidence of proof from it
how far from him lies the clear path of proof!
We have known what was close to us
قَدْindeed عَرَفْنَاwe have known مَاwhat كَانَwas مِنَّاto us قَرِيباًnear
قَدْ عَرَفْنَا مَا كَانَ مِنَّا قَرِيباً
وَجَهِلْنَاand we were ignorant of مَاwhat لاnot تَرَىsee الْعَيْنَانِthe two eyes
وَجَهِلْنَا مَا لا تَرَى الْعَيْنَانِ
We have known what was near to us,
And ignored what the eyes do not see
and were ignorant of what the two eyes cannot see.
So leave philosophical words and submit
فَدَعِso leave الْقَوْلَtalk فِيabout التَّفَلْسُفِphilosophizing وَاخْضَعْand submit
فَدَعِ الْقَوْلَ فِي التَّفَلْسُفِ وَاخْضَعْ
لِجَلالِto the majesty of الْمُهَيْمِنِthe Guardian الدَّيَّانِthe Judge
لِجَلالِ الْمُهَيْمِنِ الدَّيَّانِ
So leave off talk of philosophizing, and submit
To the majesty of the Just Judge
to the majesty of the Guardian, the Judge.
O fate, I know my destiny in you
أَنَاI يَاO دَهْرُTime عَالِمٌaware بِمَصِيرِيof my fate
أَنَا يَا دَهْرُ عَالِمٌ بِمَصِيرِي
فِيكَwithin you لَكِنَّنِيbut I جَمُوحُheadstrong الْعِنَانِthe rein
فِيكَ لَكِنَّنِي جَمُوحُ الْعِنَانِ
I, O Time, know my fate
But I am unbridled
within you, yet I am unruly at the rein.
I have persisted in going astray until
قَدْindeed تَمَادَيْتُI persisted فِيin الْغَوَايَةِwaywardness حَتَّىuntil
قَدْ تَمَادَيْتُ فِي الْغَوَايَةِ حَتَّى
كَبَحَcurbed الدَّهْرُTime شِرَّتِيmy impetuousness وَثَنَانِيand turned me back
كَبَحَ الدَّهْرُ شِرَّتِي وَثَنَانِي
I persisted in waywardness until
Fate has curbed my wickedness and bent me
Time curbed my impetuousness and turned me back.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.