1. صدق الظن واستبان الخفاءُ

    يا اخي هذه الحياة هباءُ

    The suspicion proved true, and what was hidden became clear.

    My brother, this life is dust.

  2. ومن الهون اننا مذ وجدنا

    ما انتهينا واننا احياء

    It is part of our abasement that, since we came to be,

    we have not come to an end, and are still alive.

  3. نحن لولا هواننا ما درجنا

    فوق هذي الثرى ولولا الغباء

    Were it not for our lowliness, we would not have walked

    upon this earth; and were it not for folly,

  4. ما رضينا بالارض إلا لنشقى

    في حياة اقصى مناها الشقاء

    we would not have accepted earth, only to suffer

    in a life whose highest hope is misery.

  5. ولو انا رمنا السماء صعودا

    ما استطعنا لأننا سفلاء

    And even had we sought to ascend to heaven,

    we could not, for we are base.

  6. والشياطين في أخس مناها

    وبنو الأرض في الحياة سواء

    The devils, in their basest desires,

    and the sons of earth are alike in life.

  7. يا أخي عاود الفؤاد اضطراب

    حين فارقتكم ومات الرجاء

    My brother, unrest returned to my heart

    when I parted from you all, and hope died.

  8. كان لي بينكم ليالي هناء

    اترعتها محبة وولاء

    Among you I had nights of bliss,

    which love and loyalty filled to the brim.

  9. سمت الروح في ذراها وآضت

    يزدهيها تألق وسناء

    The soul soared to their heights and became

    elated by brilliance and radiance.

  10. وسرت في عواطف وميول

    فتسامت وماتت الاهواء

    And it coursed through feelings and inclinations,

    then rose sublime, and passions died.

  11. فإذا شقوة يليها هناء

    وإذا ظلمة يليها ضياء

    Then behold: misery is followed by bliss,

    and behold: darkness is followed by light.

  12. وإذانا نموت حيناً ونحيا

    واذانا بموتنا احياء

    And behold, we die for a time and live,

    and behold, in our death we are alive.

  13. بؤساء نفيض بالدمع حزناً

    غير انا ببؤسنا سعداء

    Wretched, we overflow with tears of sorrow,

    yet in our wretchedness we are happy.

  14. بي حنين لعود تلك الليالي

    يا أخي انها ليال وضاء

    I long for those nights to return,

    my brother, they were radiant nights.

  15. يا اخي هكذا الحياة شجون

    وفراق نخافه ولقاء

    My brother, such is life: sorrows,

    parting we dread, and reunion.

  16. لا تسلني عن الحياة فإني

    بي منها في القلب سقم وداء

    Do not ask me about life, for I

    have sickness and disease in my heart because of it.

  17. وعن الناس لا تسلني فعندي

    عنهم ما يضيق عنه الفضاء

    And do not ask me about people, for I have

    more concerning them than the vastness of space can hold.

  18. كلما رمت أن أبوح بشيء

    اذهلتني في أمرهم أشياء

    Whenever I seek to reveal something,

    things concerning them leave me bewildered.

  19. لا يغرنك ما ترى من أناس

    جللتهم مظاهر ورداء

    Do not be deceived by the people you see,

    cloaked in outward show and clothing.

  20. يصدعون الاذان بالكلم الهز

    ل وهم في كلامهم أدعياء

    They deafen ears with frivolous words,

    while in their speech they are pretenders.

  21. ومن الهزل انهم يدعون ال

    فضل ظلماً والفضل منهم براء

    And it is a farce that they claim

    merit unjustly, while merit disowns them.

  22. يا أخي قيل لي حياتك يأس

    وعذاب وشقوة وعناء

    My brother, I was told, 'Your life is despair,

    torment, misery, and hardship.'

  23. ضلة يا أخي لهم قد اساءوا

    فهم حالي وانهم اغبياء

    How misguided they are, my brother! They have erred

    in understanding my condition; indeed, they are fools.

  24. ولم اليأس يا أخي من حياة

    كلها باطل وقول هراء

    And why despair, my brother, of a life

    that is all futility and empty talk?

  25. وعلام البكاء يا صاح والدن

    يا دوي يضيع فيه البكاء

    And why weep, my friend, when the world

    is a clamor in which weeping is lost?

  26. انا ما كنت في حياتي شقيا

    بل سعيداً تحفنى نعماء

    I have never been wretched in my life,

    but happy, with blessings all around me.

  27. ساخر هازل امر مرورا

    بحياة ألفاظها جوفاء

    Mocking and jesting, I merely pass

    through a life whose words are hollow.

  28. خاشع القلب ذاهل عن أمور

    طرفاها السراء والضراء

    Humble of heart, heedless of affairs

    whose two extremes are prosperity and adversity.

  29. وجهتي اللَه والسماء طلابي

    وكذا الموت غادتي الغيداء

    God is my destination, and heaven my quest;

    and death, too, is my graceful maiden.

  30. كخيال يطوف في هدأة الفك

    ر يموج كما يموج الضياء

    Like a phantom roaming in the stillness of thought,

    surging as light surges;

  31. أو كحلم سرى فكان عناء

    مبتداه ومنتهاه هباء

    or like a dream that stole by, with suffering

    at its beginning, and dust at its end.

  32. يا أخي أنني وحقك مشتا

    ق إليك وعنك مالي غناء

    My brother, I swear by you, I truly long

    for you, and cannot do without you.

  33. بي داء سل اصفراري عنه

    وشحوبي وفي لقاك الدواء

    I have an illness—ask my sallowness about it,

    and my pallor; in meeting you lies the cure.

  34. يا أخي قد تلا اللقاء فراق

    فمتى يتبع الفراق لقاء

    My brother, parting has followed reunion;

    so when will reunion follow parting?