لا تقطعنّ رجاءَ العيش بالعِللِ

لا تقطعنّ رجاءَ العيش بالعِللِ

فالعمرُ أقصر أوقاتاً من الشُّغُلِ

فالعمرُ أقصر أوقاتاً من الشُّغُلِ

Do not cut off hope of life because of ailments;

Do not cut off the hope of living because of illnesses,

For life's span is too short for its preoccupations.

For life is shorter than preoccupations,

وما السّرورُ على خَلْقٍ بمتّئدٍ

وما السّرورُ على خَلْقٍ بمتّئدٍ

وما النّعيم على الدّنيا بمتّصلِ

وما النّعيم على الدّنيا بمتّصلِ

Joy lingers with no creature,

And happiness is not for a creature with a continuous feast,

Nor is bliss in this world unbroken.

And bliss in this world is not perpetual.

قضى الزّمانُ بان يبتزّ نِحلَتَه

قضى الزّمانُ بان يبتزّ نِحلَتَه

ما يُبرِم الصّبحُ تُعريه يدُ الطَّفَلِ

ما يُبرِم الصّبحُ تُعريه يدُ الطَّفَلِ

Time has decreed that it will snatch back its gift;

Time has decided to snatch away its gifts.

What dawn binds fast, the hand of dusk strips bare.

What the morning constructs, a child's hand may undo.

أقول إذا لامني في الحبّ جاهله

أقول إذا لامني في الحبّ جاهله

لو كنتَ لاقيتَ ما ألقاه لم تَقُلِ

لو كنتَ لاقيتَ ما ألقاه لم تَقُلِ

I say, when one ignorant of love reproaches me:

When an ignorant criticizes me in love, I say:

Had you faced what I face, you would not have spoken.

If you had suffered what I suffered, you would not speak.

خفّضْ عليك فإِنّي غيرُ منعطفٍ

خفّضْ عليك فإِنّي غيرُ منعطفٍ

على ملامٍ ولا مُصغٍ إلى عَذَلِ

على ملامٍ ولا مُصغٍ إلى عَذَلِ

Go easy on yourself: I am not swayed

Lower your eyes from me, for I do not turn

By reproach, nor do I listen to rebuke.

Towards blame or lend an ear to rebuke.

إذا نزعت هوىً في ثوب غِرّتِه

إذا نزعت هوىً في ثوب غِرّتِه

فإنّ سرَّ الصِّبا في خمرةِ الغَزَلِ

فإنّ سرَّ الصِّبا في خمرةِ الغَزَلِ

When you draw forth desire in its cloak of heedlessness,

When I put on the garment of love's madness,

Then youth's secret lies in the wine of courtship.

The secret of youth lies in the wine of flirtation.

وشافعُ الحبّ لا تنفكّ طاعتُه

وشافعُ الحبّ لا تنفكّ طاعتُه

أدنى إلى النّفس من همٍّ إِلى جَذَلِ

أدنى إلى النّفس من همٍّ إِلى جَذَلِ

And obedience to love's intercessor is always

The advocate of love, his obedience cannot be broken,

Nearer to the soul than sorrow is to delight.

He is closer to the self than anxiety is to matching.

لا تأنسنّ بلين الصّعبِ في كَلَفٍ

لا تأنسنّ بلين الصّعبِ في كَلَفٍ

فاللّيثُ يصبو ويعلو منكِبَ البَطَلِ

فاللّيثُ يصبو ويعلو منكِبَ البَطَلِ

Do not trust an untamed one's gentleness in love;

Do not be deceived by the softness of the difficult in strain,

For the lion feels desire, yet mounts the hero's shoulder.

The lion drinks and rises above the hero's shoulder.

ولا يغرّنْك حلمٌ في مواطنه

ولا يغرّنْك حلمٌ في مواطنه

فالدّهر يُغضِي ويقضِي أعضل العُقَلِ

فالدّهر يُغضِي ويقضِي أعضل العُقَلِ

Nor let forbearance where it appears deceive you;

And do not let yourself be fooled by patience in its places,

For time turns a blind eye, yet decrees the most intractable bonds.

Time gets angry and judges the most reasonable of minds.

وكيف يُدني منَ التّشمير في حَدَثٍ

وكيف يُدني منَ التّشمير في حَدَثٍ

مَن داؤه في ظهور الخيلِ والإبلِ

مَن داؤه في ظهور الخيلِ والإبلِ

And how can one slacken his efforts in a crisis,

And how can one who mounts to confront an event

Whose malady lies on the backs of horses and camels?

When his sickness lies in horses and camels, approach wrapping?

أدنى شعارَيْه درعٌ في تفضّلِه

أدنى شعارَيْه درعٌ في تفضّلِه

وكفُّه منبتُ العَسّالةِ الذُّبُلِ

وكفُّه منبتُ العَسّالةِ الذُّبُلِ

The inner of his two garments is mail, even when lightly clad;

The lowest of his banners is a coat in his nobility,

And his palm is where slender, swaying spears take root.

And his palm is the rising place of dried honey.

يرضى النِّجادَ بديلاً من تمائمه

يرضى النِّجادَ بديلاً من تمائمه

وأحمرَ النَّقْعِ من مُحمرّةِ الحُلَلِ

وأحمرَ النَّقْعِ من مُحمرّةِ الحُلَلِ

He accepts the sword-belt in place of his amulets,

He is satisfied with amulets instead of his turban,

And red battle-dust in place of crimson robes.

And red leather instead of a red skullcap.

وَلا وسادَ له إلّا جوارحُه

وَلا وسادَ له إلّا جوارحُه

ولا يمُهِّد إلّا جَلْدَةَ السُّبُلِ

ولا يمُهِّد إلّا جَلْدَةَ السُّبُلِ

He has no pillow but his limbs,

He has no pillow except his organs,

And makes his bed only on the skin of the roads.

And prepares nothing but the skin of weeping.

ما يَعجِمُ الخطبُ لِي عوداً على خَوَرٍ

ما يَعجِمُ الخطبُ لِي عوداً على خَوَرٍ

ولا يكشّفُ منّي القلبُ عن وَهَلِ

ولا يكشّفُ منّي القلبُ عن وَهَلِ

No calamity tests my timber and finds it frail,

Wedding songs do not appeal to me after delight,

Nor does my heart reveal any fear within me.

Nor does my heart reveal to me any anxiety.

وَلا اِمتطيتُ صنيعاً ذُمَّ راكبه

وَلا اِمتطيتُ صنيعاً ذُمَّ راكبه

ولا أدار لساني القولَ في خَطَلِ

ولا أدار لساني القولَ في خَطَلِ

Nor have I mounted a deed whose rider was condemned,

I have not ridden a horse whose rider is blamed,

Nor has my tongue spun words in folly.

Nor has my tongue turned speech into stuttering.

هيهاتَ أَرهب مِن هَذا الورى أَحداً

هيهاتَ أَرهب مِن هَذا الورى أَحداً

وقد رأيت شمولَ العجز والفَشَلِ

وقد رأيت شمولَ العجز والفَشَلِ

Far be it from me to fear any of these mortals,

Alas! I do not intimidate anyone in this world,

When I have seen how pervasive helplessness and failure are.

And I have seen the inclusion of inadequacy and failure.

إِنَّ الرّجالَ وإنْ راعتْك كثرتُهمْ

إِنَّ الرّجالَ وإنْ راعتْك كثرتُهمْ

إذا خبرتَهمُ لم تُلفِ من رجلِ

إذا خبرتَهمُ لم تُلفِ من رجلِ

Truly, men, though their multitude may awe you,

Men, however many they are, if you know them,

When you test them, you find not a single man.

You will not find even one man among them.

مَن لم تكن غايةَ العلياء بغيتُه

مَن لم تكن غايةَ العلياء بغيتُه

فلن أُلابِسَهُ إلّا على دَخَلِ

فلن أُلابِسَهُ إلّا على دَخَلِ

Whoever does not make the utmost height of glory his aim,

Whoever’s supreme goal has not been my goal,

I will associate with him only with concealed ill will.

I will not dress him except in rags.

للَّه يومٌ أتاني وهو مبتسمٌ

للَّه يومٌ أتاني وهو مبتسمٌ

لقيتُ فيه نفوسَ القومِ بالأجلِ

لقيتُ فيه نفوسَ القومِ بالأجلِ

God be praised for a day that came to me smiling;

By God, one day he came to me, smiling,

On it I met the men's souls with their appointed death.

On it I met the souls of the people in death.

على حصانٍ حصينٌ مَنْ تَجلَّله

على حصانٍ حصينٌ مَنْ تَجلَّله

كأنّه قَد تعلّى ذروةَ الجبَلِ

كأنّه قَد تعلّى ذروةَ الجبَلِ

On a stallion—secure is whoever mounts it—

On a steadfast horse ―one who wore it―

As though he had climbed a mountain's peak.

As if he had climbed to the top of a mountain.

رَحْبِ الجبين قصيرِ الظّهر من سَعَةٍ

رَحْبِ الجبين قصيرِ الظّهر من سَعَةٍ

كأنّ راكبه منه على الكَفَلِ

كأنّ راكبه منه على الكَفَلِ

Broad of forehead, short of back for its breadth,

Broad forehead, short from breadth in the back,

As though its rider were seated on its rump.

As if its rider were riding on its shoulder.

لمّا طلعتُ بصدق العزمِ مشتملاً

لمّا طلعتُ بصدق العزمِ مشتملاً

رأى الكماة بوجهي مالئ المُقَلِ

رأى الكماة بوجهي مالئ المُقَلِ

When I appeared, cloaked in genuine resolve,

When I set out with sincere determination, preparing myself,

The armored warriors saw in my face what filled their eyes.

The archers saw my face filling the eyelids.

وغُرّةُ الشّمسِ بالقَسْطالِ في كِلَلٍ

وغُرّةُ الشّمسِ بالقَسْطالِ في كِلَلٍ

وبالبصائر خدُّ الأرضِ في خَجَلِ

وبالبصائر خدُّ الأرضِ في خَجَلِ

And the sun's bright brow was wrapped in veils of battle-dust,

And the cheek of the ground was embarrassed and abashed

And the earth's cheek blushed with bloodstains.

By the blush of the sun with stars in crescents.

قل للنّوائب إمّا كنتَ مخبرَها

قل للنّوائب إمّا كنتَ مخبرَها

بيني وبينك قرعُ البيضِ والأَسَلِ

بيني وبينك قرعُ البيضِ والأَسَلِ

Tell misfortunes, if you would bring them word:

Say to misfortunes, whether you were their informant or not:

Between me and you lies the clash of gleaming swords and spears.

Between you and me lies the clashing of whites and blacks.

في فتيةٍ عشقوا الحربَ العَوانَ فما

في فتيةٍ عشقوا الحربَ العَوانَ فما

يزورُ عشقَهمُ شيءٌ سوى المَلَلِ

يزورُ عشقَهمُ شيءٌ سوى المَلَلِ

Among young men enamored of war renewed; nothing

Among some young men who loved violent war,

Visits their love except weariness.

Nothing visits their love except boredom.

لا يَرهبونَ المَنايا أنْ تلمّ بهمْ

لا يَرهبونَ المَنايا أنْ تلمّ بهمْ

ولا يخافون يوماً جرعةَ الثُكُلِ

ولا يخافون يوماً جرعةَ الثُكُلِ

They do not dread death descending upon them,

They do not fear that death will befall them,

Nor fear, on any day, a draught of bereavement.

Nor are they afraid one day of the bitterness of bereavement.

إليكِ عنِّيَ أخلاقَ اللّئامِ فما

إليكِ عنِّيَ أخلاقَ اللّئامِ فما

يُجيد سمعي إلى نجواكِ من مَيَلِ

يُجيد سمعي إلى نجواكِ من مَيَلِ

Away from me, manners of the base! For

I convey to you the morals of villains,

My hearing shows no inclination toward your whispered counsel.

My hearing is not inclined to your whispers.

مَن شاءَ أَن يتحامَى الهُونُ حوزتَه

مَن شاءَ أَن يتحامَى الهُونُ حوزتَه

يكنْ بوفدِ الأماني غيرَ محتفلِ

يكنْ بوفدِ الأماني غيرَ محتفلِ

Whoever would have humiliation avoid his domain,

Whoever desires that humiliation should miss his capture,

Let him pay no heed to the delegation of wishes.

Let him not be occupied with the caravan of wishes.

لا يقنُصُ الدّهرُ قلبي في حبائله

لا يقنُصُ الدّهرُ قلبي في حبائله

ولا يَميل اِعتِزامي في صِبا أملِ

ولا يَميل اِعتِزامي في صِبا أملِ

Time does not catch my heart in its snares,

Time does not hunt my heart in its coils,

Nor does my resolve waver in hope's infatuation.

Nor does my determination lean in the patience of hope.

لا زلتِ يا أعينَ الحسَّاد مُطرَفةً

لا زلتِ يا أعينَ الحسَّاد مُطرَفةً

دوني ويا قلبَهمْ لا زلتَ في خَزَلِ

دوني ويا قلبَهمْ لا زلتَ في خَزَلِ

May you, eyes of the envious, ever remain stricken

You two, eyes of the envious! You are still winking at me,

Before me; and you, their heart, ever remain enfeebled.

While their hearts, you are still in fragmentation.

من يحسدِ المجدَ غَصّانٌ بحسرتِهِ

من يحسدِ المجدَ غَصّانٌ بحسرتِهِ

وعاشقُ المجد لا يُلفى على مَلَلِ

وعاشقُ المجد لا يُلفى على مَلَلِ

Whoever envies glory chokes on his anguish,

Whoever envies glory, branches are withering in their envy,

And the lover of glory is never found weary.

While the lover of glory is not met with boredom.

لا تنظرنّ اِمرءاً من غير حاسده

لا تنظرنّ اِمرءاً من غير حاسده

فليس يُدرك صدقاً ناظرُ الحُوَلِ

فليس يُدرك صدقاً ناظرُ الحُوَلِ

Do not view a man through anyone but his envier,

Do not look at a person without his envier,

For the gaze of the cross-eyed cannot discern truth.

For no onlooker with strabismus perceives truthfully.