‏أبو العلاء المعري نُفوسٌ لِلقِيامَةِ تَشرَئِبُ Heads held high in anticipation of resurrection Abu l-'Ala al-Ma'arri

نُفوسٌ لِلقِيامَةِ تَشرَئِبُ          وَغَيٌّ في البَطالَةِ مُتلَئِبُّ

تَأَبّى أَن تَجيءَ الخَيرَ يَوماً     وَأَنتَ لِيَومِ غُفرانٍ تَئِبُّ
فَلا يَغرُركَ بِشرٌ مِن صَديقٍ     فَإِنَّ ضَميرَهُ إِحَنٌ وَخَبُّ
وَإِنَّ الناسَ طِفلٌ أَو كَبيرٌ     يَشيبُ عَلى الغَوايَةِ أَو يَشِبُّ
تُحِبُّ حَياتَكَ الدُنيا سَفاهاً     وَما جادَت عَلَيكَ بِما تُحِبُّ
وَإِنَّك مُنذُ كَونِ النَفسِ عَنساً     لَتوضِعُ في الضَلالَةِ أَو تُخِبُّ
وَإِن طالَ الرُقادُ مِنَ البَرايا     فَإِنَّ الراقِدينَ لَهُم مَهَبُّ
غَرامُكَ بِالفَتاةِ خَنىً وَغَمٌّ     وَلَيسَ يَسَرُّ مَن يَشتاقُ غِبُّ
لَو أَنَّ سَوادَ كَيوانٍ خِضابٌ     بِكَفِّكَ وَالسُهى في الأُذنِ حَبُّ
لَما نَجّاكَ مِن غَيرِ اللَيالي     سَناءٌ فارِعٌ وَغِنىً مُرِبُّ
وَما يَحميكَ عِزٌّ إِن تَسَبّى     وَلَو أَنَّ الظَلامَ عَلَيكَ سِبُّ
أَرى جِنحَ الدُجى أَوفى جَناحاً    وَماتَ غُرابُهُ الجَونُ المُرِبُّ
فَما لِلنَسرِ لَيسَ يَطيرُ فيهِ     وَعَقرَبُهُ المُضِبَّةُ لا تَدُبُّ
أَيَجلو الشَمسَ لِلرائي نَهارٌ     فَقَد شَرَقَت وَمَشرِقُها مُضِبُّ
وَلَم يَدفَع رَدى سُقراطَ لَفظٌ     وَلا بِقراطُ حامى عَنهُ طِبُّ
إِذا آسَيتَني بِشَفاً صَريعاً     فَدَعني كُلُّ ذي أَمَلٍ يَتِبُّ
وَلا تَذبُب هُناكَ الطَيرَ عَنّي     ولا تَبلُل يَداكَ فَماً يَذِبُّ

Heads held high in anticipation of resurrection, an error enfolded in absurdity.
Obstinately refusing to do good today, yet you consider the day of Pardon all important.

Don´t be deluded by a friend´s smile, ill will and deceit lie behind it.
The people, young and old, grow old in error.
You shamelessly love your sensual life, yet it has never satisfied your lust.
Ever since you became an independent adult, you have submitted yourself to error.
Although most mortals are unconscious, surely there must be an eventual awakening?
Your infatuation with the world brings only grief and distress, a fleeting visit cannot satisfy your lust.
Even though you travel in and explore outer space, 
nothing will save you from death, not even surpassing fame or unlimited wealth.

Nothing shall protect you from being carried away, not even the taking of your own life.

I prefer the night, but even it must give way to the day. 
Even the heavens are determined - the Eagle cannot fly and Scorpio cannot crawl.

Does day reveal the sun to the beholder after it has already risen?
Eloquence did not ward off annihilation for Socrates, nor did medicine protect Hippocrates.
When you behold me on the brink of oblivion, let me be; everyone who hopes is doomed.
Don´t scare the vulture from me, nor try to preserve what is wasting away.

translated into English by Mark Westergreen

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