لاdo not تَلْقَmeet دهركyour fate بالعِتابِwith reproach
لا تَلْقَ دهرك بالعِتابِ
فعُهودهfor its pledges ذاتmarked by انقلابِreversal
فعُهوده ذات انقلابِ
Do not meet your fate with reproach;
Do not blame the days of your life,
for its pledges are subject to reversal.
For its covenants are ever changing.
والبَدْand lie low إِذاwhen وَثبsprings الرَّدىdeath
والبَدْ إِذا وَثب الرَّدى
واصبرand endure patiently علىthrough مَضضanguish المُصابaffliction
واصبر على مَضض المُصاب
Lie low when death springs,
When misfortune pounces, endure it,
and endure the anguish of affliction.
And be patient in your trials.
فالدّهرُfor fate يخدعdeceives بالسروwith joy (continued)
فالدّهرُ يخدع بالسرو
رcompletes 'joy' كمثلlike تلميعthe glimmer of السَّرابthe mirage
ر كمثل تلميع السَّراب
For fate deceives with joy,
For time tricks like a mirage,
like the glimmer of a mirage.
Deceiving like the gleam of a serpent.
ماnever جئتهyou came to it مُسْترْوِحاًseeking solace
ما جئته مُسْترْوِحاً
إِلاّexcept حصلتyou obtained علىupon اكتئابdejection
إِلاّ حصلت على اكتئاب
Never have you come to it seeking solace
Whenever I sought solace there,
without finding dejection.
Melancholy was all I reaped.
فإِذاso when طلبتyou seek صفاءهits serenity
فإِذا طلبت صفاءه
فابشُرthen rejoice بأنواعin kinds of العذابtorment
فابشُر بأنواع العذاب
So when you seek its serenity,
If you seek its serenity,
then rejoice in all kinds of torment.
Be prepared for all kinds of torment.
لاdo not تَشكُوَنَّever complain فماfor it does not يُباcare (continued)
لا تَشكُوَنَّ فما يُبا
ليcompletes 'care' إِنif شكوتَyou complain ولاnor يُحابيshow favoritism
لي إِن شكوتَ ولا يُحابي
Do not complain, for it pays no heed
Do not complain, for none care
if you complain, nor does it show favor.
If you complain, you will not be answered.
ياO صاحبيmy friend ماذاwhat يَضُرّharms الأُسْthe lion (continued)
يا صاحبي ماذا يَضُرّ الأُسْ
دَcompletes 'lion' منfrom حَنَقthe fury of الذِّئابthe wolves
دَ من حَنَق الذِّئاب
My friend, what harm can the lion suffer
My friend, how does the howling of wolves
from the wolves' fury?
Harm the lion in his lair?
لولاكِwere it not for you، غِزلانِgazelles الفَلاthe open desert
لولاكِ، غِزلانِ الفَلا
ماnot هانbecame easy مُرْتَكَبundertaking الصِّعابhardships
ما هان مُرْتَكَب الصِّعاب
Were it not for you, gazelles of the open desert,
Without you, gazelle of the meadow,
braving hardships would not have seemed easy.
The rugged mountains would not humble me.
أَلِفَتْthey grew accustomed to مُنازَلَةdueling with القلوthe hearts (continued)
أَلِفَتْ مُنازَلَة القلو
بcompletes 'hearts' فماso they do not تَمَلُّtire منof الحِرابwarfare
ب فما تَمَلُّ من الحِراب
They have grown used to dueling with hearts,
Your heart is accustomed to the ways of love,
and never tire of warfare.
So it does not weary of passion.
يدنوhe draws near فيمنعهbut restrains him الحَياmodesty
يدنو فيمنعه الحَيا
فيعودso he returns مَسدولdrawn down الحجابthe veil
فيعود مَسدول الحجاب
He draws near, but modesty restrains him,
He comes near but modesty prevents him,
so he turns back, his veil lowered.
So he returns, veiling his desire.
والبدرُand the full moon أَحسنُmost beautiful ماwhen يكوit is (continued)
والبدرُ أَحسنُ ما يكو
نcompletes 'it is' إِذاwhen تنقَّبveils itself بالسَّحابin clouds
ن إِذا تنقَّب بالسَّحاب
And the full moon is at its loveliest
The moon is loveliest
when it veils itself in clouds.
When robed in thin clouds.
للهfor God; expressing admiration عيشٌa life سالفٌbygone
لله عيشٌ سالفٌ
واللّهوand revelry مَوْفورُabundant النِّصابthe measure
واللّهو مَوْفورُ النِّصاب
God, what a life there once was,
God has granted us an easy life,
and revelry in full measure,
And forbidden pastimes in plenty.
وسرورناand our joy مُستيقِظٌawake
وسرورنا مُستيقِظٌ
فرِحٌglad، وطرفand the steed الهمّof sorrow كابstumbling
فرِحٌ، وطرف الهمّ كاب
and our joy was wide awake,
Our joy is but awakened,
glad, while sorrow's steed stumbled;
Happiness, though care casts its shadows.
إِذاwhen نُقْلناour sweetmeats لَثْمُkissing الخدوthe cheeks (continued)
إِذا نُقْلنا لَثْمُ الخدو
دcompletes 'cheeks' وشُربناand our drink خَمْرُwine الرُّضابsweet saliva
د وشُربنا خَمْرُ الرُّضاب
when our sweetmeats were kisses on cheeks,
When we steal a kiss from the cheeks,
and our drink the wine of sweet saliva,
And drink the red wine.
إِذwhen نحنwe فيin جاهprestige الصِّباyouth
إِذ نحن في جاه الصِّبا
والعمرُand life مجهولunknown الحسابthe reckoning
والعمرُ مجهول الحساب
when we were in youth's glory,
While we are in our primes,
and life's reckoning was unknown.
With youth of unknown account.
فارحلْso depart عنfrom الدنياthe world وجِـand be earnest (continued)
فارحلْ عن الدنيا وجِـ
ـدَّcompletes 'be earnest' وَدَعْand leave off مُلاعبةplaying at التَصابيfeigned youth
ـدَّ وَدَعْ مُلاعبة التَصابي
So depart from the world, and be earnest,
So leave this world and strive
and give up playing at youth.
And stop toying with temptations.
دَعْهاleave it فقدfor indeed جاءhas come المشيـgray hair (continued)
دَعْها فقد جاء المشيـ
ـبcompletes 'gray hair' بعَزْلِwith the deposition of سلطانthe sovereign الشبابyouth
ـب بعَزْلِ سلطان الشباب
Leave it, for gray hair has come
Leave it be, for maturity has come
to depose the sovereign of youth.
To dethrone the sultanate of youth.
ماnot اللَّهْوُrevelry بعدَafter الأربعيـforty (continued)
ما اللَّهْوُ بعدَ الأربعيـ
ـنcompletes 'forty' وإِنeven if قَدَرْتyou are able، بمُستطابat all delightful
ـن وإِن قَدَرْت، بمُستطاب
Revelry after forty is not—
Revelry after forty is not seemly,
even if you are able—delightful.
Even if you can still indulge.
بعثتْhas sent طلائِعَهاits advance troops المنوDeath (continued)
بعثتْ طلائِعَها المنو
نcompletes 'Death' إِليكto you مُسْرَجةَsaddled العِرابArabian steeds
ن إِليك مُسْرَجةَ العِراب
Death has sent its advance troops
For it has sent ahead its warnings
to you, with Arabian steeds saddled.
To you, saddled for departure.
Sol 6.1