قلْspeak فيof الزمانِthe age فإنّهُfor it is
قلْ في الزمانِ فإنّهُ
هرِمٌdecrepit ونكِّبand turn aside عنfrom زُهَيْرِZuhayr
هرِمٌ ونكِّب عن زُهَيْرِ
Speak of the age, for it is
decrepit; and turn aside from Zuhayr.
واجعلْand make مقالَكyour speech كلّهُall of it
واجعلْ مقالَك كلّهُ
شراًill فليسfor it is not زمانَan age خَيْرِof good
شراً فليس زمانَ خَيْرِ
And let your speech be wholly
ill, for this is no age of good.
قدindeed طالَhas grown long سيريmy journeying فيthrough البلاthe lands (word continues)
قد طالَ سيري في البلا
دِcompletion of 'the lands' فلمْso why? عصايmy staff بغيرwithout سيرِa leather strap
دِ فلمْ عصاي بغير سيرِ
Long has my journey been through the lands—
so why is my staff without a leather strap?
حتىuntil كأنas though اللهَGod لمْdid not
حتى كأن اللهَ لمْ
يَخلُقْcreate لشغْلِfor troubling البالِthe mind غَيريanyone but me
يَخلُقْ لشغْلِ البالِ غَيري
Until it seems that God has not
created anyone but me to bear worry.
ياoh ليتنيif only I كنتُI had been اعتزلwithdrew (word continues)
يا ليتني كنتُ اعتزل
تُI (past-tense suffix) برأسِat the top of صومعةٍa hermit's tower بدَيْرِin a monastery
تُ برأسِ صومعةٍ بدَيْرِ
Oh, if only I had withdrawn
atop a hermit's tower in a monastery!
Sol 6.1