لاdo not تعذلِreproach النفسَthe soul فيfor تعجُّلهاits haste
لا تعذلِ النفسَ في تعجُّلها
فإنناfor we are خلْقَتانtwo beings منof عَجلِhaste
فإننا خلْقَتان من عَجلِ
Do not reproach the soul for its haste;
Do not blame yourself for your haste,
for we are two beings made of haste.
We are creatures made of haste.
وإنَّand indeed فوْتَmissing الذيwhat أُبادرُهُI hasten to attain it
وإنَّ فوْتَ الذي أُبادرُهُ
أرمضُmore searing ليto me مِنْthan مُردَّدِrepeated العذَلِreproach
أرمضُ لي مِنْ مُردَّدِ العذَلِ
And missing what I hasten to attain
What I miss by my haste
is more searing to me than repeated reproach.
Is more hurtful to me than the blame for my haste.
أخشىI fear كساديmy loss of appeal علىto النساءwomen إذاwhen
أخشى كسادي على النساء إذا
أسنَنْتُI grow old والسنand age جَمَّةُrife with الخبلِinfirmity
أسنَنْتُ والسن جَمَّةُ الخبلِ
I fear losing my appeal to women when
I fear becoming undesirable to women when
I grow old—and age is rife with infirmity.
I become old, for old age brings foolishness.
وإننيand indeed I منْover كسادهنَّtheir loss of appeal علىat
وإنني منْ كسادهنَّ على
سِنّيmy age لأولىَsurely more entitled بالخوفِto fear والوَجلِand dread
سِنّي لأولىَ بالخوفِ والوَجلِ
And I, over their losing their appeal to me at
Because of their rejection of me in my old age,
my age, have still more cause for fear and dread.
I am right to fear and worry.
كمhow much منof نشاطٍvigor لهُنَّfor them عنديI have فيin الthe
كم من نشاطٍ لهُنَّ عندي في ال
يومِday وكمand how much بعدafter ذاكthat منof كَسَلِlanguor
يومِ وكم بعد ذاك من كَسَلِ
How much vigor for them I have in the
How lively they are with me one day,
day, and how much languor after that!
And how listless after that.
والعَيْشُand life طعمانِtwo flavors عندfor ذائقهِits taster
والعَيْشُ طعمانِ عند ذائقهِ
مُرُّbitter التواليwhat follows مستعذَبُfound sweet الأولِthe beginning
مُرُّ التوالي مستعذَبُ الأولِ
And life has two flavors for the one who tastes it:
Life has two tastes for the taster:
bitter in what follows, sweet at the start.
Bitter succession, sweet first.
منof عسلٍhoney تارةًat one time ومنand of صبِرٍbitter aloe
من عسلٍ تارةً ومن صبِرٍ
لهفيmy longing لتأخيرfor delaying عُقبةِthe turn of العسلِhoney
لهفي لتأخير عُقبةِ العسلِ
Sometimes honey, sometimes bitter aloe.
Sometimes it is honey, sometimes aloes -
How I long to delay honey's turn!
My craving is to delay the aftermath of honey.
لوif أنهاthat it أُخّرَتْwere delayed لطابَwould become sweet بهاthrough it الthe
لو أنها أُخّرَتْ لطابَ بها ال
عيشlife وإنand even if جاوزتْit passed beyond شفاthe brink of الأجلِdeath
عيش وإن جاوزتْ شفا الأجلِ
If it were delayed, it would sweeten
If it were delayed, life would be good,
life, even if that turn passed beyond the brink of death.
Even if it exceeded the cure of life.
أعجزناhas proved beyond us كرّناour bringing back الشبابَyouth وأنand that
أعجزنا كرّنا الشبابَ وأن
تُثمرَbear fruit صِدقاًin truth مواعدُthe promises of الأملِhope
تُثمرَ صِدقاً مواعدُ الأملِ
We cannot bring youth back, nor make
Our powerlessness belied our youth,
hope's promises bear true fruit.
And the promises of hope were not fulfilled truthfully.
كمhow often تحسبُyou think العيشَlife دارa dwelling for عُرْجتناour sojourn
كم تحسبُ العيشَ دار عُرْجتنا
وإنماand only العيشُlife دارُa dwelling for مُنْتقلِone moving on
وإنما العيشُ دارُ مُنْتقلِ
How often you think life a home where we linger,
How you think life is our place of rest,
yet life is only a dwelling for one moving on.
While life is but the dwelling place of one who moves on.
فبادِرِso outpace الدهرَtime بالمناعمِwith comforts والْand the
فبادِرِ الدهرَ بالمناعمِ والْ
لذّاتِpleasures واحذرْand beware مِنْof وَشْكthe nearness of مُرْتَحلِdeparture
لذّاتِ واحذرْ مِنْ وَشْك مُرْتَحلِ
So race against time with comforts and
So enjoy the comforts and pleasures of life,
pleasures, and beware the nearness of departure.
And beware of the imminent departure.
فإنُso if تعذَّرنَthey prove unyielding أنto يُجبنكthey respond to you بالby the
فإنُ تعذَّرنَ أن يُجبنك بال
قوَّةِstrength فاحتَلْthen devise لطائفَthe subtleties of الحيلِstratagems
قوَّةِ فاحتَلْ لطائفَ الحيلِ
So if they will not respond to you through
If difficulties prevent you from overpowering,
strength, then devise subtle stratagems.
Then devise gentle stratagems.
Sol 6.1