أَرِقتُI lay awake وَهاجَتنيand stirred me الهُمومُthe cares الحَواضِرُthat are present
أَرِقتُ وَهاجَتني الهُمومُ الحَواضِرُ
وَهَمُُّand the care of الفَتّىthe young man سارٍvisiting by night عَليهِupon him وَباكِرand visiting at dawn
وَهَمُُّ الفَتّى سارٍ عَليهِ وَباكِر
I lay awake, and the cares at hand stirred me.
Sleeplessness troubled me, and pressing cares possessed my thoughts,
A young man's worry visits him by night and at dawn.
A young man's concerns march on, both early and late.
وَليand I have صاحِبٌa companion قَدindeed رابَنيaroused my suspicion أَوor ظَلَمتُهُI wronged him
وَلي صاحِبٌ قَد رابَني أَو ظَلَمتُهُ
كَذَلِكَthus ماfor emphasis الخَصمانِthe two disputants بَرٌّrighteous وَفاجِرand wicked
كَذَلِكَ ما الخَصمانِ بَرٌّ وَفاجِر
I have a companion who has aroused my suspicion—or I have wronged him.
I have a friend who wronged me, or I did him wrong,
Such are disputants: one righteous, the other wicked.
Thus disputants, neither innocent nor guilty.
إِذاwhen قالَhe speaks يَلحانيhe reproaches me وَيعذُرُand excuses نَفسَهُhimself
إِذا قالَ يَلحاني وَيعذُرُ نَفسَهُ
وَفيand in اللَهِGod لِلمَظلومِfor the wronged عِزٌّstrength وناصِرُand a champion
وَفي اللَهِ لِلمَظلومِ عِزٌّ وناصِرُ
When he speaks, he blames me and excuses himself.
He pleads and makes excuses for himself,
And in God the wronged have strength and a champion.
But God upholds the wronged and brings them victory.
وَإِنّيand indeed I امرؤٌa man عِنديI have وَعمداًand deliberately أَقولُهُI say it
وَإِنّي امرؤٌ عِندي وَعمداً أَقولُهُ
لآتيI surely do الَّذيwhat يَأتيdoes امرؤٌa man وَهوَwhile he خابِرُis knowledgeable
لآتي الَّذي يَأتي امرؤٌ وَهوَ خابِرُ
And I am a man who has—and I say this deliberately,
And I'm a man who says openly and intentionally
for I surely do what a man does knowingly—
I will do as men do, discreetly and openly.
لِسانانِtwo tongues مَعسولٌhoneyed عَليهِupon it غَراوَةٌcharm
لِسانانِ مَعسولٌ عَليهِ غَراوَةٌ
وَآخَرُand another مَذروبٌkeen-edged عَليهِupon it الشَراشِرُthe heart's full devotion
وَآخَرُ مَذروبٌ عَليهِ الشَراشِرُ
two tongues: one honeyed, with an alluring charm,
Two tongues visit me, one slick with deceit,
and another, keen-edged, on which all my heart is set.
The other rough and harsh in what it utters.
يَبيتانِthey spend the night عِنديwith me ثُمَّthen كُلٌّeach إِذاwhen غَداit goes forth at dawn
يَبيتانِ عِندي ثُمَّ كُلٌّ إِذا غَدا
بِكُلِّin every كَلامٍutterance قالَهُsaid it الناسُpeople ماهِرُadept
بِكُلِّ كَلامٍ قالَهُ الناسُ ماهِرُ
They spend the night with me; then each, when it goes forth at dawn,
They stay the night with me, then leave at dawn,
is adept in every utterance that people have spoken.
Saying all the eloquent things people say.
وَكانَand was الَّذيthe one who يَلقىencounters الوُعوثَةَsoft, difficult ground مِنهُماof the two
وَكانَ الَّذي يَلقى الوُعوثَةَ مِنهُما
عَلىon سُبُلٍpaths قَدalready أنهَجَتهَاhad made them plain العَيائِرُthe wild asses
عَلى سُبُلٍ قَد أنهَجَتهَا العَيائِرُ
And the one of the two that met with difficult ground
And whichever met mishap from them
was on paths already made plain by wild asses.
On roads the holy pilgrims' steps once traced,
فَقُلتُso I said وَلَمand did not أَبخَلwithhold عَلَيهِfrom him نَصيحَتيmy counsel
فَقُلتُ وَلَم أَبخَل عَلَيهِ نَصيحَتي
وَلِلمَرءِand a man has ناهٍan admonisher لاnot يَراهُhe sees him وَزاجِرٌand a restrainer
وَلِلمَرءِ ناهٍ لا يَراهُ وَزاجِرٌ
So I spoke, not withholding my counsel from him—
I offered him sincere advice, withholding nothing,
and a man has an unseen admonisher and restrainer:
Though to the heedless man no counsel comes, however wise.
إِذاif أَنتَyou حاولتَseek البَراءَةَblamelessness فاجتَنِبthen avoid
إِذا أَنتَ حاولتَ البَراءَةَ فاجتَنِب
حَراthe vicinity of كُلِّevery أَمرٍaffair تَعتَريهِbeset it المَعاذِرُexcuses
حَرا كُلِّ أَمرٍ تَعتَريهِ المَعاذِرُ
If you seek blamelessness, then avoid
When you seek to prove innocence, then shun
the vicinity of any affair beset by excuses.
Any excuse till proofs on every side appear.
فَقَدfor sometimes تُسلِمُdeliver up المَرءَa man المَعاذيرُexcuses لِلرَدىto destruction
فَقَد تُسلِمُ المَرءَ المَعاذيرُ لِلرَدى
فَيردىso he perishes وَقَدand may تُرديdestroy البَريءَthe innocent الجَرائِرُmisdeeds
فَيردى وَقَد تُردي البَريءَ الجَرائِرُ
For excuses may deliver a man to destruction,
Excuses may surrender the excused to ruin,
so he perishes; and misdeeds may destroy the innocent.
And calumny destroy the truly innocent.
وَشاعِرِand many a poet سَوءٍof poor quality غَرَّهُbeguiled him أَنthat تَرادَفَتcame in succession
وَشاعِرِ سَوءٍ غَرَّهُ أَن تَرادَفَت
لَهُto him المُفخِمونَthose exaggerating القَولَthe saying إِنَّكَindeed you شاعِرُare a poet
لَهُ المُفخِمونَ القَولَ إِنَّكَ شاعِرُ
And many a bad poet was beguiled when, one after another,
A poet, thinking himself exalted, his high-flown words
flatterers told him grandly, 'You are a poet!'
Lavished on him, "You are most eloquent!"
عَطَفتُI turned عَليهِupon him مَرَّةًonce فَتَرَكتُهُso I left him
عَطَفتُ عَليهِ مَرَّةً فَتَرَكتُهُ
لِماof what كانَhe had been يَرضىpleased with قَبلَهاbefore it وَهوَwhile he حاقِرُwas contemptuous
لِما كانَ يَرضى قَبلَها وَهوَ حاقِرُ
I turned upon him once, and left him
I indulged him once, then left him be,
despising what had pleased him before,
Since he was pleased before with less, though paltry.
بِقافِيَةٍwith a rhymed poem حَذّاءَswift-flying سَهلٍeasy رَوِيُّهاits rhyme-consonant
بِقافِيَةٍ حَذّاءَ سَهلٍ رَوِيُّها
كَسَردِlike the stitching of الصَناعِa skilled artisan لَيسَnot فيهِin it تَواتُرُgaps
كَسَردِ الصَناعِ لَيسَ فيهِ تَواتُرُ
with a swift-flying poem, easy in its rhyme,
Rhyming in facile, slack, and easy measures,
like a skilled artisan's stitching, without a gap.
No crafted verse, but rambling prose in rhyme.
نَطَقتُI spoke وَلَمand did not يَعجِزprove difficult عَليَّfor me رَوِيُّهاits rhyme-consonant
نَطَقتُ وَلَم يَعجِز عَليَّ رَوِيُّها
وَلِلقَولِand speech has أَبوابٌgateways تُرىthat are visible وَمَخاصِرُand shortcuts
وَلِلقَولِ أَبوابٌ تُرى وَمَخاصِرُ
I spoke, and its rhyme gave me no difficulty;
I spoke in verse, and his rhyme could not defeat me,
speech has visible gateways and shortcuts.
For speech has doors both wide and narrow ways.
يُعَدّيdrives away الكَرىsleep عَنfrom عَينِهِhis eye وَهوَwhile he ناعِسٌis drowsy
يُعَدّي الكَرى عَن عَينِهِ وَهوَ ناعِسٌ
إِذاwhen اِنتَصَفَreaches halfway through اللَيلَthe night المُكِلُّthe weary one المُسافِرُthe traveler
إِذا اِنتَصَفَ اللَيلَ المُكِلُّ المُسافِرُ
It drives sleep from his eyes, though he is drowsy,
He counts the stars' slow journey, and he sleeps,
when the weary traveler reaches the middle of the night.
When midnight rests the anxious traveller.
إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis قَضاهاhe finishes it عادَhe returns فيهاto it كَأَنَّهُas though he
إِذا ما قَضاها عادَ فيها كَأَنَّهُ
لِلَذَّتِهِfrom his delight سَكرانُdrunk أَوor مُتَساكِرُfeigning drunkenness
لِلَذَّتِهِ سَكرانُ أَو مُتَساكِرُ
Whenever he finishes it, he returns to it, as though
When it is done, he takes the road again, as if
drunk with delight, or feigning drunkenness.
Drunk with delight, or bent on dissipation.
Sol 6.1