ماno لِلفَتىfor the young man مانِعٌa protector مِنَfrom القَدَرِfate
ما لِلفَتى مانِعٌ مِنَ القَدَرِ
وَالمَوتُand death حَولَaround الفَتىthe young man وَبِالأَثَرِand on his trail
وَالمَوتُ حَولَ الفَتى وَبِالأَثَرِ
A young man has no defense against fate,
What can stop the fate of a young man,
and death surrounds him and follows at his heels.
And death lies in wait for the young man.
بَيناwhile الفَتىthe young man بِالصَفاءِin serenity مُغتَبِطٌrejoicing
بَينا الفَتى بِالصَفاءِ مُغتَبِطٌ
حَتّىuntil رَماهُstruck him الزَمانُtime بِالكَدَرِwith distress
حَتّى رَماهُ الزَمانُ بِالكَدَرِ
While the young man delights in serenity,
While the young man was happy and content,
time suddenly strikes him with distress.
Until time afflicted him with distress.
كَمhow many فيin اللَياليthe nights وَفيand in تَقَلُّبِهاtheir vicissitudes
كَم في اللَيالي وَفي تَقَلُّبِها
مِنof عِبَرٌlessons لِلفَتىfor the young man وَمِنand of فِكَرِreflections
مِن عِبَرٌ لِلفَتى وَمِن فِكَرِ
How much lies in the nights and their changing fortunes:
How many lessons and thoughts
lessons for a young man, and things to ponder!
Does the young man have during the nights and their turns.
سائِلask عَنِabout الأَمرِthe matter لَيسَnot تَعرِفُهُyou know it
سائِل عَنِ الأَمرِ لَيسَ تَعرِفُهُ
فَكُلُّfor every رُشدٍsound guidance يَأتيكَcomes to you فيin الخَبَرِinformation
فَكُلُّ رُشدٍ يَأتيكَ في الخَبَرِ
Ask about the matter you do not know,
Asking about something he doesn't recognize,
for all sound guidance comes to you through what is told.
Every maturity comes to you in news.
إِنَّindeed اِمرَأًa man يَأمَنُfeels secure against الزَمانَtime وَقَدand already
إِنَّ اِمرَأً يَأمَنُ الزَمانَ وَقَد
عايَنَwitnessed شِدّاتِهِits hardships لَفيsurely in غَرَرِperil
عايَنَ شِدّاتِهِ لَفي غَرَرِ
Indeed, a man who trusts time, though he has
A man who feels safe from time,
seen its hardships, is surely in peril.
And has witnessed its calamities, is deluded.
ماwhenever أَمكَنَis possible القَولُspeech بِالصَوابِwith correctness فَقُلthen speak
ما أَمكَنَ القَولُ بِالصَوابِ فَقُل
وَاِحذَرand beware إِذاwhen قُلتَyou speak مَوضِعَthe place of الضَرَرِharm
وَاِحذَر إِذا قُلتَ مَوضِعَ الضَرَرِ
Whenever sound speech is possible, speak,
Say what is right if you can,
and when you speak, beware of where harm may lie.
And beware if you speak harmful words.
ماnot طَيِّبُpleasant القَولِspeech عِندَto سامِعِهِits hearer الthe
ما طَيِّبُ القَولِ عِندَ سامِعِهِ ال
مُنصِتِattentive إِلّاexcept كَطَيِّبِlike delicious الثَمَرِfruit
مُنصِتِ إِلّا كَطَيِّبِ الثَمَرِ
Pleasant speech, to the one who hears it,
Good words are not pleasant to their listener
listening attentively, is just like delicious fruit.
Unless he is a attentive as good fruit.
لِلشَيبِfor gray hair فيon عارِضَيكَyour two cheeks بارِقَةٌa gleam
لِلشَيبِ في عارِضَيكَ بارِقَةٌ
تَنهاكَrestrains you عَمّاfrom what أَرىI see مِنَof الأَشَرِwantonness
تَنهاكَ عَمّا أَرى مِنَ الأَشَرِ
Gray hair gleams upon your cheeks,
The glimmer in your temples
warning you against the wantonness I see.
Warns you against what evil I see.
ماwhat لَكَwith you مُذsince كُنتَyou were لاعِباًplayful مَرِحاًmerry
ما لَكَ مُذ كُنتَ لاعِباً مَرِحاً
تَسحَبُyou drag ذَيلَthe hem of السَفاهِfolly وَالبَطَرِand arrogance
تَسحَبُ ذَيلَ السَفاهِ وَالبَطَرِ
What ails you, ever playful and merry,
Why have you, since you were a playful child
dragging the hem of folly and arrogance?
Dragging the tail of foolishness and frivolity,
تَلعَبُyou play لَعبَthe play of الصَغيرِa child جَهلاًin ignorance وَقَدand already
تَلعَبُ لَعبَ الصَغيرِ جَهلاً وَقَد
عَمَّمَكَhas turbaned you الدَهرُtime عِمَّةَthe turban of الكِبَرِold age
عَمَّمَكَ الدَهرُ عِمَّةَ الكِبَرِ
You play a child's games in ignorance, though
Played the games of an ignorant child
time has wound the turban of old age about your head.
When time has clothed you in the garb of old age.
لَوif كُنتَyou were لِلمَوتِof death خائِفاًfearful وَجِلاًtrembling with fear
لَو كُنتَ لِلمَوتِ خائِفاً وَجِلاً
أَقرَحتَyou would have ulcerated مِنكَof yours الجُفونُthe eyelids بِالعِبَرِwith tears
أَقرَحتَ مِنكَ الجُفونُ بِالعِبَرِ
If you feared death and trembled before it,
If you had feared and worried about death,
you would have made your eyelids sore with tears.
Your eyelids would have flowed with tears.
طَوَّلتَyou have prolonged مِنكَof yours المُنىthe hopes وَأَنتَand you مِنَof الthe
طَوَّلتَ مِنكَ المُنى وَأَنتَ مِنَ ال
أَيّامِdays فيin قِلَّةٍfewness وَفيand in قِصَرِshortness
أَيّامِ في قِلَّةٍ وَفي قِصَرِ
You have stretched your hopes far, yet your
You would have lengthened your hopes, while you are
days are few and short.
Of few days and brief.
لِلَّهِto God عَيناكَyour two eyes تَكذِبانِكَthey both deceive you فيabout
لِلَّهِ عَيناكَ تَكذِبانِكَ في
ماwhat رَأَتاthey both saw مِنof تَصَرُّفِthe shifting of الغَيرِchanging fortunes
ما رَأَتا مِن تَصَرُّفِ الغَيرِ
God bless your eyes! They deceive you about
By God, your eyes belie you
the shifting fortunes they have seen.
In what they have seen others do.
ياO عَجَباًwonder ليfor me أَقَمتُI have settled فيin وَطَنٍa homeland
يا عَجَباً لي أَقَمتُ في وَطَنٍ
ساكِنُهُits inhabitants كُلُّهُمall of them عَلىon سَفَرٍa journey
ساكِنُهُ كُلُّهُم عَلى سَفَرٍ
How strange that I have settled in a homeland
How strange that I have stayed in a homeland
whose inhabitants are all on a journey!
Whose people are all travelers.
ذَكَرتُI remembered أَهلَthe people of القُبورِthe graves مِنamong ثِقَتيmy trusted ones
ذَكَرتُ أَهلَ القُبورِ مِن ثِقَتي
فَاِنهَلَّso poured forth دَمعيmy tears كَوابِلِlike a downpour of المَطَرِrain
فَاِنهَلَّ دَمعي كَوابِلِ المَطَرِ
I remembered the grave-dwellers among those I trusted,
I remembered the people of the graves, my intimate ones,
so my tears poured down like torrential rain.
So my tears poured down like rain.
فَقُلso say لِأَهلِto the people of القُبورِthe graves ياO ثِقَتيmy trusted ones
فَقُل لِأَهلِ القُبورِ يا ثِقَتي
لَستُI am not بِناسيكُمُforgetting you all مَدىthroughout عُمُريmy lifetime
لَستُ بِناسيكُمُ مَدى عُمُري
So say to those in the graves: O my trusted ones,
Say to the people of the graves, my dear ones,
I will not forget you for as long as I live.
I will not forget you as long as I live.
ياO ساكِنيdwellers باطِنَwithin القُبورِthe graves أَماis there not
يا ساكِني باطِنَ القُبورِ أَما
لِلوارِدينَfor those entering القُبورَthe graves مِنany صَدَرِreturn
لِلوارِدينَ القُبورَ مِن صَدَرِ
O dwellers within the graves, is there no
O dwellers in the belly of the graves! Do not
return for those who enter the graves?
Reproach those who enter the graves rashly.
ماwhat فَعَلَbecame of التارِكونَthose who left مُلكَهُمُtheir dominion
ما فَعَلَ التارِكونَ مُلكَهُمُ
أَهلُthe owners of القِبابِthe domes العِظامِthe great وَالحُجَرِand chambers
أَهلُ القِبابِ العِظامِ وَالحُجَرِ
What became of those who left their dominion,
What did those who left their kingdom do -
the owners of great domes and chambers?
The people of tombs, bones and stones?
هَلdo يَبتَنونَthey build for themselves القُصورَpalaces بَينَكُمamong you all
هَل يَبتَنونَ القُصورَ بَينَكُم
أَمor هَلdo لَهُمthey have مِنany عُلاًeminence وَمِنand any خَطَرِprestige
أَم هَل لَهُم مِن عُلاً وَمِن خَطَرِ
Do they build themselves palaces among you,
Do they build palaces among you
or have they any eminence or prestige?
Or do they have any glory and prestige?
ماwhat فَعَلَتhas become of مِنهُمُof them الوُجوهُthe faces أَقَدhas ... already?
ما فَعَلَت مِنهُمُ الوُجوهُ أَقَد
بُدِّدَbeen dispersed عَنهاfrom them مَحاسِنُthe beauties of الصُوَرِthe forms
بُدِّدَ عَنها مَحاسِنُ الصُوَرِ
What has become of their faces? Has
What did their faces do when
the beauty of their features been swept away?
The beauty of their features faded away?
اللَهُGod فيin كُلِّevery حادِثٍevent ثِقَتيmy trust
اللَهُ في كُلِّ حادِثٍ ثِقَتي
وَاللَهُand God عِزّيmy glory وَاللَهُand God مُفتَخَريmy source of pride
وَاللَهُ عِزّي وَاللَهُ مُفتَخَري
God is my trust in every event,
God is my confidence in every event,
and God is my glory, and God my pride.
God is my pride and my boast.
لَستُI am not مَعَwith اللَهِGod خائِفاًfearing أَحَداًanyone
لَستُ مَعَ اللَهِ خائِفاً أَحَداً
حَسبيenough for me بِهِwith Him عاصِماًas a protector مِنَfrom البَشَرِhumankind
حَسبي بِهِ عاصِماً مِنَ البَشَرِ
With God, I fear no one;
With God I fear no one,
He is enough for me as a protector from humankind.
He suffices me as protector from mankind.
Sol 6.1