أَلاbehold لِلمَوتِbelonging to death كَأسٌa cup أَيُّwhat a كاسِcup
أَلا لِلمَوتِ كَأسٌ أَيُّ كاسِ
وَأَنتَand you لِكَأسِهِfrom its cup لاno بُدَّescape حاسِone who sips
وَأَنتَ لِكَأسِهِ لا بُدَّ حاسِ
Behold, death has a cup—what a cup!
Alas, what a cup death is!
And you must sip from its cup.
And you are bound to drink from that cup.
إِلىuntil كَمhow long وَالمَعادُwhile the final return إِلىtoward قَريبٍa near time
إِلى كَم وَالمَعادُ إِلى قَريبٍ
تُذَكِّرُyou remind بِالمِعادِof the final return وَأَنتَwhile you ناسِforgetful
تُذَكِّرُ بِالمِعادِ وَأَنتَ ناسِ
How long, when the final return is near,
How long till we meet our end? It is soon.
will you remind others of that return while you yourself forget?
You are reminded of the afterlife yet remain heedless.
وَكَمand how many مِنof عِبرَةٍa lesson أَصبَحتَyou have come to be فيهاin it
وَكَم مِن عِبرَةٍ أَصبَحتَ فيها
يَلينُsoftens لَهاbefore it الحَديدُiron وَأَنتَwhile you قاسِhard-hearted
يَلينُ لَها الحَديدُ وَأَنتَ قاسِ
And how many a lesson have you lived through,
How many lessons have you seen
at which iron softens, yet you remain hard!
Where even iron softens, yet you remain hard.
بِأَيِّby what قُوىًstrengths تَظُنُّكَyou think yourself لَيسَnot تَبلىyou wear away
بِأَيِّ قُوىً تَظُنُّكَ لَيسَ تَبلى
وَقَدand already بَلِيَتhave worn away عَلىover الزَمَنِtime الرَواسيthe firmly rooted mountains
وَقَد بَلِيَت عَلى الزَمَنِ الرَواسي
What strength makes you think you will not wear away,
With what power do you think you'll never fade,
when the firmly rooted mountains have worn away with time?
When even mountains worn away over time?
وَماand not كُلُّall الظُنونِsuppositions تَكونُprove to be حَقّاtrue
وَما كُلُّ الظُنونِ تَكونُ حَقّا
وَلاnor كُلُّall الصَوابِwhat is right عَلىbased on القِياسِanalogy
وَلا كُلُّ الصَوابِ عَلى القِياسِ
And not all suppositions prove true,
Not all assumptions prove true,
nor is every sound judgment based on analogy.
Nor is everything correct by logic.
وَكُلُّand every مَخيلَةٍrain-promising cloud رُفِعَتwas raised لِعَينٍbefore an eye
وَكُلُّ مَخيلَةٍ رُفِعَت لِعَينٍ
لَهاit has وَجهانِtwo faces مِنof طَمَعٍhope وَياسِand despair
لَها وَجهانِ مِن طَمَعٍ وَياسِ
And every rain-promising cloud raised before the eye
Each fantasy presented to an eye
has two faces: hope and despair.
Has two faces - of hope and despair.
وَفيand in حُسنِgoodness السَريرَةِthe inner character كُلُّall أُنسٍcomfort
وَفي حُسنِ السَريرَةِ كُلُّ أُنسٍ
وَفيand in خُبثِmalice السَريرَةِthe inner character كُلُّall باسِdistress
وَفي خُبثِ السَريرَةِ كُلُّ باسِ
And in goodness of heart lies all comfort,
In good nature lies all comfort.
and in malice of heart lies all distress.
In evil nature lies all misery.
وَلَمand not يَكُwas مُضمِرٌone harboring حَسَداًenvy وَبَغياًand oppression
وَلَم يَكُ مُضمِرٌ حَسَداً وَبَغياً
لِيَنجُوَto escape مِنهُماfrom them both رَأساًa head بِراسِfor a head
لِيَنجُوَ مِنهُما رَأساً بِراسِ
And no one harboring envy and oppression
No secret envier and hater escapes
can escape them both unscathed.
To save his head from their evils.
وَماand no شَيءٌthing بِأَخلَقَmore likely أَنthat تَراهُyou see it
وَما شَيءٌ بِأَخلَقَ أَن تَراهُ
قَليلاًscarce مِنthan أَخيa brother of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness مُؤاسِsupportive
قَليلاً مِن أَخي ثِقَةٍ مُؤاسِ
And there is nothing you are likelier to find
Nothing is more moral than to see
scarce than a trustworthy, supportive brother.
A little good in your brother.
وَماand not تَنفَكُّyou are free مِنfrom دُوَلٍturns of fortune تَراهاyou see them
وَما تَنفَكُّ مِن دُوَلٍ تَراها
تَنَقَّلُthey pass مِنfrom أُناسٍpeople فيamong أُناسِpeople
تَنَقَّلُ مِن أُناسٍ في أُناسِ
And you are never without turns of fortune to behold,
You never escape from the cycles you see
passing from one people to another.
Moving people from state to state.
Sol 6.1