نُريدُwe desire بَقاءًcontinued life وَالخُطوبُwhile calamities تَكيدُplot
نُريدُ بَقاءً وَالخُطوبُ تَكيدُ
وَلَيسَand are not المُنىwishes لِلمَرءِfor a person كَيفَas يُريدُhe desires
وَلَيسَ المُنى لِلمَرءِ كَيفَ يُريدُ
We desire to live on, while calamities plot against us.
Yet a man's wishes are not fulfilled as he desires.
وَمَنand who يَأمَنُtrusts الأَيامَthe days أَمّاas for اتِّساعُهاtheir ease
وَمَن يَأمَنُ الأَيامَ أَمّا اتِّساعُها
فَخَبلٌthen it is madness وَأَمّاand as for ضيقُهاtheir hardship فَشَديدُthen it is severe
فَخَبلٌ وَأَمّا ضيقُها فَشَديدُ
And who can trust the days? As for their ease,
it is madness; as for their hardship, it is severe.
وَأَيُّand which بَنيsons of الأَيّامِthe days إِلّاexcept وَعِندَهُand he has
وَأَيُّ بَني الأَيّامِ إِلّا وَعِندَهُ
مِنَfrom الدَهرِtime عِلمٌknowledge طارِفٌnewly acquired وَتَليدُand long-held
مِنَ الدَهرِ عِلمٌ طارِفٌ وَتَليدُ
And which of the sons of the days does not possess
knowledge from time, both newly gained and long held?
يَرىhe sees ماwhat يَزيدُincreases وَالزِيادَةُand the increase نَقصُهُhis decline
يَرى ما يَزيدُ وَالزِيادَةُ نَقصُهُ
أَلاtake heed إِنَّindeed نَقصَthe decline of الشَيءِa thing حينَwhen يَزيدُit increases
أَلا إِنَّ نَقصَ الشَيءِ حينَ يَزيدُ
He sees what increases, yet that increase is his decline.
Take heed: a thing's decline comes when it grows.
وَمِنand among عَجَبِthe wonders of الدُنياthis world يَقينُكَyour certainty بِالفَناof perishing
وَمِن عَجَبِ الدُنيا يَقينُكَ بِالفَنا
وَأَنَّكَand that you فيهاwithin it لِلبَقاءِfor continued life مُريدُdesirous
وَأَنَّكَ فيها لِلبَقاءِ مُريدُ
And among this world's wonders is your certainty of perishing,
while you still wish to remain within it.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat الحَرثَcrops وَالنَسلَand offspring كُلَّهُall of it
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الحَرثَ وَالنَسلَ كُلَّهُ
يَبيدُperish وَمِنهُand some of it قائِمٌstanding وَحَصيدُand reaped
يَبيدُ وَمِنهُ قائِمٌ وَحَصيدُ
Have you not seen that crops and offspring, all of them,
perish—some still standing, some reaped?
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed بادَتhave perished قُرونٌgenerations كَثيرَةٌmany
لَعَمري لَقَد بادَت قُرونٌ كَثيرَةٌ
وَأَنتَand you كَماjust as بادَperished القُرونُthe generations تَبيدُwill perish
وَأَنتَ كَما بادَ القُرونُ تَبيدُ
By my life, many generations have indeed perished,
and you will perish as those generations perished.
وَكَمand how many صارَhas come to be تَحتَbeneath الأَرضِthe earth مِنof خامِدٍextinguished بِهاwithin it
وَكَم صارَ تَحتَ الأَرضِ مِن خامِدٍ بِها
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe used to يَبنيbuild فَوقَهاabove it وَيَشيدُand build high
وَقَد كانَ يَبني فَوقَها وَيَشيدُ
And how many have come to lie beneath the earth, lifeless within it,
who once built upon it and raised lofty structures!
وَكَمand how many مِنof عَديدٍa multitude قَدindeed مَحاhas erased الدَهرُtime ذِكرَهُمtheir memory
وَكَم مِن عَديدٍ قَد مَحا الدَهرُ ذِكرَهُم
كَذاthus الدَهرُtime لايَبقىdoes not endure عَلَيهِthrough it عَديدُa multitude
كَذا الدَهرُ لايَبقى عَلَيهِ عَديدُ
And how many a multitude has time erased from memory!
Such is time: no multitude endures through it.
وَلِلمَوتِand for death عِلّاتٌcauses تَجَلّىbecome apparent وَتَختَفيand are hidden
وَلِلمَوتِ عِلّاتٌ تَجَلّى وَتَختَفي
وَلِلدَهرِand for time وَعدٌa promise مَرَّةًat one time وَوَعيدُand a threat
وَلِلدَهرِ وَعدٌ مَرَّةً وَوَعيدُ
And death has causes, some apparent and some hidden;
and time offers now a promise, now a threat.
وَرَبِّby the Lord of البِلىdecay إِنَّindeed الجَديدَthe new إِلىtoward البِلىdecay
وَرَبِّ البِلى إِنَّ الجَديدَ إِلى البِلى
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيthat which يُبليwears out الجَديدَthe new جَديدُnew
وَإِنَّ الَّذي يُبلي الجَديدَ جَديدُ
By the Lord of decay, surely the new is bound for decay,
and what wears out the new is itself new.
Sol 6.1