أناI فيin راحةٍease منَfrom الآمالhopes
أنا في راحةٍ منَ الآمال
أينَhow far منfrom همَّتيmy ambition بلوغُattaining المعاليthe heights
أينَ من همَّتي بلوغُ المعالي
I am at ease, free from hopes.
I am at ease with my hopes
How far my ambition is from attaining the heights!
Where are my aspirations to reach the heights?
ليI have عجزٌhelplessness أراحَrelieved قلبيmy heart منfrom الهمِّworry
لي عجزٌ أراحَ قلبي من الهمِّ
ومنand from طولthe length of فكرتيmy thinking فيabout المُحالthe impossible
ومن طول فكرتي في المُحال
My helplessness has relieved my heart of worry,
I have a weakness that has comforted my heart from worries
And of my long brooding over the impossible.
And from my long contemplation of the impossible
طابَbecame pleasant عيشيmy life والحمدand praise للهto God إذsince
طابَ عيشي والحمد لله إذ
كنتُI was لهto Him حامداًgiving praise علىin كلevery حالcircumstance
كنتُ له حامداً على كل حال
My life has grown pleasant—praise be to God—since
My life is good, praise be to God, for
I have praised Him in every circumstance.
I was praising Him in every state
ماnot لباسُwearing الحريرsilk مماamong what أُرَجِّيهِI hope for it
ما لباسُ الحرير مما أُرَجِّيهِ
فيُرجَىso it may be hoped for ولاand not ركوبُriding البغالmules
فيُرجَى ولا ركوبُ البغال
Wearing silk is not something I aspire to,
Neither silken clothes that I aspire for
And so might hope for; nor is riding mules.
Nor riding mules are aspired for
راحةُrepose السرِّthe inner self فيin التخلُّفholding back عنfrom
راحةُ السرِّ في التخلُّف عن
كلِّevery محلstation أضحىhas become بَعيدَdistant المنالreach
كلِّ محل أضحى بَعيدَ المنال
Inner peace lies in holding back from
The comfort of the soul is in refraining
Every station that has become hard to reach.
From every status that has become unattainable
إنَّindeed عِزَّdignity الإنسانthe human being فيin تركهhis renouncing العزَّdignity
إنَّ عِزَّ الإنسان في تركه العزَّ
لذلٌindeed abasement فيat مُبتداthe beginning الأحوالِaffairs
لذلٌ في مُبتدا الأحوالِ
Truly, a man's dignity in renouncing dignity
Indeed, human dignity is in leaving dignity behind
Is surely abasement at the outset of affairs.
Humiliation in the beginnings of states
حارَwas bewildered فكريmy mind وضاقand tightened صدريmy chest لأمرٍover a matter
حارَ فكري وضاق صدري لأمرٍ
أخطرَتهُbrought it to mind الأقدارُthe fates عجزاًin helplessness بباليto my mind
أخطرَتهُ الأقدارُ عجزاً ببالي
My mind was bewildered, and my chest tightened over a matter
My thoughts were confused and my chest tight for a matter
That the fates brought to my mind in my helplessness.
Fate had made me despair of with my mind
وتَحَيَرتُand I was perplexed بينbetween أمرينtwo courses فيهconcerning it
وتَحَيَرتُ بين أمرين فيه
كلماwhenever لُذتُI sought refuge بالجنابin the presence الجَمَاليof al-Jamali
كلما لُذتُ بالجناب الجَمَالي
And I was perplexed between two courses concerning it,
And I wavered between two matters wherein
Whenever I sought refuge in al-Jamali's presence:
Whenever I inclined to the beautiful side
إنif تأخَّرتُI stayed away قيلit was said ملَّhe grew weary وإنand if لاI kept— (word continues)
إن تأخَّرتُ قيل ملَّ وإن لا
زَمتُ—attending (word continuation) أُدعَىI am called منamong جُملَةِthe group of الأثقَالِthe burdensome
زَمتُ أُدعَى من جُملَةِ الأثقَالِ
If I stayed away, they said, 'He has grown weary'; and if I kept
If I hesitated, it was said I procrastinated, and if I
Attending, I was called one of the burdensome.
Persisted, I was called one of the burdens
ياO مُعينيmy helper علىagainst الزمانtime أَعنيhelp me
يا مُعيني على الزمان أَعني
فلقدfor indeed قلَّhas diminished عنbefore سَطَاهُits assaults احتماليmy endurance
فلقد قلَّ عن سَطَاهُ احتمالي
O my helper against time, help me!
O my helper against the times, help me
For my endurance falls short before its assaults.
For my endurance has certainly waned from its capacity
كلَّevery يومday أسعىI strive ولكنand yet بلاwithout نفعٍbenefit
كلَّ يوم أسعى ولكن بلا نفعٍ
فسيَّانِso both are alike فَرغَنيmy leisure (apparently intended) واشتغاليand my labor
فسيَّانِ فَرغَني واشتغالي
Every day I strive, and yet to no avail;
Every day I strive but to no avail
So my leisure and my labor are alike.
My two companions have made me vacant and busy
عمليmy work دائمٌunceasing وليand I have سيرةٌa life-story فيin الدَّهرِtime
عملي دائمٌ ولي سيرةٌ في الدَّهرِ
ترُوىis told كِسيرَةِlike the tale of البَطَّالِal-Battal (the idler)
ترُوى كِسيرَةِ البَطَّالِ
My work is unceasing, yet my life-story through the ages
My work is constant and I have a way of life
Is told like the tale of al-Battal.
That is recounted like the life story of the idle
Sol 6.1