عجباًhow strange! أيوُديdoes it bring ruin? بالشعوبِto peoples بلوغُmaturity
عجباً أيوُدي بالشعوبِ بلوغُ
فتزولُso it vanishes منهاfrom them قوةٌstrength ونبوغُand genius
فتزولُ منها قوةٌ ونبوغُ
How strange! Does maturity bring peoples to ruin,
How strange that nations reach their peak,
so that strength and genius vanish from them?
Then their power and genius quickly leak.
ياO أيهاyou الشرقيُّEasterner نوبتُكَyour turn انتهتhas ended
يا أيها الشرقيُّ نوبتُكَ انتهت
فعطلتَso you became idle والغربيُّand the Westerner باتhas come to يصوغcrafts
فعطلتَ والغربيُّ بات يصوغ
O Easterner, your turn has ended;
O Easterner, your time has come and gone
so you lie idle, while the Westerner has taken to crafting.
While asleep, the West takes strides along.
الشرقُthe East مهدٌa cradle للأنامِfor humankind ومطلعٌand a rising-place
الشرقُ مهدٌ للأنامِ ومطلعٌ
للشمسِfor the sun وهوand it بداءةٌa beginning وبزوغand a dawning
للشمسِ وهو بداءةٌ وبزوغ
The East is humankind’s cradle and the rising-place
The East, cradle of mankind, place of dawn,
of the sun; it is a beginning and a dawning.
Where the sun begins its daily yawn.
ولأهلهِand to its people فضلُthe credit التقدمِadvancement والهُدىand guidance
ولأهلهِ فضلُ التقدمِ والهُدى
فتأخرواthen they fell behind إذsince للأمورِfor affairs فروغan end
فتأخروا إذ للأمورِ فروغ
And to its people belongs the credit for advancement and guidance;
To its people goes the credit for guidance,
then they fell behind, for all things come to an end.
Yet they fell behind, their vision silencing.
لاdo not تَركُننَّever rely الىon الفرنجيِّthe Frank الذيwho
لا تَركُننَّ الى الفرنجيِّ الذي
للحكمِfor dominion أوor للربحِfor profit منكَfrom you يروغmaneuvers slyly
للحكمِ أو للربحِ منكَ يروغ
Never put your trust in the Frank who
Do not rely on the Franks who feign
schemes for dominion or profit from you.
Rule or profit while you they disdain.
واحذَرand beware دسيسةَa secret plot ماكرٍa schemer متلصِّصٍstealthy
واحذَر دسيسةَ ماكرٍ متلصِّصٍ
يأتيكَcomes to you وهوand he إلىtoward الشرورِevils نزوغstrongly inclined
يأتيكَ وهو إلى الشرورِ نزوغ
And beware the secret plot of a stealthy schemer,
Beware the sly and cunning knave
who comes to you while bent on evil.
Who comes to you, yet to evil gave.
واصبرand bear patiently علىin the face of ريبِthe vicissitudes الزمانِof time فإنهُfor it
واصبر على ريبِ الزمانِ فإنهُ
كالماءِlike water يأجنُgrows foul تارةًsometimes ويسوغand is palatable
كالماءِ يأجنُ تارةً ويسوغ
And endure the vicissitudes of time, for it
Endure the caprice of time, for it is
is like water: at times it grows foul, at others it is palatable.
Like water, bitter, then sweetness, bliss.
Sol 6.1