وَمَهمِهٍand many a trackless desert قَلِقَتgrew restless فيهِin it رَكائِبُناour riding camels
وَمَهمِهٍ قَلِقَت فيهِ رَكائِبُنا
وَاللَيلُand the night فيin قَلَقٍrestlessness تَسريjourney by night رَكائِبُهُits mounts
وَاللَيلُ في قَلَقٍ تَسري رَكائِبُهُ
And many a trackless desert where our riding camels grew restless,
While night was restless too, its mounts journeying onward.
رَكِبتُهُI rode across it فَكَأَنَّso, as though الصُبحَthe dawn راكِبُهُits rider
رَكِبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ الصُبحَ راكِبُهُ
وَجُبتُهُand I traversed it فَكَأَنَّso, as though النَجمَthe star جائِبُهُthe one crossing it
وَجُبتُهُ فَكَأَنَّ النَجمَ جائِبُهُ
I rode across it as though dawn were riding it,
And crossed it as though a star were crossing it,
بِكُلِّon every ذيpossessor of ميعَةٍvigor جَدَّpressed hard الوَجيفُthe swift trot بِهِupon it
بِكُلِّ ذي ميعَةٍ جَدَّ الوَجيفُ بِهِ
فَاِنهَدَّso sagged غارِبُهُits withers وَاِنضَمَّand contracted حالِبُهُits flank
فَاِنهَدَّ غارِبُهُ وَاِنضَمَّ حالِبُهُ
On every spirited mount, hard-pressed by the swift trot,
So its withers sagged and its flank drew in.
وَباتَand spent the night يَنهُبُplundering جُنحَthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night فيin عَجَلٍhaste
وَباتَ يَنهُبُ جُنحَ اللَيلِ في عَجَلٍ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were لاعِبٌa player طابَتwere pleasing مَلاعِبُهُhis playgrounds
كَأَنَّهُ لاعِبٌ طابَت مَلاعِبُهُ
And all night it hurried, plundering night's darkness,
Like a player whose playgrounds delighted him,
حَتّىuntil بَداappeared الصُبحُthe dawn مُبيَضّاًwhite تَرائِبُهُits breastbones
حَتّى بَدا الصُبحُ مُبيَضّاً تَرائِبُهُ
وَأَدبَرَand withdrew اللَيلُthe night مُخضَرّاًgreen-black شَوارِبُهُits mustaches
وَأَدبَرَ اللَيلُ مُخضَرّاً شَوارِبُهُ
Until dawn appeared, its breast white,
And night withdrew, its mustaches green-black.
وَإِنَّماand only النَجحُsuccess فيin لَيلٍa night تُرادِفُهُyou follow it
وَإِنَّما النَجحُ في لَيلٍ تُرادِفُهُ
إِذاwhen تَأَوَّبَit returns at night أَوor صُبحٌa dawn يُواكِبُهُkeeps pace with it
إِذا تَأَوَّبَ أَو صُبحٌ يُواكِبُهُ
And success lies only in a night you follow,
When it returns, or a dawn that keeps pace with it.
وَساهِرَand the wakeful one اللَيلِof the night فيin pursuit of الحاجاتِneeds نائِمُهُits sleeper
وَساهِرَ اللَيلِ في الحاجاتِ نائِمُهُ
وَذاهِبَand the loser of المالِwealth عِندَin pursuit of المَجدِglory كاسِبُهُits earner
وَذاهِبَ المالِ عِندَ المَجدِ كاسِبُهُ
He who keeps night vigil for his needs is its true sleeper,
And he who parts with wealth for glory is its earner.
وَلاand not أَهابُI fear عَظيماًa mighty thing حينَwhen يَدهُمُنيit assails me
وَلا أَهابُ عَظيماً حينَ يَدهُمُني
وَلَيسَand not تَغلِبُyou overcome شَيئاًa thing أَنتَyou هائِبُهُafraid of it
وَلَيسَ تَغلِبُ شَيئاً أَنتَ هائِبُهُ
And I fear no mighty thing when it assails me,
And you cannot overcome a thing you fear.
حُلوَsweet حَلاوَةَwith the sweetness of وَصلٍa union عادَreturned فائِتُهُwhat was lost of it
حُلوَ حَلاوَةَ وَصلٍ عادَ فائِتُهُ
مُرَّbitter مَرارَةَwith the bitterness of حَقٍّa debt حَلَّfell due واجِبُهُits required payment
مُرَّ مَرارَةَ حَقٍّ حَلَّ واجِبُهُ
Sweet as a union once lost and now restored,
Bitter as a debt whose payment has fallen due,
أَخوa man of عَزائِمَfirm resolves لاnot تَفنىperish عَجائِبُهاtheir wonders
أَخو عَزائِمَ لا تَفنى عَجائِبُها
وَالدَهرُand Time ماwhile بَينَهاamong them تَفنىperish عَجائِبُهُits wonders
وَالدَهرُ ما بَينَها تَفنى عَجائِبُهُ
A man of firm resolves whose wonders never end,
While Time's own wonders perish amid them.
تُقضىare fulfilled مَآرِبُهُhis desires مِنfrom كُلِّevery فائِدَةٍgain
تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ مِن كُلِّ فائِدَةٍ
لَكِنbut مِنَof المَجدِglory ماnot تُقضىare fulfilled مَآرِبُهُhis desires
لَكِن مِنَ المَجدِ ما تُقضى مَآرِبُهُ
His desires are satisfied by every gain,
But his desires for glory are never satisfied.
أَفادَهُbestowed on him العِزَّhonor آباءٌforefathers ذَوُوpossessors of كَرمٍgenerosity
أَفادَهُ العِزَّ آباءٌ ذَوُو كَرمٍ
وَزادَهُand enriched him further الخُلُقُcharacter المُخضَرُّverdant جانِبُهُits aspect
وَزادَهُ الخُلُقُ المُخضَرُّ جانِبُهُ
Generous forefathers bestowed honor on him,
And his character, verdant in aspect, enriched him further.
لَقَدindeed فَضَلتَyou surpassed كِرامَthe noble among الناسَpeople كُلَّهُمُall of them
لَقَد فَضَلتَ كِرامَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ
فَهُمso they مَناسِمُthe padded feet of مَجدٍglory أَنتَyou غارِبُهُits withers
فَهُم مَناسِمُ مَجدٍ أَنتَ غارِبُهُ
You have indeed surpassed all noble men;
They are glory's padded feet, and you its withers.
ياO لَيتَwould that شِعرِيَmy knowledge هَلwhether يَستَطيعُcan شُكرَكُمُthanking you
يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَستَطيعُ شُكرَكُمُ
دَهرٌan age مَساعيكُمُyour endeavors فيهِin it مَناقِبُهُits merits
دَهرٌ مَساعيكُمُ فيهِ مَناقِبُهُ
Would that I knew: can you be thanked
By an age whose glories are your deeds within it?
وَحينَand when أَرضَيتُمُyou brought delight كُنتُمyou were نَوافِلُهُits bounties
وَحينَ أَرضَيتُمُ كُنتُم نَوافِلُهُ
وَأَنتُمُand you حينَwhen أَسخَطتُمyou provoked anger نَوائِبُهُits calamities
وَأَنتُمُ حينَ أَسخَطتُم نَوائِبُهُ
And when you brought delight, you were its bounties;
And when you provoked anger, you were its calamities.
مِنكُمfrom you عَلىover الدَهرِTime عَينٌan eye لاnot تُناوِمُهُshares its sleep
مِنكُم عَلى الدَهرِ عَينٌ لا تُناوِمُهُ
وَلِلحَوادِثِand against calamities قَرنٌan adversary لاnot تُغالِبُهُthey can overpower him
وَلِلحَوادِثِ قَرنٌ لا تُغالِبُهُ
From you comes an eye upon Time that never shares its sleep,
And against calamities, an adversary they cannot overcome.
Sol 6.1