طَلَبَتهُpursued him أَيّامٌdays وَطالَبَand he pursued مِثلَهاtheir like
طَلَبَتهُ أَيّامٌ وَطالَبَ مِثلَها
أُخرىother days فَأَصبَحَso he became طالِباًa pursuer مَطلوباone pursued
أُخرى فَأَصبَحَ طالِباً مَطلوبا
Days pursued him, while he pursued their like—
Days pursued him, and he pursued their like—
other days—so he became both pursuer and pursued.
other days—so he became both pursuer and pursued.
هِيَit عَزمَةٌa firm resolve كَالسَيفِlike a sword إِلّاexcept أَنَّهاthat it
هِيَ عَزمَةٌ كَالسَيفِ إِلّا أَنَّها
جُعِلَتwas made لِأَسبابِfor the cords of الزَمانِtime قَضوباa keen cutter
جُعِلَت لِأَسبابِ الزَمانِ قَضوبا
It is a resolve like a sword—except that it
It is a resolve like a sword, except that it
was made a cutting blade against the cords of Time.
was made to cut through the cords of time.
خَطَبَتcourted خُطوبَthe calamities of الدَهرِtime مِنهُof his خُطَّةًa course of action
خَطَبَت خُطوبَ الدَهرِ مِنهُ خُطَّةً
نَتَجَتbrought forth عَلَيهِupon him تَجارِباًexperiences وَنُكوباand reversals
نَتَجَت عَلَيهِ تَجارِباً وَنُكوبا
Born of him, it courted the calamities of Time in a venture
A purpose of his courted the calamities of time,
that bore him experience and affliction.
bringing experience and reversals upon him.
صَرَمَتsevered حِبالَthe cords of الدَهرِtime مِنهُof his صَرمَةًa decisive cut
صَرَمَت حِبالَ الدَهرِ مِنهُ صَرمَةً
تَرَكَتleft بِقَلبِin the heart of النائِباتِcalamities وَجيباa throbbing
تَرَكَت بِقَلبِ النائِباتِ وَجيبا
It severed Time’s ropes from him with such a stroke
A decisive stroke of his severed the cords of time,
that it left the heart of calamities pounding.
leaving a throbbing in the heart of calamities.
وَلَرُبَّماand indeed often اِستَبكَتهُmade him weep نَكبَةُa calamity of حادِثٍa mischance
وَلَرُبَّما اِستَبكَتهُ نَكبَةُ حادِثٍ
نَكَأَتreopened بِباطِنِdeep within صَفحَتَيهِhis two sides نُدوباscars
نَكَأَت بِباطِنِ صَفحَتَيهِ نُدوبا
Often some calamity of chance would make him weep,
And often a stroke of misfortune made him weep,
reopening scars deep within his two sides—
reopening scars deep within his sides.
لاnot أَنَّهُthat he خَذَلَتهُfailed him أَسبابُthe means of الغِنىwealth
لا أَنَّهُ خَذَلَتهُ أَسبابُ الغِنى
أَوor راحَhe went away مِنof سَلَبِthe spoils of المُلوكِkings سَليباstripped
أَو راحَ مِن سَلَبِ المُلوكِ سَليبا
not because the means to wealth had failed him,
Not that the means to wealth had failed him,
nor because he came away bereft of kings’ spoils.
or that he went away stripped of the spoils of kings.
لَكِنَّهُbut it عَجَبٌa wonder وَلَيسَand it is not بِمُعجِبٍastonishing
لَكِنَّهُ عَجَبٌ وَلَيسَ بِمُعجِبٍ
أَنthat شامَhe beheld مِنamong حُكمِthe decrees of الزَمانِtime عَجيباa marvel
أَن شامَ مِن حُكمِ الزَمانِ عَجيبا
Yet it is a wonder—though no cause for wonder—
But it is a wonder, though not astonishing,
that he discerned in Time’s decree this strange thing:
that he beheld a marvel in the decrees of time.
يَوماًone day بِمُنقَطِعِat the farthest limit of الشُروقِsunrise مُقامُهُhis lodging
يَوماً بِمُنقَطِعِ الشُروقِ مُقامُهُ
وَيُقيمُand he dwells يَوماًone day بِالغُروبِwhere the sun sets غَريباas a stranger
وَيُقيمُ يَوماً بِالغُروبِ غَريبا
one day his dwelling at the farthest verge of sunrise,
One day his lodging is at sunrise's farthest reach,
another day he dwells a stranger in the sunset-west.
and another he dwells a stranger where the sun sets.
لاmay … not كانَتِthere be الآمالُhopes يَكفُلُguarantees نُجحَهاtheir fulfillment
لا كانَتِ الآمالُ يَكفُلُ نُجحَها
كَرَمٌgenerosity يُريكَshows you تَجَهُّماًscowling وَقُطوباand frowning
كَرَمٌ يُريكَ تَجَهُّماً وَقُطوبا
May hopes never be whose fulfillment is guaranteed
Perish the hopes whose fulfillment is guaranteed
by generosity that meets your eye with scowl and frown.
by generosity that shows you scowls and frowns.
Sol 6.1