مازالَتِhave never ceased الأَيّامُthe days تُخبِرُtell سائِلاًan inquirer
مازالَتِ الأَيّامُ تُخبِرُ سائِلاً
أَنthat سَوفَwill تَفجَعُbereave مُسهِلاًdwelling on the plain أَوor عاقِلاsheltering in a mountain refuge
أَن سَوفَ تَفجَعُ مُسهِلاً أَو عاقِلا
The days have never ceased to tell an inquirer
Still the days inform an asker
that they will bereave those on the plain or in a mountain refuge.
That soon they will make a rash or wise man grieve
إِنَّindeed المَنونَdeath إِذاwhen اِستَمَرَّgrew strong مَريرُهاits tightly twisted cord
إِنَّ المَنونَ إِذا اِستَمَرَّ مَريرُها
كانَتbecame لَهاfor it جُنَنُshields الأَنامِhumankind مَقاتِلاmortal weak points
كانَت لَها جُنَنُ الأَنامِ مَقاتِلا
Indeed, when death's twisted cord grows taut,
Verily when its bitterness persists
humankind's shields become the weak points through which it kills.
Insanity amongst people becomes combative
فيon كُلِّevery يَومٍday يَعتَبِطنَthey slay untimely نُفوسَناour souls
في كُلِّ يَومٍ يَعتَبِطنَ نُفوسَنا
عَبطَthe slaughtering of المُنَحِّبِthe pledge-bound slaughterer جِلَّةًfull-grown camels وَأَفائِلاand young camels
عَبطَ المُنَحِّبِ جِلَّةً وَأَفائِلا
Each day they cut down our souls untimely,
Every day it troubles our souls
as a pledge-bound slaughterer kills full-grown and young camels.
With the worry of declining and ominous affairs
ماnot إِنemphatic particle تَرىyou see شَيئاًanything لِشَيءٍfor another thing مُحيِياًgiving life
ما إِن تَرى شَيئاً لِشَيءٍ مُحيِياً
حَتّىuntil تُلاقيهِyou find it لِآخَرَfor another قاتِلاkilling
حَتّى تُلاقيهِ لِآخَرَ قاتِلا
You never see anything giving life to one thing
You do not see one thing giving life to another
without finding it killing another.
Except you find it killing another
مِنthan ذاكَthat أَجهَدُmore trying أَنthat أَراهُI see it فَلاand not أَرىI see
مِن ذاكَ أَجهَدُ أَن أَراهُ فَلا أَرى
حَقّاًa truth سِوىexcept الدُنياthis world يُسَمّىis called باطِلاfalsehood
حَقّاً سِوى الدُنيا يُسَمّى باطِلا
More troubling than that is what I see: I see no
Because of that, I struggle to see it yet I do not
truth called falsehood, save this world.
Except the world being called worthless
لِلَّهِby God! أَيَّةُwhat a لَوعَةٍburning grief ظِلناwe spent the day بِهاin it
لِلَّهِ أَيَّةُ لَوعَةٍ ظِلنا بِها
تَرَكَتit left بَكِيّاتِweeping العُيونِthe eyes هَوامِلاstreaming unchecked
تَرَكَت بَكِيّاتِ العُيونِ هَوامِلا
By God, what burning grief we passed the day in—
Oh God, what deep anguish we have been under
it left the weeping eyes streaming unchecked.
Leaving the eyes pouring with tears
مَجدٌglory تَأَوَّبَcame by night طارِقاًas a night visitor حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen
مَجدٌ تَأَوَّبَ طارِقاً حَتّى إِذا
قُلناwe said أَقامَit settled الدَهرَfor all time أَصبَحَby morning it was راحِلاdeparting
قُلنا أَقامَ الدَهرَ أَصبَحَ راحِلا
A glory came, a visitor by night, until, when
Glory settled cozily until when
we said, 'It has settled forever,' morning found it departing.
We said it made eternity stay, it departed
نَجمانِtwo stars شاءَwilled اللَهُGod أَلّاthat not يَطلُعاthey both rise
نَجمانِ شاءَ اللَهُ أَلّا يَطلُعا
إِلّاexcept for اِرتِدادَthe return of الطَرفِthe gaze حَتّىuntil يَأفِلاthey both set
إِلّا اِرتِدادَ الطَرفِ حَتّى يَأفِلا
Two stars that God willed should not rise
By God's will two stars did not rise
save for the blink of an eye before they set.
Except a glance until they disappeared
إِنَّindeed الفَجيعَةَthe grief of loss بِالرِياضِover gardens نَواضِراًfresh and flourishing
إِنَّ الفَجيعَةَ بِالرِياضِ نَواضِراً
لَأَجَلُّsurely greater مِنهاthan it بِالرِياضِover gardens ذَوابِلاwithered
لَأَجَلُّ مِنها بِالرِياضِ ذَوابِلا
The grief of losing gardens fresh and flourishing
Verily the calamity at the meadows being blooming
is surely greater than losing them withered.
Is more beautiful than them being withering
لَوif يُنسَآنِthey were both granted more time لَكانَwould have been هَذاthis one غارِباًthe withers
لَو يُنسَآنِ لَكانَ هَذا غارِباً
لِلمَكرُماتِfor noble deeds وَكانَand would have been هَذاthis one كاهِلاthe shoulders
لِلمَكرُماتِ وَكانَ هَذا كاهِلا
Had both been granted longer lives, this one would have been the withers
If forgotten, this would be lost
of noble deeds, and the other their shoulders.
To the generous ones, and that would carry
لَهفيmy grief! عَلىfor تِلكَthose الشَواهِدِsigns فيهِماin them both
لَهفي عَلى تِلكَ الشَواهِدِ فيهِما
لَوif only أُمهِلَتthey were given time حَتّىuntil تَكونَthey became شَمائِلاcharacter traits
لَو أُمهِلَت حَتّى تَكونَ شَمائِلا
How I grieve for those signs in them both—
My craving for those witnesses in both of them
if only they had been given time to become abiding qualities!
If given time would become ideals
لَغَداwould have become سُكونُهُماtheir calm حِجىًwisdom وَصِباهُماand their youth
لَغَدا سُكونُهُما حِجىً وَصِباهُما
حِلماًforbearance وَتِلكَand that الأَريَحِيَّةُopen-hearted generosity نائِلاbounty
حِلماً وَتِلكَ الأَريَحِيَّةُ نائِلا
Their calm would have become wisdom, and their youth
Soon their stillness would be wisdom and their youthfulness
forbearance, and that open-heartedness, bounty.
Patience, and that comfort attained
وَلَأَعقَبَand would have followed with النَجمُthe star المُرِذُّbringing drizzle بِديمَةٍwith steady rain
وَلَأَعقَبَ النَجمُ المُرِذُّ بِديمَةٍ
وَلَعادَand would have become ذاكَthat الطَلُّlight rain جَوداًabundant rain وابِلاpouring heavily
وَلَعادَ ذاكَ الطَلُّ جَوداً وابِلا
And the drizzle-bearing star would have gone on to bring steady rain,
The glittering star would be followed by a shining moon
and that light rain would have become a bountiful downpour.
And that generosity would return pouring
إِنَّindeed الهِلالَthe crescent moon إِذاwhen رَأَيتَyou see نُمُوَّهُits growth
إِنَّ الهِلالَ إِذا رَأَيتَ نُمُوَّهُ
أَيقَنتَyou know for certain أَنthat سَيَكونُit will become بَدراًa full moon كامِلاcomplete
أَيقَنتَ أَن سَيَكونُ بَدراً كامِلا
Indeed, when you see the crescent's growth,
Verily when you see the crescent's growth
you know for certain it will become a perfect full moon.
You will know it will become a full moon
قُلsay لِلأَميرِto the prince وَإِنand even if لَقيتَyou meet مُوَقَّراًheavily burdened
قُل لِلأَميرِ وَإِن لَقيتَ مُوَقَّراً
مِنهُin him بِرَيبِby the vicissitudes of الحادِثاتِevents حُلاحِلاa mighty chieftain
مِنهُ بِرَيبِ الحادِثاتِ حُلاحِلا
Say to the prince, though you find him weighed down—
Say to the prince, and if you meet a dignified one
a mighty chief—by the treacherous turns of events:
Shaking from the incidents, tottering
إِنif تُرزَyou are bereaved فيat طَرَفَيthe two ends of نَهارٍa day واحِدٍone
إِن تُرزَ في طَرَفَي نَهارٍ واحِدٍ
رُزئَينِtwo losses هاجاboth stirred لَوعَةًburning grief وَبَلابِلاand anguish
رُزئَينِ هاجا لَوعَةً وَبَلابِلا
If, at the two ends of a single day, you suffer
If you shed tears twice in one day
two losses that stir burning grief and anguish,
Shed as a raging grief and tumult
فَالثِقلُthen the burden لَيسَis not مُضاعَفاًdoubled لِمَطِيَّةٍupon a riding beast
فَالثِقلُ لَيسَ مُضاعَفاً لِمَطِيَّةٍ
إِلّاunless إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle كانَit is وَهماًmassive بازِلاfully grown
إِلّا إِذا ما كانَ وَهماً بازِلا
then a burden is not doubled upon a riding beast
Weight is not doubled with a simple stroke
unless it is a massive, full-grown camel.
Unless it was an imagination that missed
لاno غَروَwonder إِنif فَنَنانِtwo branches مِنfrom عيدانِهِhis boughs
لا غَروَ إِن فَنَنانِ مِن عيدانِهِ
لَقِياthey both met حِماماًdeath لِلبَرِيَّةِof humankind آكِلاa devourer
لَقِيا حِماماً لِلبَرِيَّةِ آكِلا
No wonder if two branches from his boughs
No wonder the thin branches encountered
met death, which devours humankind.
Pigeons to the wilderness ravenously flocking
إِنَّindeed الأَشاءَthe young palms إِذاwhen أَصابَcuts away مُشَذِّبٌa pruner
إِنَّ الأَشاءَ إِذا أَصابَ مُشَذِّبٌ
مِنهُfrom it اِتمَهَلَّgrows tall ذُرىًat the crowns وَأَثَّand grows dense أَسافِلاat the bases
مِنهُ اِتمَهَلَّ ذُرىً وَأَثَّ أَسافِلا
For young palms, when a pruner trims
Verily the noble one when adorned by a refined one from it
some of their growth, raise their crowns high and thicken below.
Waited a while then favored the lowest ranking
حِقفانِtwo curved sand dunes هالَهُماscattered them both القَضاءُfate وَغادَراand they both left behind
حِقفانِ هالَهُما القَضاءُ وَغادَرا
قُلَلاًpeaks لَناfor us دونَbeneath السَماءِthe sky قَواعِلاtowering
قُلَلاً لَنا دونَ السَماءِ قَواعِلا
Two sand dunes were scattered by fate; they left
Two expressions Allah made them disappear and they left
towering peaks for us beneath the sky:
Heights for us below the sky strongly built
رَضوىRadwa وَقُدسَand Quds وَيَذبُلاًand Yadhbul وَعَمايَةًand Amayah
رَضوى وَقُدسَ وَيَذبُلاً وَعَمايَةً
وَيَرمرَماًand Yarmaram وَمُتالِعاًand Mutali' وَمُواسِلاand Muwasil
وَيَرمرَماً وَمُتالِعاً وَمُواسِلا
Radwa, Quds, Yadhbul, and Amayah,
Radwa, Quds, Yadheela, Amaia, Yarmarma
and Yarmaram, Mutali', and Muwasil—
And Motalli'a, and Mowassela
الطاهِرَينِthe two Tahirs وَإِخوَةًand brothers أَنجَبتَهُمyou fathered them
الطاهِرَينِ وَإِخوَةً أَنجَبتَهُم
كَالحَومِlike a great camel herd وُجِّهَwas directed صادِراًdeparting from water أَوor ناهِلاdrinking
كَالحَومِ وُجِّهَ صادِراً أَو ناهِلا
the two Tahirs, and brothers you fathered,
The Pure Ones, and brothers you sired
like a great camel herd, directed away from water or toward a drink.
Directed or inspired enthusiastically or slowly
شَمَخَتrose loftily خِلالُكَyour virtues أَنfor someone to يُؤَسّيكَconsole you اِمرِؤٌa man
شَمَخَت خِلالُكَ أَن يُؤَسّيكَ اِمرِؤٌ
أَوor أَنthat تُذَكَّرَyou be reminded ناسِياًforgetful أَوor غافِلاheedless
أَو أَن تُذَكَّرَ ناسِياً أَو غافِلا
Your virtues tower too high for any man to console you,
Your merits refused to be weakened by anyone
or for you to be reminded as one forgetful or heedless,
Or to be reminded by a forgetful or heedless one
إِلّاexcept مَواعِظَadmonitions قادَهاled them لَكَto you سَمحَةًgentle
إِلّا مَواعِظَ قادَها لَكَ سَمحَةً
إِسجاجُthe graciousness of لُبِّكَyour mind سامِعاًas a listener أَوor قائِلاas a speaker
إِسجاجُ لُبِّكَ سامِعاً أَو قائِلا
save for gentle counsels brought to you
Except advice led to you graciously
by your mind's graciousness, whether as listener or speaker.
Inclining your mind hearing or speaking
هَلdo? تَكَلَّفُtake the trouble الأَيديthe hands بِهَزِّto brandish مُهَنَّدٍan Indian-forged sword
هَل تَكَلَّفُ الأَيدي بِهَزِّ مُهَنَّدٍ
إِلّاunless إِذاwhen كانَit is الحُسامَthe keen sword القاصِلاsevering cleanly
إِلّا إِذا كانَ الحُسامَ القاصِلا
Do hands take the trouble to brandish an Indian blade
Do hands move to shake a resolute one
unless it is a keen sword that cuts clean through?
Unless the decisive sword did the hitting
Sol 6.1