أَلاtake heed لَستyou are not فيin شَيءٍanything فَروحاًso take your ease مُعاوِياًMuʿāwiya
أَلا لَست في شَيءٍ فَروحاً مُعاوِياً
وَلاnor المُشفِقاتthe anxious ones يَتَّبِعنَthey follow الجَوارِياthe coursing ones
وَلا المُشفِقات يَتَّبِعنَ الجَوارِيا
Take heed: you have no power in this—so rest easy, Muʿāwiya.
Nor do the anxious ones follow those that run their course.
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيماin what كَذَّبَdeceived المَرءُthe man نَفسَهُhimself
وَلا خَيرَ فيما كَذَّبَ المَرءُ نَفسَهُ
وَتَقوالِهِand his repeated saying لِلشَيءِof the thing ياoh لَيتَif only ذاthis لِياwere mine
وَتَقوالِهِ لِلشَيءِ يا لَيتَ ذا لِيا
There is no good in a man's deceiving himself,
Or in his repeated saying of a thing, 'Oh, if only this were mine!'
وَإِنand if أَعجَبَتكَimpresses you الدَهرَever حالٌa condition مِنof اِمرِئٍa man
وَإِن أَعجَبَتكَ الدَهرَ حالٌ مِن اِمرِئٍ
فَدَعهُthen leave him وَواكِلand entrust حالَهُhis condition وَاللَيالِياand the nights
فَدَعهُ وَواكِل حالَهُ وَاللَيالِيا
And if ever a man's lot impresses you,
Leave him, and entrust his lot to the nights.
يَرُحنَthey come at evening عَلَيهِupon him أَوor يُغَيِّرنَthey change ماwhat بِهِis with him
يَرُحنَ عَلَيهِ أَو يُغَيِّرنَ ما بِهِ
وَإِنand even if لَمnot يَكُنbe فيwithin جَوفِهِhis interior العَيشُlife وانِياfaltering
وَإِن لَم يَكُن في جَوفِهِ العَيشُ وانِيا
They come upon him or change his condition,
Even if the life within him is not faltering.
فَطَأso tread مُعرِضاًturning aside إِنَّindeed الحُتوفَthe deaths كَثيرَةٌmany
فَطَأ مُعرِضاً إِنَّ الحُتوفَ كَثيرَةٌ
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you لاnot تُبقيyou keep alive بِنَفسِكَby yourself باقِياone who survives
وَإِنَّكَ لا تُبقي بِنَفسِكَ باقِيا
So tread on, turning aside: the ways of death are many,
And you cannot, by yourself, keep anyone alive.
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot يَدريknows اِمرُؤٌa man كَيفَhow يَتَّقيguards himself
لَعَمرُكَ ما يَدري اِمرُؤٌ كَيفَ يَتَّقي
إِذاif هُوَhe لَمnot يَجعَلmakes لَهُfor himself اللَهَGod واقِياa protector
إِذا هُوَ لَم يَجعَل لَهُ اللَهَ واقِيا
By your life, no man knows how to protect himself,
If he has not made God his protector.
كَفىit is enough حَزَناًas sorrow أَنthat يَرحَلَdepart القَومُthe company غُدوَةًat daybreak
كَفى حَزَناً أَن يَرحَلَ القَومُ غُدوَةً
وَأُصبِحَand I am at dawn فيin عَلياthe heights of الإِلاهَةِal-Ilāha ثاوِياremaining
وَأُصبِحَ في عَليا الإِلاهَةِ ثاوِيا
It is sorrow enough that the company depart at daybreak,
While at dawn I remain in the heights of al-Ilāha.
Sol 6.1