صَحَوتُI have sobered عَنِfrom الصِباyouthful folly وَالدَهرُand Time غولُa ghoul
صَحَوتُ عَنِ الصِبا وَالدَهرُ غولُ
وَنَفسُand the soul of المَرءِa man آمِنَةٌfeeling safe قَتولُa slayer
وَنَفسُ المَرءِ آمِنَةٌ قَتولُ
I have sobered from youthful folly; Time is a ghoul,
A slayer, though a man's soul feels secure.
وَلَوand if أَنّيthat I أَشاءُwish نَعِمتُI would live at ease حالاًin my circumstances
وَلَو أَنّي أَشاءُ نَعِمتُ حالاً
وَباكَرَنيand would greet me early صَبوحٌa morning draught أَوor نَشيلُboiled meat
وَباكَرَني صَبوحٌ أَو نَشيلُ
Had I wished, I could have lived at ease,
With a morning draught or boiled meat greeting me early,
وَلاعَبَنيand would play with me عَلىon الأَنماطِpatterned rugs لُعسٌdark-lipped women
وَلاعَبَني عَلى الأَنماطِ لُعسٌ
عَلىupon أَفواهِهِنَّtheir mouths الزَنجَبيلُginger
عَلى أَفواهِهِنَّ الزَنجَبيلُ
And dark-lipped women playing with me on patterned rugs,
With ginger upon their lips.
وَلَكِنّيbut I جَعَلتُhave appointed إِزاءَa custodian of ماليmy wealth
وَلَكِنّي جَعَلتُ إِزاءَ مالي
فأَقللso I give sparingly بعدafter ذلكthat أَوor أَنيلI bestow
فأَقلل بعد ذلك أَو أَنيل
But I have made myself custodian of my wealth,
So thereafter I may stint or bestow.
فَهَلso is there مِنany كاهِنٍsoothsayer أَوor ذيone possessing إِلَهٍa god
فَهَل مِن كاهِنٍ أَو ذي إِلَهٍ
إِذاwhen ماever حانَis due مِنof رَبٍّa lord أُفولُpassing away
إِذا ما حانَ مِن رَبٍّ أُفولُ
Is there any soothsayer, or any devotee of a god,
When the time comes for a lord to pass away,
يُراهِنُنيwill wager with me فَيُرهِنُنيthen pledge to me بَنيهِhis sons
يُراهِنُني فَيُرهِنُني بَنيهِ
وَأُرهِنُهُand I pledge to him بَنِيَّmy sons بِماon what أَقولُI say
وَأُرهِنُهُ بَنِيَّ بِما أَقولُ
Who will wager with me and stake his sons,
While I stake my sons with him on what I say?
وَماand not يَدريknows الفَقيرُthe poor man مَتىwhen غِناهُhis wealth
وَما يَدري الفَقيرُ مَتى غِناهُ
وَماand not يَدريknows الغَنِيُّthe rich man مَتىwhen يُعيلُhe becomes poor
وَما يَدري الغَنِيُّ مَتى يُعيلُ
The poor man does not know when wealth will come,
Nor does the rich man know when he will fall into want.
وَماand not تَدريyou know وَإِنeven if أَلقَحتَyou have had mated شَولاًdry she-camels
وَما تَدري وَإِن أَلقَحتَ شَولاً
أَتُلقَحُwill they conceive? بَعدَafter ذَلِكَthat أَمor تَحيلُremain barren
أَتُلقَحُ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَم تَحيلُ
Nor do you know, though you have mated dry she-camels,
Whether they will conceive thereafter or remain barren.
وَماand not تَدريyou know إِذاwhen ذَمَّرتَyou have felt at birth سَقباًa male camel calf
وَما تَدري إِذا ذَمَّرتَ سَقباً
لِغَيرِكَfor someone other than you أَمor يَكونُwill be لَكَyours الفَصيلُthe weaned camel calf
لِغَيرِكَ أَم يَكونُ لَكَ الفَصيلُ
Nor do you know, when you feel a male calf at birth,
Whether the weanling will belong to another or to you.
وَماand not تَدريyou know وَإِنeven if أَجمَعتَyou have resolved upon أَمراًa matter
وَما تَدري وَإِن أَجمَعتَ أَمراً
بِأَيِّin which الأَرضِland يُدرِكُكَwill overtake you المَقيلُthe midday rest
بِأَيِّ الأَرضِ يُدرِكُكَ المَقيلُ
Nor do you know, though you have resolved upon a matter,
In what land the midday rest will overtake you.
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيكَyour father ماnot يُغنيserves in place of مَقاميmy standing
لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ ما يُغني مَقامي
مِنَamong الفِتيانِthe young men أَنجيهِI confide in him (uncertain) حُفولُpreoccupied (uncertain)
مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَنجيهِ حُفولُ
By your father's life, my place cannot be filled
By a preoccupied youth I take into my confidence [wording uncertain].
يَرومُhe aspires وَلاbut does not يُعَلِّصُbestir himself (uncertain) مُشمَعِلّاًbriskly
يَرومُ وَلا يُعَلِّصُ مُشمَعِلّاً
عَنِfrom العَوراءِdisgrace مَضجَعُهُhis bed ثَقيلُheavy
عَنِ العَوراءِ مَضجَعُهُ ثَقيلُ
He aspires, but does not bestir himself briskly;
His bed holds him back from confronting disgrace.
تَبوعٌconstantly following لِلحَليلَةِhis wife حَيثُwherever كانَتshe is
تَبوعٌ لِلحَليلَةِ حَيثُ كانَت
كَماjust as يَعتادُkeeps returning to لَقحَتَهُhis milch-camel الفَصيلُthe weaned camel calf
كَما يَعتادُ لَقحَتَهُ الفَصيلُ
He follows his wife wherever she is,
As a camel calf keeps returning to his milch-camel.
إِذاif ماever بِتُّI pass the night أَعصِبُهاclasping her فَباتَتthen may it pass the night
إِذا ما بِتُّ أَعصِبُها فَباتَت
عَلَيَّupon me مَكانَهاin her place الحُمّىthe fever النَسولُwasting
عَلَيَّ مَكانَها الحُمّى النَسولُ
If ever I pass the night clasping her, may there lie
Upon me, in her place, the wasting fever.
لَعَلَّperhaps عُصابَهاclinging to her يَبغيكَwill bring you حَرباًwar
لَعَلَّ عُصابَها يَبغيكَ حَرباً
وَيأَتيهِمand comes to them بِعَورَتِكََwith your weak spot الدَليلُthe guide
وَيأَتيهِم بِعَورَتِكََ الدَليلُ
Perhaps clinging to her will bring you war,
And a guide will show them your weak spot.
وَقَدand indeed أَعدَدتُI have prepared لِلحَدَثانِagainst time's calamities حِصناًa fortress
وَقَد أَعدَدتُ لِلحَدَثانِ حِصناً
لَوَif only اَنَّthat المَرءَa man تَنفَعُهُbenefit him العُقولُminds
لَوَ اَنَّ المَرءَ تَنفَعُهُ العُقولُ
I have prepared a fortress against time's calamities,
If only reason could avail a man:
طَويلَtall of الرَأسِcrest أَبيَضَwhite مُشمَخِرّاًtowering
طَويلَ الرَأسِ أَبيَضَ مُشمَخِرّاً
يَلوحُgleams كَأَنَّهُas though it were سَيفٌa sword صَقيلُpolished
يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ سَيفٌ صَقيلُ
High-crested, white, towering,
Gleaming as though it were a polished sword,
جَلاهُhas burnished it القَينُthe smith ثَمَّتَthen لَمnot يَشِنهُmar it
جَلاهُ القَينُ ثَمَّتَ لَم يَشِنهُ
بناحيةon any side وَلاnor فِيهِin it فلولnotches
بناحية وَلا فِيهِ فلول
Burnished by the smith, then left unblemished
On any side, with no notches in it.
هُنالِكَthere لاnot يُشاكِلُنيmatches me لَئيمٌa baseborn man
هُنالِكَ لا يُشاكِلُني لَئيمٌ
لَهُhe has حَسَبٌa pedigree أَلَفُّtangled وَلاnor دَخيلُan outsider
لَهُ حَسَبٌ أَلَفُّ وَلا دَخيلُ
There no baseborn man can match me,
With tangled lineage, nor can any outsider.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتhave learned بَنوthe sons of عَمرٍوʿAmr بِأَنّيthat I
وَقَد عَلِمَت بَنو عَمرٍو بِأَنّي
مِنَamong السَرَواتِthe chiefs أَعدَلُI straighten ماwhat يَميلُbends
مِنَ السَرَواتِ أَعدَلُ ما يَميلُ
The sons of ʿAmr have learned that I am
Among the chiefs, setting straight whatever bends.
وَماand no مِنany أُخوَةٍband of brothers كَثُرواbecame numerous وَطابواand were worthy
وَما مِن أُخوَةٍ كَثُروا وَطابوا
بِناشِئَةٍas a growing brood لِأَمَّهَمُupon their mother الهَبولُbereavement
بِناشِئَةٍ لِأَمَّهَمُ الهَبولُ
No band of brothers, however numerous and fine,
Springs up—bereavement be upon their mother!—
سَتُشكِلُshe will be bereaved أَوor يُفارِقُهاwill leave her بِنَوَهاher sons
سَتُشكِلُ أَو يُفارِقُها بِنَوَها
سَريعاًsoon أَوor يَهِمُّwill intend harm بِهِمagainst them قَبيلُa clan
سَريعاً أَو يَهِمُّ بِهِم قَبيلُ
But she will lose them, or her sons will leave her
Soon, or a clan will plot against them.
تَفَهَّمunderstand أَيُّهاO الرَجُلُman الجَهولُignorant
تَفَهَّم أَيُّها الرَجُلُ الجَهولُ
وَلاand do not let يَذهَبcarry away بِكَyou الرَأيُjudgment الوَبيلُruinous
وَلا يَذهَب بِكَ الرَأيُ الوَبيلُ
Understand, you ignorant man,
And do not let ruinous judgment carry you away.
فَإِنّfor indeed الجَهلَfolly مَحمِلُهُits burden خَفيفٌlight
فَإِنّ الجَهلَ مَحمِلُهُ خَفيفٌ
وَإِنَّand indeed الحِلمَforbearance مَحمِلُهُits burden ثَقيلُheavy
وَإِنَّ الحِلمَ مَحمِلُهُ ثَقيلُ
For folly is light to carry,
But forbearance is heavy to bear.
Sol 6.1