حادثاتcalamities دهمنَthey suddenly struck فيwithin أسبوعa week
حادثات دهمنَ في أسبوع
صحنthey cried out بالبينof parting فيin محلthe dwelling of الجميعthe gathered company
صحن بالبين في محل الجميع
Calamities struck within a week;
Disasters struck in a week
they proclaimed parting where all had gathered.
A dish is shared among all
زرعتsowed فيin الديارthe dwellings تلكthose الرزاياthe calamities
زرعت في الديار تلك الرزايا
بأكفwith the palms of الأيامthe days شرّthe worst of زروعcrops
بأكف الأيام شرّ زروع
Those calamities sowed throughout the dwellings,
Those misfortunes were planted in the homes
with the hands of the days, the worst of crops.
By the hands of time, an evil crop
كمhow many a محلdwelling عمرتهI made it flourish بالمعاليwith noble deeds
كم محل عمرته بالمعالي
وببذلand by bestowing اللهىgifts ولبسand wearing الدروعcoats of mail
وببذل اللهى ولبس الدروع
How many a dwelling I made flourish with noble deeds,
How many homes I built with virtues
and by bestowing gifts and donning coats of mail!
And generosity and wearing armor
ثمthen أبدلتنيexchanged for me الرزاياthe calamities بدارin place of a home
ثم أبدلتني الرزايا بدار
منزلthe dwelling of القربnearness بالمحلwith the place الشسيعfar-off
منزل القرب بالمحل الشسيع
Then calamities exchanged my home,
Yet misfortunes replaced for me a house
my nearby dwelling, for a far-off place.
The grave is now my dwelling, a wide place
وطنيmy homeland حيثwhere ماever ولعتI grew attached وأعييتand grew weary وفرشيand my bed
وطني حيث ما ولعت وأعييت وفرشي
الصعيدthe bare ground عندduring هجوعيmy sleep
الصعيد عند هجوعي
My homeland is wherever I grow attached and weary; my bed
My home wherever I was inflamed and tired and my bedding
is the bare earth when I sleep.
Is the ground when I lie down
وغطائيand my covering السماءthe sky والجوّand the open air بيتيmy home
وغطائي السماء والجوّ بيتي
ووطائيand my bedding منابتnative haunts of اليربوعthe jerboa
ووطائي منابت اليربوع
My covering is the sky, and the open air my home,
My roof the sky and air, my home
and my bedding the jerboa's native haunts.
My beds, the shoots of plants
وسميريand my nighttime companion السرحانُthe wolf والأسدand the lion الضاravenous (word continues)
وسميري السرحانُ والأسد الضا
ريcompletion of 'ravenous' وزاديand my provisions المنىhopes وصبريand my patience ضجيعيmy bedmate
ري وزادي المنى وصبري ضجيعي
My nighttime companions are the wolf and the ravenous lion;
My friend is the barn owl and the harmful
my provisions are hopes, and my patience my bedmate.
Lion, my provision is wishes, my patience my bedmate
وطمرّيَand my swift steed رجليmy foot وكفّيand my palm وساديmy pillow
وطمرّيَ رجلي وكفّي وسادي
وأنيسيَand my intimate companion فكريmy thought وشعريand my poetry ربيعيmy springtime
وأنيسيَ فكري وشعري ربيعي
My swift steed is my foot, and my palm my pillow;
Sand covers my feet, hands, and pillow
my companion is my thought, and my poetry my springtime.
My friend is my thoughts and poetry, my spring
سائحاًwandering فيthrough البلادthe lands شرقاeastward وغرباand westward
سائحاً في البلاد شرقا وغربا
مفلساpenniless فيin توجّهيmy departure ورجوعيand my return
مفلسا في توجّهي ورجوعي
Wandering through the lands, east and west,
Traveling in the lands east and west
penniless in my going forth and my return.
Broke in my coming and going
ليI have خدّانtwo cheeks مقرحانulcerated فخَذّso one cheek (probable intended reading)
لي خدّان مقرحان فخَذّ
لخضوعيfrom my abasement وآخرٌand another لدموعيfrom my tears
لخضوعي وآخرٌ لدموعي
I have two ulcerated cheeks: one
I have two wounded cheeks, one
from my abasement, the other from my tears.
for my humility, another for my tears
وإلهdistraught (probable intended reading) دمعتيmy tear تفيضoverflows منfrom العيthe eye (word continues)
وإله دمعتي تفيض من العي
نcompletion of 'eye' بماءwith water وتارةand sometimes بنجيعwith fresh blood
ن بماء وتارة بنجيع
I am distraught; my tears overflow from the eye,
And my tear's god overflows from the eye
as water, and sometimes as fresh blood.
Sometimes with water and sometimes with weeping
غيرbut أنّيthat I لمّاwhen تضايقgrew straitened عيشيmy livelihood
غير أنّي لمّا تضايق عيشي
وتدانىand dwindled أوسعتهُI made it ample بالقنوعthrough contentment
وتدانى أوسعتهُ بالقنوع
Yet when my livelihood grew straitened
But when my livelihood narrowed
and dwindled, I made it ample through contentment.
I expanded it with contentment
باسطٌstretching out كفّهhis palm إلىtoward اللهGod لاnot الناthe people (word continues)
باسطٌ كفّه إلى الله لا النا
سcompletion of 'people' مضاعlost للمجدto glory غيرnot مضيعneglectful
س مضاع للمجد غير مضيع
I stretch my palm toward God, not toward people,
Extending his hand to God, not people
lost to glory, yet never neglecting it.
Useless for glory, not losing
ماnot تكسّبتI earned my living بالتنجّمby astrology حتىuntil
ما تكسّبت بالتنجّم حتى
صارbecame طوعsubject to الأيامthe days غيرnot مطيعobedient
صار طوع الأيام غير مطيع
I did not earn my living by astrology until
I gained nothing from astrology until
one who would not submit became subject to the days,
It obeyed the days, no longer obedient
حينwhen رثتfrayed حبائلthe cords of المجدglory واستحand bore (word continues)
حين رثت حبائل المجد واستح
ملcompletion of 'bore' أهلthe people of الزمانthe age كلevery فظيعhorror
مل أهل الزمان كل فظيع
when glory's cords had frayed, and
When I inherited the ropes of glory and
the people of the age bore every horror.
The people of the time bore every horror
ليI have منamong الناسpeople أسوةa model فيin
لي من الناس أسوة في
أبيAbu (father of) القاسمal-Qasim نصرNasr ذيendowed with المنطقspeech المطبوعunforced
أبي القاسم نصر ذي المنطق المطبوع
Among people, I have a model in
I have as a model among the people
Abu al-Qasim Nasr, endowed with natural eloquence.
My father Al-Qasim, of eloquent tongue
عافhe shunned مدحpraising اللئامthe base واستحملand enlisted الصبpatience (word continues)
عاف مدح اللئام واستحمل الصب
رcompletion of 'patience' فأدنىso it brought near إليهto him كلevery منيعinaccessible thing
ر فأدنى إليه كل منيع
He shunned praising the base and enlisted
He avoided praising the vile and endured patience
patience, which brought all that was unattainable within his reach.
So everything difficult came to him
لمdid not يزلcease يخبزbake الأرزrice إلىuntil أنthat
لم يزل يخبز الأرز إلى أن
ناطهُfastened him الصبرpatience بالمحلto the station الرفيعlofty
ناطهُ الصبر بالمحل الرفيع
He kept baking rice until
He never stopped baking bread until
patience fastened him to a lofty station.
Patience enthroned him in the high place
علمrealized الدهرTime أنهthat it خانhad betrayed نصراNasr
علم الدهر أنه خان نصرا
فتلافاهُso it made amends to him بعدafter ضربٍa beating وجيعpainful
فتلافاهُ بعد ضربٍ وجيع
Time realized that it had betrayed Nasr,
Time learned it had betrayed Al-Qasim
so it made amends to him after a painful beating.
So it repaired him after injury and pain
وصنيعُand the handiwork of الأيامthe days طوراsometimes سعودgood fortunes
وصنيعُ الأيام طورا سعود
ونحوسٌand ill fortunes والنحسُand ill fortune شرthe worst صنيعhandiwork
ونحوسٌ والنحسُ شر صنيع
The days' handiwork is sometimes good fortune,
The work of days is sometimes happiness
and sometimes ill fortune; ill fortune is the worst handiwork.
and misfortune, and misfortune is the worst work
وشفيعand the intercessor of الحبيبthe beloved عنديwith me شفيعٌan intercessor
وشفيع الحبيب عندي شفيعٌ
وشفيعيand my intercessor إليهwith him شرّthe worst شفيعِintercessor
وشفيعي إليه شرّ شفيعِ
The beloved's intercessor finds favor with me,
And the beloved is my intercessor with me
but my intercessor with him is the worst of intercessors.
And my intercessor with him is the worst intercessor
Sol 6.1