وَلَمّاand when اِنقَضىended عَصرُthe season of الشَبابِyouth وَعَهدُهُand its time
وَلَمّا اِنقَضى عَصرُ الشَبابِ وَعَهدُهُ
ذَوىwithered وَرَقُthe leaves of الدُنياthe world وَأَغصانُهاand its boughs الهُدلُdrooping
ذَوى وَرَقُ الدُنيا وَأَغصانُها الهُدلُ
And when youth's season and its days had ended,
When youth's spring had passed, its epoch done,
The world's leaves and its drooping boughs withered.
The leaves of life all withered, branches sere,
فَماso not سَوَّدَتmade supreme عِجلاًʿIjl مَآثِرُthe glorious deeds of قَومِهِhis people
فَما سَوَّدَت عِجلاً مَآثِرُ قَومِهِ
وَلكِنbut بِهِthrough him سادَتgained supremacy عَلىover غَيرِهاothers besides it عِجلُʿIjl
وَلكِن بِهِ سادَت عَلى غَيرِها عِجلُ
It was not his people's glorious deeds that made ʿIjl supreme;
No deeds of his folk by him were undone,
Rather, through him, ʿIjl rose above the rest.
But by him they all other tribes outdid clear,
فَتىًa young man وَقّفَheld fast الأَيّامَthe days بِالسُخطِwith wrath وَالرِضاand favor
فَتىً وَقّفَ الأَيّامَ بِالسُخطِ وَالرِضا
عَلىto بَذلِbestowing عُرفٍkindness أَوor عَلىto حَدِّthe edge of مُنصلٍa sword
عَلى بَذلِ عُرفٍ أَو عَلى حَدِّ مُنصلٍ
A young man who, in wrath and favor, bound the days
A man who judged days by joy or ire,
To bestowing kindness or to a sword's edge.
Giving freely or grasping spear,
هُوhe الأَمَلُhope المَبسوطُspread wide وَالأَجَلُand the appointed death الَّذيwho
هُو الأَمَلُ المَبسوطُ وَالأَجَلُ الَّذي
يَمَرُّturns bitter عَلىin أَيّامِهِhis days الدَهرُtime أَوor يَحلوturns sweet
يَمَرُّ عَلى أَيّامِهِ الدَهرُ أَو يَحلو
He is hope spread wide and the appointed doom, in whose
He was hope spread wide and approaching fate,
Days time turns bitter or sweet.
Time o'er his days did glide or sweetly slide,
وَلاnor تُحسِنُknow how الأَيّامُthe days تَفعَلُto do فِعلَهُhis deed
وَلا تُحسِنُ الأَيّامُ تَفعَلُ فِعلَهُ
وَإِنeven though كانَthere is فيin تَصريفهاtheir ordering of affairs النَقضُundoing وَالفِعلُand doing
وَإِن كانَ في تَصريفها النَقضُ وَالفِعلُ
Nor do the days know how to do what he does,
Days cannot do as he did create,
Though undoing and doing lie within their sway.
Though in their thread unravelling and tide,
فِعِشso live واحِداًpeerless أَمّاas for الشَراءُthe purchase (as written) فَمُسلَمٌthen yielded up
فِعِش واحِداً أَمّا الشَراءُ فَمُسلَمٌ
مُباحٌfreely available وَأَمّاand as for الجارُthe neighbor فَهوَthen he is حِمىًa protected preserve بَسلُinviolable
مُباحٌ وَأَمّا الجارُ فَهوَ حِمىً بَسلُ
So live peerless: as for the purchase, it is yielded up,
So live unique! Goods for sale are free loot,
Freely available; but the neighbor is an inviolable preserve.
But neighbors are protected, an inviolate root!
Sol 6.1