غالِطoutwit زَمانَكَyour age لاdo not تَحفَلpay heed بِمَنto whoever عَتَباreproached
غالِط زَمانَكَ لا تَحفَل بِمَن عَتَبا
وَدَعand leave aside دَعاويِهِits claims إِنwhether صِدقاًtrue وَإِنand whether كَذِباfalse
وَدَع دَعاويِهِ إِن صِدقاً وَإِن كَذِبا
Outwit your age; pay no heed to anyone who reproaches you.
Blame not the times, heed not the blamer
And leave its claims alone, whether true or false.
Leave his accusations, be they true or lies
ماnot خادَعَbeguiled الدَهرَTime إِلّاexcept أَروَعٌa keen-minded man فَطِنٌdiscerning
ما خادَعَ الدَهرَ إِلّا أَروَعٌ فَطِنٌ
وَمَنand whoever يُغالِبُهُcontends with it فيin حُكمِهِits decree غُلِباis defeated
وَمَن يُغالِبُهُ في حُكمِهِ غُلِبا
Only a keen, discerning man beguiles Time;
None but the cunning ever duped fate
and whoever contests its decree is defeated.
And he who contends with it will be defeated
تَصفوgrows serene الحَياةُlife لِمَنfor whoever أَغضىturned a blind eye وَسالَمَهُand made peace with it
تَصفو الحَياةُ لِمَن أَغضى وَسالَمَهُ
وَقادَand led بِاللِينِwith gentleness مِنof دُنياهُhis world ماwhat صَعُباproved difficult
وَقادَ بِاللِينِ مِن دُنياهُ ما صَعُبا
Life grows serene for whoever turns a blind eye and makes peace with Time,
Life is serene for him who is patient and resigned
and gently tames whatever in his world proves difficult.
And gently leads his worldly affairs, howe’er difficult
هَلhas ...? مَرَّpassed فيthrough الدَهرِtime جيلٌa generation غَيرُnot مُنتَقَدٍcriticized
هَل مَرَّ في الدَهرِ جيلٌ غَيرُ مُنتَقَدٍ
أَحكامُهُits judgments فَاِسألِso ask التاريخَhistory وَالكُتُباand the books
أَحكامُهُ فَاِسألِ التاريخَ وَالكُتُبا
Has any generation passed through time without criticism
Did an age pass without being criticized?
of its judgments? Ask history and the books.
Ask history and books for judgments true
وَمِلand turn إِذاwhen وَسوَسَwhispered الخَنّاسُthe retreating tempter عَنin عَجَلhaste
وَمِل إِذا وَسوَسَ الخَنّاسُ عَن عَجَل
لِلعبدِليَّةِto al-ʿAbdaliyya وَاِخلَعand cast off عِندَهاat it الوَصَباaffliction
لِلعبدِليَّةِ وَاِخلَع عِندَها الوَصَبا
And when the retreating tempter whispers, turn in haste
When whispers the sly, yearn you for haste
to al-ʿAbdaliyya, and there cast off affliction.
For calm, don the mantle of integrity
وَرَوضَةٍand a garden حَولَaround لُجِّthe deep waters of البَحرِthe sea راوَحَهاvisited it at evening
وَرَوضَةٍ حَولَ لُجِّ البَحرِ راوَحَها
صَوبُthe downpour of الغَمامِthe clouds وَغادَهاand visited it at dawn النَسيمُthe breeze صَباthe east wind
صَوبُ الغَمامِ وَغادَها النَسيمُ صَبا
And a garden around the sea's deep waters, visited at evening
A garden near the sea, caressed by the breeze
by the clouds' downpour, and at dawn by the east breeze.
With clouds above and soft winds blowing
وَدَبَّجَتهاand embroidered it سَماthe sky of نيسانُApril فاِبتَهَجَتso it rejoiced
وَدَبَّجَتها سَما نيسانُ فاِبتَهَجَت
وَقامَتand stood الطَيرُthe birds فيin أَفنانِهاits boughs خُطَباas orators
وَقامَت الطَيرُ في أَفنانِها خُطَبا
And April's sky embroidered it, so it rejoiced,
Adorned by April’s sky, it rejoiced
and birds stood as orators among its boughs,
And birds gathered seeking mates
تَقولُsaying ياO أَيُهاyou الإِنسانُhuman being حَيّcome! عَلىto
تَقولُ يا أَيُها الإِنسانُ حَيّ عَلى
جِريالَcrimson wine إِنif جالَit goes round قالَcries الهَمّCare وَاِحرَباalas, my ruin!
جِريالَ إِن جالَ قالَ الهَمّ وَاِحرَبا
saying, “O human, come to
It says: O man, alive, rejoice
crimson wine! If it goes round, Care cries, ‘Alas, my ruin!’”
If the brook babbles, it tells of sorrow and war
وَشادِنٍand a young gazelle إِنif شَداhe sings بِاللَحنِto the melody تَحسَبُهُyou think him
وَشادِنٍ إِن شَدا بِاللَحنِ تَحسَبُهُ
مُتَرجِماًan interpreter عَنof ضَميرِthe inner thoughts of العودِthe lute إِذwhen ضُرِباit is struck
مُتَرجِماً عَن ضَميرِ العودِ إِذ ضُرِبا
And a young gazelle—when he sings a melody, you think him
And the pine, when played, you’d think
an interpreter of the lute's inner thoughts when it is struck.
It translates the lute’s melancholy tones
يُصغيhe listens وَيُلقيand conveys عَلىto الأَسماعِthe ears مُضمَرَthe secret of ماwhat
يُصغي وَيُلقي عَلى الأَسماعِ مُضمَرَ ما
أَخفاهُit hid it مِنfrom قَبلِbefore ذاthis فيin جَوفِهِits hollow حِقَباfor ages
أَخفاهُ مِن قَبلِ ذا في جَوفِهِ حِقَبا
He listens and conveys to the ears the secret of what
It listens and whispers in ears secrets
it had hidden within its hollow for ages before now.
Long hidden in hearts, now told
وَلِلنَّواعيرِand for the waterwheels وَالدولابِand the waterwheel هَينَمَةٌa soft murmur
وَلِلنَّواعيرِ وَالدولابِ هَينَمَةٌ
كَمِثلِlike إِلفَينِtwo lovers قَدalready خافاthey both feared مِنَof الرقَباthe watchers
كَمِثلِ إِلفَينِ قَد خافا مِنَ الرقَبا
And the norias and the waterwheel have a soft murmur,
The fountains dance, the wheels spin
like two lovers who have come to fear the watchers.
Like two companions who fear the watchman
هَذاthis one يَئِنّmoans وَيَسقيand waters الرَوضَthe garden أَدمُعَهَits tears
هَذا يَئِنّ وَيَسقي الرَوضَ أَدمُعَهَ
وَذاand that one يُوَلوِلُwails لَمّاwhen شَاهَدَit saw الطَرَباrapture
وَذا يُوَلوِلُ لَمّا شَاهَدَ الطَرَبا
This one moans and waters the garden with its tears,
One moans, watering the garden with its tears
and that one wails when it witnesses rapture.
The other whirls when it beholds confusion
وَبِركَةٌand a pool مَرِحَتfrolicked حيتانُهاits fish وَغَدَتand became
وَبِركَةٌ مَرِحَت حيتانُها وَغَدَت
كَأَنَّهاas though it فيamid قُنونِthe crests of الماءِthe water بِنتُa daughter of رُبىhills
كَأَنَّها في قُنونِ الماءِ بِنتُ رُبى
And a pool, whose fish frolic, has become
A barge glides, its whales have become
like a daughter of the hills amid the water's crests,
Like virgins in the sea, daughters of the deep
أَوor دُميَةٌa statue مِنof رُخامٍmarble شِبهُthe likeness of غانيَةa beautiful woman
أَو دُميَةٌ مِن رُخامٍ شِبهُ غانيَة
رِدفاًin hips وَقَدّاand stature وَثَغراًand a mouth قَدhas حَوىcontained الشَنَباthe teeth's cool sweetness
رِدفاً وَقَدّا وَثَغراً قَد حَوى الشَنَبا
or a marble statue resembling a beautiful woman
Or a doll of marble, a singing concubine
in hips, stature, and a mouth endowed with cool sweetness.
With braids, anklets and mouth that holds charm
تَمُجُّit spouts مِنfrom ذَوبِهاits melt مِثلَlike الجُمانِpearls إِلىtoward
تَمُجُّ مِن ذَوبِها مِثلَ الجُمانِ إِلى
ذَوبَthe melt of السَحابِthe clouds فَلاso not يُدرىis known الَّذيwhich غَلَباprevailed
ذَوبَ السَحابِ فَلا يُدرى الَّذي غَلَبا
It spouts pearl-like drops from its melt toward
Melting like ingots into the melting clouds
the clouds' melt, so none can tell which has prevailed.
Unsure which of the two has conquered
أَوor سَروَةٍa cypress مِنof لُجَينٍsilver هَزَّهاshook it طَرَبٌrapture
أَو سَروَةٍ مِن لُجَينٍ هَزَّها طَرَبٌ
فاِنثالَso cascaded مِنfrom فَرعِهاits crown البِلَّورُcrystal وَاِنسَكَباand spilled
فاِنثالَ مِن فَرعِها البِلَّورُ وَاِنسَكَبا
Or a silver cypress shaken by rapture,
Or a pine shaken with passion
so crystal cascades from its crown and spills down.
Dropping crystals and sap from its branches
أَوor بُندُقيَّةُthe gun of مَنone who يَرميshoots بِلؤلُئِهاwith its pearls
أَو بُندُقيَّةُ مَن يَرمي بِلؤلُئِها
نَسرَthe Eagle of السَماءِthe sky وَإِلّاor else البَدرَthe full moon وَالشُهُباand the meteors
نَسرَ السَماءِ وَإِلّا البَدرَ وَالشُهُبا
Or a gun whose shooter fires its pearls at
Or a rifle shooting pearls
the Eagle of the sky—or else the full moon and the meteors.
At the eagle of the sky, or the moon, or meteors
أَوِor الثَرَيّاthe Pleiades تَوَلَّتturned away مِنfrom مَعارِجِهاtheir paths of ascent
أَوِ الثَرَيّا تَوَلَّت مِن مَعارِجِها
لِلرَوضِto the garden تَقضيfulfills بِهِin it الحَقّthe obligation الَّذيthat وَجَباbecame due
لِلرَوضِ تَقضي بِهِ الحَقّ الَّذي وَجَبا
Or the Pleiades have turned away from their paths of ascent
Or Pleiades pouring from their steps
toward the garden, to discharge there the duty they owe.
Onto the garden the rights that are due
فاِمزُجso mix بِسَلسالِهاwith its limpid water ماءَthe water of الحَياةِlife وَضِفand add
فاِمزُج بِسَلسالِها ماءَ الحَياةِ وَضِف
لَهُto it رُضاباًsweet saliva يُحاكيresembles الراحَwine وَالضرَباand white honey
لَهُ رُضاباً يُحاكي الراحَ وَالضرَبا
So mix the water of life with its limpid water, and add
Mix in its chains the water of life and add
to it sweet saliva resembling wine and white honey,
Melodies to echo the rest and rapture
مِنfrom ثَغرِthe mouth of مَنher who سَبَتِcaptivated الأَلبابَthe minds ثُمَّthen رَنَتshe glanced
مِن ثَغرِ مَن سَبَتِ الأَلبابَ ثُمَّ رَنَت
إِلىtoward الوُشاةِthe tale-bearers وَقالَتand said ليto me أتَّخِذtake سَبَباًa means
إِلى الوُشاةِ وَقالَت لي أتَّخِذ سَبَباً
from the mouth of her who captivated minds, then glanced
From the mouth that captivated hearts, then sang
toward the tale-bearers and said to me, “Find a way,
To the lovers: I shall take the means
وَاِنعَمand enjoy بِوَصليَin union with me فيin رَوضٍa garden حَكىmirrored خُلُقيmy nature
وَاِنعَم بِوَصليَ في رَوضٍ حَكى خُلُقي
وَلاand do not تُصِخheed لِمَقالِto the words of المازِحينَthose teasing صَباa lovesick lover
وَلا تُصِخ لِمَقالِ المازِحينَ صَبا
and enjoy union with me in a garden that mirrors my nature;
Rejoice with my company in a garden that portrayed my nature
and heed not the words of those who tease a lovesick lover.”
And heed not the sayings of jesters, O youth
بِذاكَwith that فالهُthen amuse yourself مِنَfrom الدُنياthis world وَقَدكَand enough for you إِلىuntil
بِذاكَ فالهُ مِنَ الدُنيا وَقَدكَ إِلى
أَنthat يَردُدِreturns الدَهرُTime ماwhat قَدhas بَزَّplundered وَاِغتَصَباand seized by force
أَن يَردُدِ الدَهرُ ما قَد بَزَّ وَاِغتَصَبا
With that, take your pleasure from this world; let it suffice until
With that, enjoy the world and lead yourself
Time returns what it has plundered and seized by force.
Until time restores what it took by force
فالدَهرُfor Time كالدَهرِlike Time وَالأيّامُand the days واحِدَةٌare one
فالدَهرُ كالدَهرِ وَالأيّامُ واحِدَةٌ
وَلاand no بَقاءlasting life لِمَغلوبٍfor the vanquished وَمَنand whoever غَلَباprevailed
وَلا بَقاء لِمَغلوبٍ وَمَن غَلَبا
For Time remains Time, and the days are all the same,
Time is just time, days are the same
and neither the vanquished nor the victor endures.
No permanence for the defeated, nor the victor remains
Sol 6.1