حَيِّgreet المَنازِلَthe dwellings هلْis there? مِنْfrom أَهلِهاtheir inhabitants خَبَرُnews
حَيِّ المَنازِلَ هلْ مِنْ أَهلِها خَبَرُ
بِدورِat the dwellings of وَشْجىWashjā سَقىmay it water داراتِهاits encampments المَطَرُthe rain
بِدورِ وَشْجى سَقى داراتِها المَطَرُ
Salute the dwellings—is there any news of their people?
Greet the dwellings—is there news of their people?
In haunts of wild beasts, rain has watered their open courts.
At Washjā’s dwellings—may rain water its encampments.
وَقَدand indeed لَعِبتُI played معwith الفِتيانِthe young men ماas لَعِبواthey played
وَقَد لَعِبتُ مع الفِتيانِ ما لَعِبوا
وَقَدand sometimes أَجِدُّI am earnest وَقَدand sometimes أَغنىI am wealthy وَأَفْتَقِرُand I am poor
وَقَد أَجِدُّ وَقَد أَغنى وَأَفْتَقِرُ
I have had my full share of sport with the young men,
And I have played with the young men as they played.
and I have been earnest, grown rich, and fallen poor.
And sometimes I am earnest, sometimes rich, and sometimes poor.
أستَغفرُI ask forgiveness اللَّهَGod مِنfor جدّيmy earnestness وَمِنْand for لَعِبيmy play
أستَغفرُ اللَّهَ مِن جدّي وَمِنْ لَعِبي
كُلُّevery اِمرِئٍman بِاِمرِئٍwith another man لاno بُدَّescape مُتَّزرُgirded; supported
كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ بِاِمرِئٍ لا بُدَّ مُتَّزرُ
I ask God’s forgiveness for my earnestness and my play.
I ask God’s forgiveness for my earnestness and my play.
Every man must surely take warning from another.
Every man must needs gird himself with another.
وَإِنَّماand only لِيَfor me يَومٌa day لَسْتُI am not سابِقَهُpreceding it
وَإِنَّما لِيَ يَومٌ لَسْتُ سابِقَهُ
حَتّىuntil يَجيءَit comes وَإِنْand even if أَودىbrought ruin بِيَupon me العُمرُage
حَتّى يَجيءَ وَإِنْ أَودى بِيَ العُمرُ
Only a day I have not yet reached seems gentle,
And I have but a day whose coming I cannot hasten,
until it comes—even if age should carry me off.
Until it comes, though age should bring me to ruin.
ماnot يَسأَلُask النَّاسُpeople عَنabout سِنِّيmy age وَقَدand already قَدعَتْhas reined in
ما يَسأَلُ النَّاسُ عَن سِنِّي وَقَد قَدعَتْ
ليfor me الأَربَعونَforty years وَطالَand grew long الوِرْدُthe journey to water وَالصَّدرُand the return from water
لي الأَربَعونَ وَطالَ الوِرْدُ وَالصَّدرُ
Why should people ask about my age, when already
People do not ask my age, for already I have been reined in
forty years have chastened me, and long has been my going to the water and back?
By forty years, and long has been the journey to water and back.
لَمّاwhen رَأىhe saw الشَّيبَgray hair قَدalready هاجَتhad withered نَصِيَّتهُhis forelock
لَمّا رَأى الشَّيبَ قَد هاجَت نَصِيَّتهُ
بَعدَafter الحَلاوَةِthe sweetness حَتّىuntil أَخلَسَbecame grizzled الشَّعرُthe hair
بَعدَ الحَلاوَةِ حَتّى أَخلَسَ الشَّعرُ
When he saw the gray, his forelock had already flared,
When he saw the gray—his forelock had withered,
after youth’s sweetness, until the hair grew grizzled.
After its sweetness, until his hair turned grizzled—
تيمَّمَhe sought القَصدَthe straight course مِنfrom أولىthe first of أَواخِرِهِhis latter days
تيمَّمَ القَصدَ مِن أولى أَواخِرِهِ
سَيرَthe pace of المُنَحّبِone pledged to a wager لَماwhen أغْلِيَwas raised الخَطَرُthe stake
سَيرَ المُنَحّبِ لَما أغْلِيَ الخَطَرُ
From the first onset of life’s final stage, make moderation your aim,
He sought the straight course as his latter days began,
at the pace of a racer when the stakes have been raised.
Moving like one pledged to a wager when the stake was raised.
مَنwhoever كانَwould يَرقيclimb عَلىupon ضَلْعٍa crooked rib يُدارِئُهُhe humors it
مَن كانَ يَرقي عَلى ضَلْعٍ يُدارِئُهُ
فَإِنَّنيbut indeed I ناطِقٌa speaker بِالحَقِّwith the truth مُفتَخِرُboasting proudly
فَإِنَّني ناطِقٌ بِالحَقِّ مُفتَخِرُ
Whoever climbs a crooked slope must negotiate it carefully;
Whoever would climb upon a crooked rib, humoring it—
for I speak the truth, and proudly.
But I speak the truth, proudly boasting.
Sol 6.1