أطامنُI lower عنbeneath أيديthe hands of العفاةِseekers of gifts تكرُّماًout of generosity
أطامنُ عن أيدي العفاةِ تكرُّماً
يديmy hand ليكونَso that ... may be المعتفيthe seeker of gifts يدهhis hand العُلْيَاthe upper one
يدي ليكونَ المعتفي يده العُلْيَا
Out of noble generosity I lower my hand beneath the hands of those who ask,
In generosity, I lower beneath the hands of supplicants
so that the seeker of bounty may have the upper hand.
my hand, so that the supplicant's hand may be the upper one.
ولاand not أُتْبعُI follow up المعروفَa kindness منّاًreminding of favors ولاnor أذىًhurt
ولا أُتْبعُ المعروفَ منّاً ولا أذىً
ولوand even if وهبتْbestowed نفسيmy soul لسائِلهاupon its petitioner الدُّنياthe world
ولو وهبتْ نفسي لسائِلها الدُّنيا
I do not follow a kindness with reproach or hurt,
Nor do I follow kindness with reminders of favors or hurt,
even if I myself bestowed the world upon the one who asks for it.
even were my soul to bestow the world upon its petitioner.
أرىI see فيin ابتغاءِseeking الشُّكرgratitude ممنfrom whomever أُنيلُهُI give to him
أرى في ابتغاءِ الشُّكر ممن أُنيلُهُ
متاجرةًa transaction والمنُّand reminding of favors أعتدُّهI count it بغياas injustice
متاجرةً والمنُّ أعتدُّه بغيا
I regard seeking thanks from one on whom I confer a gift
I see in seeking thanks from those to whom I give
as mere commerce, and I count vaunting a favor an act of hate.
a transaction; and I count reminders of favors as injustice.
هوit is المالwealth إنْif أمسكتَهyou keep it أوor بذلتَهُyou give it away
هو المال إنْ أمسكتَه أو بذلتَهُ
فحظُّكَso your share منهof it ماwhat كفَىwards off الجوعَhunger والعرياand nakedness
فحظُّكَ منه ما كفَى الجوعَ والعريا
Wealth is wealth, whether you hoard it or spend it;
It is wealth, whether you keep it or give it away;
your share of it is only what wards off hunger and nakedness.
so your share of it is what wards off hunger and nakedness.
فكُلْهُso eat it وأطعمْهُand feed it to others وخالسْهُand snatch it stealthily برهةًa span of time
فكُلْهُ وأطعمْهُ وخالسْهُ برهةً
منof الدهرtime تُفنيconsumes اللحمَflesh والعظمَand bone والنقياand marrow
من الدهر تُفني اللحمَ والعظمَ والنقيا
So eat it, feed others with it, and seize its use for one brief span
So eat of it, feed others with it, and snatch it for a span
of Time—a span that consumes flesh, bone, and marrow.
of time that consumes flesh, bone, and marrow.
وقدand already أنذرتكَhave warned you الحادثاتُcalamities فلاso do not تُبَلْfret
وقد أنذرتكَ الحادثاتُ فلا تُبَلْ
فماfor there is no بعدَafter إنذارِthe warning of الحوادثِcalamities منany بُقياreprieve
فما بعدَ إنذارِ الحوادثِ من بُقيا
Calamities have already warned you, so pay them no heed;
And calamities have already warned you, so do not fret;
once calamities have given warning, no reprieve remains.
for after calamities' warning there is no reprieve.
وكمand many a مرَّpassed بيupon me منof حادثٍcalamity قلتُI said عندَهُat its occurrence
وكم مرَّ بي من حادثٍ قلتُ عندَهُ
ألاah ليتنيwould that I قدalready كنتُhad been منfrom قبلهbefore it نسياa forgotten thing
ألا ليتني قد كنتُ من قبله نسيا
How many a calamity has befallen me, at which I said:
And many a calamity has come upon me, at which I said:
Would that, before it came, I had been a thing forgotten!
Ah, would that before it I had already been a forgotten thing!
فإِنand if راشتِfletched الأيامُthe days قِدحيmy arrow-shaft فطالماthen, how often
فإِن راشتِ الأيامُ قِدحي فطالما
غدتْcame to be بيدِin the hand of الأيامِthe days تنهِكُهُwearing it down بريَاby whittling
غدتْ بيدِ الأيامِ تنهِكُهُ بريَا
If the days now feather my arrow-shaft, how often
And if the days have fletched my arrow-shaft, how often
has it lain in the hand of Time, worn thin by its whittling.
has it lain in the days' hand while they wore it down by whittling!
ومنand whoever يصحبِkeeps company with الأيامَthe days يألفْgrows accustomed to هناتِهاtheir troubles
ومن يصحبِ الأيامَ يألفْ هناتِها
إِلىuntil أنْthat يظنَّhe thinks الشريَbitter colocynth منfrom طعمِهits taste أريَاhoney
إِلى أنْ يظنَّ الشريَ من طعمِه أريَا
Whoever keeps company with the days grows used to their afflictions,
And whoever keeps company with the days grows used to their ills,
until evil in their flavor seems to him like honey.
until, judging by its taste, he takes bitter colocynth for honey.
وقدand already أتعبَexhausted الجُردَthe sleek steeds المذاكيَthe full-grown ones غايتيmy goal
وقد أتعبَ الجُردَ المذاكيَ غايتي
قديماًlong ago فماso what للهجْنِis with the crossbred horses ناهبْنَنيthey vied with me الجَرياin running
قديماً فما للهجْنِ ناهبْنَني الجَريا
The goal I seek has wearied even sleek, full-blooded steeds;
And my goal exhausted the sleek, full-grown steeds
long has this been so—what business have mongrel nags challenging me to race?
long ago; why, then, do crossbred horses vie with me in the race?
وكمand many a time ملئتْwas filled منwith لبدةِthe mane of الليثِthe lion قبضتيmy fist
وكم ملئتْ من لبدةِ الليثِ قبضتي
فكيفso how يظُنُّthinks الكلبُthe dog أنّيthat I بهagainst it أعيَاam helpless
فكيف يظُنُّ الكلبُ أنّي به أعيَا
Many a time my fist has closed full upon a lion’s mane;
And often my fist has been filled with the lion's mane;
how then can a dog imagine that I shall be bested by it?
so how can the dog think I would be helpless against it?
Sol 6.1