أَرِقْناwe lay sleepless وَأسْرابُand flocks النُّجومِthe stars هُجوعُasleep
أَرِقْنا وَأسْرابُ النُّجومِ هُجوعُ
نُعالِجُwe wrestle with هَمّاًa sorrow أَضْمَرَتْهُconcealed it ضُلوعُribs
نُعالِجُ هَمّاً أَضْمَرَتْهُ ضُلوعُ
We lay sleepless while the flocks of stars slumbered,
We are awake while the stars withdraw
Wrestling with a sorrow concealed within our ribs.
We wrestle with anguish hidden in our ribs
وَنُعْرِضُand we turn away عَنْfrom بِيضٍfair women تُديرُturn وَراءَناbehind us
وَنُعْرِضُ عَنْ بِيضٍ تُديرُ وَراءَنا
عُيونَeyes مَهاًoryxes فيهاin them دَمٌblood وَدُموعُand tears
عُيونَ مَهاً فيها دَمٌ وَدُموعُ
And we turn away from fair women who cast after us
And we turn away from the white that circles behind us
Eyes like an oryx's, filled with blood and tears.
Eyes filled with tears and blood
وَنَنْهَضُand we rise لِلْعَلْياءِtoward the heights وَالجَدُّand fortune عاثِرٌstumbling
وَنَنْهَضُ لِلْعَلْياءِ وَالجَدُّ عاثِرٌ
وَنَحْنُand we بِمُسْتَنِّon the racecourse of الهَوانِhumiliation وُقوعُfallen
وَنَحْنُ بِمُسْتَنِّ الهَوانِ وُقوعُ
And we rise toward the heights, though fortune stumbles,
And we stand up to the arrogant while seriousness trips us up
While we lie fallen on humiliation's racecourse.
And we are in the grip of disgrace and submission
وَهَلْand do ...? تَرْفَعُraise up الأَيامُthe days إِلّاexcept عِصابَةًa band
وَهَلْ تَرْفَعُ الأَيامُ إِلّا عِصابَةً
عَفَتْhave vanished بِهِمُbecause of them لِلْمَكْرُماتِof noble deeds رُبوعُabodes
عَفَتْ بِهِمُ لِلْمَكْرُماتِ رُبوعُ
And do the days exalt any but a band
And does time raise up anything but a gang
Through whom the abodes of noble deeds have vanished?
Whose heights are deserted by the noble?
لَهُمْfor them ثَرْوَةٌwealth يَمْتَدُّextends فيin اللُّؤْمِbaseness باعُهاits reach
لَهُمْ ثَرْوَةٌ يَمْتَدُّ في اللُّؤْمِ باعُها
حَواهَاamassed it نَعامٌostriches فيin النَّعيمِluxury رَتُوعُgrazing freely
حَواهَا نَعامٌ في النَّعيمِ رَتُوعُ
They have wealth whose reach extends far in baseness,
They have wealth that stretches out in adversity
Amassed by ostriches grazing amid luxury.
Containing ostriches enjoying bliss and ease
إِذَاwhen شَبِعواthey ate their fill باتُواthey spent the night نِياماًasleep وَجَارُهُمْand their neighbor
إِذَا شَبِعوا باتُوا نِياماً وَجَارُهُمْ
يُصارِمُforsakes جَفْنَيْهِhis two eyelids الكَرَىsleep وَيَجُوعُand he goes hungry
يُصارِمُ جَفْنَيْهِ الكَرَى وَيَجُوعُ
When they have eaten their fill, they sleep all night; as for their neighbor,
When they are full they sleep as their neighbor
Sleep forsakes his eyelids, and he goes hungry.
Battles his eyelids, hungering
شَكَتْcomplained of عُقَبَstages المَسْرَىnight travel مَطَايَاmounts تَؤُمُّهُمْhead toward them
شَكَتْ عُقَبَ المَسْرَى مَطَايَا تَؤُمُّهُمْ
وَتَذْرَعُand traverse أَجْوازَcentral reaches الفَلاthe deserts وَتَبوعُand take long strides
وَتَذْرَعُ أَجْوازَ الفَلا وَتَبوعُ
The mounts heading for them complained of the stages of night travel,
The heels of the course complained of bearing them
As they crossed the hearts of the deserts with long strides.
And the vast expanse of wilderness roams and wanders
فَلاso never زِلْنَmay they cease to be حَسْرَىexhausted لِمْwhy حَمَلْنَthey carried إِلَيْهِمُto them
فَلا زِلْنَ حَسْرَى لِمْ حَمَلْنَ إِلَيْهِمُ
فَتىًa young man لاnot يُناغِيspeaks tenderly to نَاظِرَيْهِhis two eyes خُشوعُmeekness
فَتىً لا يُناغِي نَاظِرَيْهِ خُشوعُ
So may they remain exhausted—why did they carry to them
So cease your sorrow that we carried to them
A young man whose eyes meekness never woos?
A youth whose gaze knows no arrogance or humility
وَهُمْand they نَفَضُcastoffs الآفاقِthe horizons قَدْindeed خَبُثَتْhave become foul لَهُمْfor them
وَهُمْ نَفَضُ الآفاقِ قَدْ خَبُثَتْ لَهُمْ
أُصُولٌroots فَماso not طَابَتْbecame wholesome لَهُنَّfor them (the roots) فُروعُbranches
أُصُولٌ فَما طَابَتْ لَهُنَّ فُروعُ
And they are the castoffs of the horizons; foul are their
And they are the elite while morals have corrupted for them
Roots, and so no wholesome branches have sprung from them.
Roots whose branches are no good
إِذَاwhen زَارَvisits مَغْناهُمْtheir abode كَريمٌa noble man فَماso not لَهُfor him
إِذَا زَارَ مَغْناهُمْ كَريمٌ فَما لَهُ
إِليْهَمْto them إِذَاwhen حُمَّis decreed الفِرَاقُparting رُجوعُa return
إِليْهَمْ إِذَا حُمَّ الفِرَاقُ رُجوعُ
When a noble man visits their abode, he has no
When a generous one visits their magnificence
Return to them once parting is decreed.
He has no way back to them when separation arrives
Sol 6.1