الدَهرُtime إِنif سَرَّgladdens يَوماًfor a day لاno قِوامَconstancy لَهُfor it
الدَهرُ إِن سَرَّ يَوماً لا قِوامَ لَهُ
أَحداثُهُits calamities تَصدَعُshatter الراسيthe firmly rooted one مِنَof العَلَمِthe mountain
أَحداثُهُ تَصدَعُ الراسي مِنَ العَلَمِ
Time, even if it gladdens for a day, has no constancy;
Time, if it brings joy one day, it will not last,
Its calamities shatter the firmly rooted mountain.
Its events crack the firm mountains.
يَستَنزِلُforces down الطَيرَthe birds كَرهاًunwillingly مِنfrom مَنازِلِهاtheir dwellings
يَستَنزِلُ الطَيرَ كَرهاً مِن مَنازِلِها
إِلىto المَنيَّةِdeath وَالآسادِand the lions فيin الأجَمِthe thickets
إِلى المَنيَّةِ وَالآسادِ في الأجَمِ
It forces birds down from their dwellings against their will
It brings down the birds unwillingly from their nests
To death—and lions in the thickets too.
To death and ruins in the valleys.
وَيَسلُبُand strips الآمِنَthe secure one المُغتَرَّthe self-deluded one نِعمَتَهُhis blessing
وَيَسلُبُ الآمِنَ المُغتَرَّ نِعمَتَهُ
وَيُلحِقُand brings المَوتَdeath بِالهَيّابَةِupon the timorous one البَرمِthe fretful one
وَيُلحِقُ المَوتَ بِالهَيّابَةِ البَرمِ
And strips the secure, self-deluded man of his blessing,
It robs the unwary of their blessings
And brings death upon the timorous, fretful man.
And brings death to the bold heroes.
مَنwho يَأمَنُfeels safe from الدَهرَtime أَوor يَرجوhopes for الخُلودَimmortality بِهِin it
مَن يَأمَنُ الدَهرَ أَو يَرجو الخُلودَ بِهِ
بَعدَafter الَّذينَthose who مَضَواpassed away فيamong سالِفِbygone الأُمَمِthe nations
بَعدَ الَّذينَ مَضَوا في سالِفِ الأُمَمِ
Who can feel safe from time, or hope for immortality in it,
Who can trust time or hope to live forever through it
After those who passed away among the nations of old?
After those who passed in ancient nations?
لَيسَis not امرُؤٌa man كانَwas فيin عَيشٍa life يُسَرُّis gladdened بِهِby it
لَيسَ امرُؤٌ كانَ في عَيشٍ يُسَرُّ بِهِ
يَوماًfor a day بِأَخلَدَany more enduring مِنthan عادٍʿAd وَمِنand than إِرَمِIram
يَوماً بِأَخلَدَ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إِرَمِ
No man who lived a life that gave him joy
No man who found comfort in life
For a day is more enduring than ʿAd or Iram.
Remained more enduring than Aad and Iram.
يَهوىdesires الخُلودَimmortality وَقَدand already خُطَّتhas been inscribed مَنيَّتُهُhis death
يَهوى الخُلودَ وَقَد خُطَّت مَنيَّتُهُ
وَلاand no مَرَدَّreversal لأَمرٍfor a decree خُطَّwas inscribed بِالقَلَمِwith the pen
وَلا مَرَدَّ لأَمرٍ خُطَّ بِالقَلَمِ
He longs for immortality, though his death has been inscribed,
He desires immortality yet his death is ordained
And no decree written by the pen can be reversed.
And no command of the pen can be reversed.
لاno بُدَّescape أنَّthat المَناياdeaths سَوفَwill تُدرِكُهُovertake him
لا بُدَّ أنَّ المَنايا سَوفَ تُدرِكُهُ
وَمَنand whoever يُعَمَّرis granted long life فَلَنthen will not يَنجوescape مِنَfrom الهَرَمِold age
وَمَن يُعَمَّر فَلَن يَنجو مِنَ الهَرَمِ
Death will inevitably overtake him,
Death will surely overtake him
And whoever is granted long life will not escape old age.
And he who lives long cannot escape old age.
أَينَwhere ابنُthe son of حَربٍHarb وَقَومٌand a people لاnot أُحِسُّهُمُI perceive them
أَينَ ابنُ حَربٍ وَقَومٌ لا أُحِسُّهُمُ
كانواthey were قَريباًrecently عَلَيناover us مِنfrom among بَنيthe sons of الحَكَمِal-Hakam
كانوا قَريباً عَلَينا مِن بَني الحَكَمِ
Where are Ibn Harb and the people I no longer perceive,
Where are the sons of Harb and people I do not sense
From among the sons of al-Hakam, who not long ago ruled over us?
Who were close to us among the clan of Hakam?
يَجبونَthey levy tribute ماwhat الصِينُChina تَحويِهِcontains it مَقانِبُهُمtheir cavalry detachments
يَجبونَ ما الصِينُ تَحويِهِ مَقانِبُهُم
إِلىto الأَفاريقِthe Africans مِنfrom فُصحٍArabic-speakers وَمِنand from عَجَمِnon-Arabs
إِلى الأَفاريقِ مِن فُصحٍ وَمِن عَجَمِ
Their cavalry levied tribute on all that China holds,
They rode as far as China's borders
As far as the Africans, from Arabic-speakers and non-Arabs.
To Africa, to eloquent and mute peoples.
بادواthey perished وَآثارُهُمand their traces فيin الأَرضِthe earth باقِيَةٌremaining
بادوا وَآثارُهُم في الأَرضِ باقِيَةٌ
تِلكُمthose before you مَعالِمُهُمtheir landmarks فيamong الناسِthe people لَمhave not تَرِمِmoved away
تِلكُم مَعالِمُهُم في الناسِ لَم تَرِمِ
They perished, yet their traces remain upon the earth;
They perished but their traces on earth remain
Those are their landmarks among the people, still unmoved.
Those are their signs among men that have not crumbled.
Sol 6.1