صَحِبتُI accompanied الدَهرَTime فيon سَهلٍsmooth ground وَحَزنِand rugged ground
صَحِبتُ الدَهرَ في سَهلٍ وَحَزنِ
وَجَرَّبتُand I tested الأُمورَaffairs وَجَرَّبَتنيand they tested me
وَجَرَّبتُ الأُمورَ وَجَرَّبَتني
I kept company with Time on smooth ground and rough,
and tested affairs, and they tested me.
فَلَمso did not أَرَI find مُذsince عَرَفتُI learned مَحَلَّthe worth of نَفسيmyself
فَلَم أَرَ مُذ عَرَفتُ مَحَلَّ نَفسي
بُلوغَattaining غِنىwealth يُساوىis worth حَملَbearing مَنِّobligation for favors
بُلوغَ غِنى يُساوى حَملَ مَنِّ
Since I learned my own worth, I have never found
gaining wealth worth the burden of another's favors.
وَلَمand did not تَتَضَمَّنhold in store الدُنياthe world لِحَظّيfor my share
وَلَم تَتَضَمَّن الدُنيا لِحَظّي
مَنالُattainment of مُسَّرَةٍjoy إِلاexcept بِحُزنِthrough sorrow
مَنالُ مُسَّرَةٍ إِلا بِحُزنِ
Nor has the world held in store for my share
the attainment of joy except through sorrow.
حَمِلتُI loaded عَلىupon السَوابِقِswift steeds ثِقلَthe weight of هَمّيmy cares
حَمِلتُ عَلى السَوابِقِ ثِقلَ هَمّي
وَشاهَدتُand I witnessed العَواقِبَthe outcomes صَفوَclarity of ذِهنيmy mind
وَشاهَدتُ العَواقِبَ صَفوَ ذِهني
I loaded swift steeds with the weight of my cares,
and watched the outcomes with a clear mind.
وَشِمتُand I watched بَوارِقَlightning flashes of الآمالِhopes دَهراًfor an age
وَشِمتُ بَوارِقَ الآمالِ دَهراً
فَلَمyet did not أَظفَرI obtain عَلىamid ظَمَأthirst بِمُزنِany rainclouds
فَلَم أَظفَر عَلى ظَمَأ بِمُزنِ
For an age I watched hope's lightning flashes,
yet, thirsty, I found no rainclouds.
وَلَمand did not أَرI see كَالجِيادِlike noble steeds أَصَحَّtruer وُدّاًin affection
وَلَم أَر كَالجِيادِ أَصَحَّ وُدّاً
إِذاwhen عَدلَturns الودودُthe loving friend إِلىto التَضَنّيstinginess
إِذا عَدلَ الودودُ إِلى التَضَنّي
Nor have I seen any truer in affection than noble steeds,
when a loving friend turns to stinginess.
نُكَلِّفُهاwe charge them عَزائِمُناour resolves فَتَكفيso they suffice
نُكَلِّفُها عَزائِمُنا فَتَكفي
وَنَستَدنيand we seek to draw near الحُظوظَgood fortunes بِهاthrough them فَتُدنيso they bring near
وَنَستَدني الحُظوظَ بِها فَتُدني
We charge them with our resolves, and they suffice;
through them we seek to draw fortunes near, and they bring them close.
وَهَبَتI bestowed لِمِثلِon one like قَطعِa swath of اللَيلِthe night مِنهاamong them
وَهَبَت لِمِثلِ قَطعِ اللَيلِ مِنها
أَغَرَّa bright-browed one كَمِثلِlike ضَوءِthe light of الصُبحِdawn مِنّيfrom myself
أَغَرَّ كَمِثلِ ضَوءِ الصُبحِ مِنّي
To one of them, dark as a swath of night, I gave
myself, bright-browed as the light of dawn.
وَكُنتُand I was بِحَيثُas ظَنَّhe expected مِنin اعتِزامٍresolve
وَكُنتُ بِحَيثُ ظَنَّ مِن اعتِزامٍ
وَكانَand he was مِنَin المَضاءِswiftness بِحَيثُas ظَنّيmy expectation
وَكانَ مِنَ المَضاءِ بِحَيثُ ظَنّي
I proved as resolute as he expected,
and he as swift as I expected.
وَثالِثُناand our third اِبنُa son of جَدearnestness لاdoes not يَرىdeem fit أَنto
وَثالِثُنا اِبنُ جَد لا يَرى أَن
يُصاحِبَkeep company with فيin تَصَرُّفِهِits movements اِبنَa son of وَهنِweakness
يُصاحِبَ في تَصَرُّفِهِ اِبنَ وَهنِ
Our third, a son of earnestness, would not consent
to consort, in its movements, with a son of weakness.
حَجَبتُI screened لَجفنهfor its sheath الأَبصارَall eyes عَنهُfrom it
حَجَبتُ لَجفنه الأَبصارَ عَنهُ
وَمَنand who ليfor me أَنthat يَكونَbe الجفنُthe sheath جفنيmy eyelid
وَمَن لي أَن يَكونَ الجفنُ جفني
For its sheath's sake, I hid it from all eyes;
and who can grant me that its sheath be my eyelid?
سَقيتُI watered نَدايَmy bounty ماhow أَسنىexalted مَحَلّيmy station
سَقيتُ نَدايَ ما أَسنى مَحَلّي
وَأَرفَعُand how lofty هِمَّتيmy ambition وَأَعَزُّand how mighty رُكنيmy pillar
وَأَرفَعُ هِمَّتي وَأَعَزُّ رُكني
I watered my bounty—how exalted my station,
how lofty my ambition, how mighty my pillar!
رَساstood firm فيin تُربَةِthe soil of العَلياءeminence أَصليmy root
رَسا في تُربَةِ العَلياء أَصلي
وَأَينَعَand ripened فيin بُروجِthe towers of العِزِّglory غُصنيmy branch
وَأَينَعَ في بُروجِ العِزِّ غُصني
My root stands firm in the soil of eminence,
and my branch has ripened in the towers of glory.
وَلَيسَand there is not عَلَيَّincumbent on me غَيرَanything but الجِدِّearnest striving فيماin what
وَلَيسَ عَلَيَّ غَيرَ الجِدِّ فيما
سَعَيتُI strove لَهُfor it لِأَستَغنيso I may be self-sufficient وَأَغنىand enrich others
سَعَيتُ لَهُ لِأَستَغني وَأَغنى
And nothing is required of me but earnest effort toward what
I have striven for, to become self-sufficient and enrich others.
فَإِنso if أُحرَمI am denied فَلَمthen not أُحرَمI am denied لِعَجزِfor inability
فَإِن أُحرَم فَلَم أُحرَم لِعَجزِ
وَإِنand if أَبلَغI attain فَنَفسيthen my own self بَلَّغَتنيhas brought me there
وَإِن أَبلَغ فَنَفسي بَلَّغَتني
So if I am denied, it is not for lack of ability;
and if I attain my goal, my own self has brought me there.
Sol 6.1