أَملٌa hope سَعيتُI strove أَجدُّI strive earnestly فيin إتْمامِهfulfilling it
أَملٌ سَعيتُ أَجدُّ في إتْمامِه
فَعلامَthen why? حَلَّunstrung الدَّهْرُTime عِقْدَthe necklace of نِظَامِهِits arrangement
فَعلامَ حَلَّ الدَّهْرُ عِقْدَ نِظَامِهِ
A hope I pursued, striving earnestly to fulfill it—
A hope for which I strove to complete
Why, then, has Time unstrung its ordered necklace?
Why then did fate unravel its perfection?
وَإلىand until متىwhen يَسْعىstrives الزّمانُTime لَنَقْضِto undo ماwhat
وَإلى متى يَسْعى الزّمانُ لَنَقْضِ ما
أَسْعَىI strive بِكُلِّwith all الجَهْدِthe effort فيin إبْرامهِbinding it fast
أَسْعَى بِكُلِّ الجَهْدِ في إبْرامهِ
And how long will Time strive to undo what
How long will time strive to undo
I strive with all my strength to bind fast?
All I have built with utmost effort?
وَإذاand when الفتىthe young man قَعدتْgave way قَوائِمُthe legs of حَظّهِhis fortune
وَإذا الفتى قَعدتْ قَوائِمُ حَظّهِ
قامarose الرّدىdeath مِنْfrom خَلْفهِbehind him وَأَمَامِهِand before him
قام الرّدى مِنْ خَلْفهِ وَأَمَامِهِ
And when the legs of a young man's fortune give way,
When a youth's fortunes decline
Death rises behind him and before him.
Misery stands before and behind him
دَامَmay he endure الوزيرُthe minister مُمتَّعاًenjoying بِخُلودِهhis everlasting life
دَامَ الوزيرُ مُمتَّعاً بِخُلودِه
فَدوامُfor the endurance of تَشْييدِbuilding up العُلىglory بِدَاومهِthrough his endurance
فَدوامُ تَشْييدِ العُلى بِدَاومهِ
May the minister endure, enjoying everlasting life;
The minister remains, delighting in eternity
For the building of glory endures through his endurance.
So the lofty edifice endures through his constancy
السَّعْدُgood fortune فيat أبوابهِhis gates وَالأَمْنُand security فيin
السَّعْدُ في أبوابهِ وَالأَمْنُ في
إِقْليمِهِhis realm وَالرِّزْقُand livelihood فِيin أَقْلامِهِhis pens
إِقْليمِهِ وَالرِّزْقُ فِي أَقْلامِهِ
Good fortune is at his gates, and security in
Good fortune fills his gates, security his lands
His realm, and livelihood in his pens.
Sustenance flows from his pens
وَالشّمْسُand the sun مِنfrom قَسَمَاتِهِhis facial features وَالجُودُand generosity فِيin
وَالشّمْسُ مِن قَسَمَاتِهِ وَالجُودُ فِي
تَقْسيمهِhis distribution وَالبرُّand faithfulness فيin أَقْسامهِhis oaths
تَقْسيمهِ وَالبرُّ في أَقْسامهِ
And the sun shines from his features, and generosity is in
The sun allotted by his hand, generosity in his division
His distributions, and faithfulness in his oaths.
Goodness in his shares, ferocity when roused,
والبأسُand valor فيin يَقَظاتهِhis vigilant moments وَالحلمُand forbearance فيin
والبأسُ في يَقَظاتهِ وَالحلمُ في
غَفَلاتهِhis heedless moments وَالعلْمُand knowledge ملءُfilling كلامهِhis speech
غَفَلاتهِ وَالعلْمُ ملءُ كلامهِ
And valor is in his vigilant moments, and forbearance in
Clemency when unaware, knowledge filling his words
His heedless moments, and knowledge fills his speech.
Truth in his speech, justice in his acts
والصدقُand honesty فيin أَقْوالِهِhis words والحقُّand right فيin
والصدقُ في أَقْوالِهِ والحقُّ في
أَفعالهِhis deeds والعَدْلُand justice فيin أَحْكامهِhis judgments
أَفعالهِ والعَدْلُ في أَحْكامهِ
And honesty is in his words, and right in
God as his protector, victory from his helpers
His deeds, and justice in his judgments.
Fate his servant, his nature mastered
وَاللّهand God مِنْamong حُفَظائِهhis guardians وَالنَّصْرُand victory مِنْamong
وَاللّه مِنْ حُفَظائِه وَالنَّصْرُ مِنْ
أعوانهِhis helpers والدَّهْرُand Time مِنْamong خُدَّامهِhis servants
أعوانهِ والدَّهْرُ مِنْ خُدَّامهِ
And God is among his guardians, and victory among
By its beauty, its blessings, and its serenity
His helpers, and Time among his servants.
The generous came first, and the minister followed
مَلكتْpossessed سَجيّتُهhis innate character الجميلَbeauty بجيمهِwith its letter jīm
مَلكتْ سَجيّتُه الجميلَ بجيمهِ
وَبِميمهِand with its letter mīm وَبيائهِand with its letter yāʾ وَبلامهِand with its letter lām
وَبِميمهِ وَبيائهِ وَبلامهِ
His nature has claimed beauty, with its jīm,
Trusting God in all his motions and stillness
And with its mīm, its yāʾ, and its lām.
Bestowing virtues their due, awake or dreaming
جاءَcame الكِرامُthe generous بِبَدْءِwith the beginning of جُودِهمtheir bounty وَقدْand indeed
جاءَ الكِرامُ بِبَدْءِ جُودِهم وَقدْ
جاءَcame الوَزيرُthe minister بِبَدْئهِwith its beginning وَخِتَامهِand its completion
جاءَ الوَزيرُ بِبَدْئهِ وَخِتَامهِ
The generous brought the beginning of their bounty, while
Why does my fortune retreat
The minister brought both its beginning and its completion.
Whenever I present it to my days?
مُسْتَعْصِمٌseeking protection باللّهِin God فيin حَركاتهِhis movements
مُسْتَعْصِمٌ باللّهِ في حَركاتهِ
وَسُكونهِand his stillness وَقُعودهِand his sitting وَقيامهِand his standing
وَسُكونهِ وَقُعودهِ وَقيامهِ
He seeks protection in God in his movements,
Shall I be disgraced by days belonging
And his stillness, his sitting, and his standing.
To one I hoped would grant me glory?
مُغْرىًeagerly devoted بإعطاءِto giving المكارِمِnoble virtues حَقَّهاtheir due
مُغْرىً بإعطاءِ المكارِمِ حَقَّها
فيin حالِthe state of يَقْظَتِهhis wakefulness وَحالِand the state of منامِهِhis sleep
في حالِ يَقْظَتِه وَحالِ منامِهِ
Devoted to giving noble virtues their due,
Far from me are leadership and mastery
In his waking state and in his sleep.
And gifts I grew accustomed to receiving
ماwhat بالُthe matter with حَظّيmy fortune كُلمّاwhenever قَدَّمتُهI advanced it
ما بالُ حَظّي كُلمّا قَدَّمتُه
دَفعتْهُdrove it أيّاميmy days إلىinto إحْجامهِits retreat
دَفعتْهُ أيّامي إلى إحْجامهِ
What ails my fortune? Whenever I advance it,
O highest son, father of the lofty, brother of the sublime
My days drive it into retreat.
The flowers of stars, none can match your stature
أَأُذَلُّam I to be humiliated? فِيin أَيَّامِthe days of مَنْone who قَدْindeed كَانَwas ليfor me
أَأُذَلُّ فِي أَيَّامِ مَنْ قَدْ كَانَ لي
ظَنٌّan expectation بِنَيْلِof attaining العزِّhonor فيin أَيَّامهِhis days
ظَنٌّ بِنَيْلِ العزِّ في أَيَّامهِ
Am I to be humiliated in the days of one, though I had
Should one like me complain of passion
Hoped to attain honor in his days?
And blame the age, while you rule it?
حَاشاfar be it from الرّياسَةَleadership والسّيادَةَand lordship والنَّدىand generosity
حَاشا الرّياسَةَ والسّيادَةَ والنَّدى
حاشاfar be it from الَّذيthat which عوّدتُI was accustomed to مِنْof إنعامهِhis beneficence
حاشا الَّذي عوّدتُ مِنْ إنعامهِ
Far be it from leadership, lordship, and generosity;
Where is the honor in fulfilling the rights
Far be it from the favors I have grown accustomed to receiving from him!
Of one whose reins are in your hands?
ياO ابْنَson of العُلىglory وأباand father of العُلىglory وأخاand brother of العُلىglory
يا ابْنَ العُلى وأبا العُلى وأخا العُلى
وَمَنِand one whose النُّجومthe stars الزُّهرْradiant دُونَbelow مقامهِhis station
وَمَنِ النُّجوم الزُّهرْ دُونَ مقامهِ
O son of glory, father of glory, and brother of glory,
Scorn not the lowly, whose virtues
And you beneath whose station the radiant stars lie!
May rise above the virtues of others
أيكونcan ... be? مِثْليone like me فيin الهَوىlove مُتَظلّماًcomplaining of injustice
أيكون مِثْلي في الهَوى مُتَظلّماً
يَشْكوcomplains of الزّمانَTime وأنْتَwhile you مِنْamong حُكّامهِits rulers
يَشْكو الزّمانَ وأنْتَ مِنْ حُكّامهِ
Can one like me, in love, complain of injustice,
Wretched is youth - no joy I drew from it
Lamenting Time, when you are among its rulers?
Only misery and darkness I knew
أيْنَwhere المُروءَةchivalry والقيامُand attending بِحقِّto the rights of مَنْone who
أيْنَ المُروءَة والقيامُ بِحقِّ مَنْ
ألْقىentrusted إليْكَto you ذِمامَهُhis bond of protection بِزمَامهِalong with his rein
ألْقى إليْكَ ذِمامَهُ بِزمَامهِ
Where are chivalry and the honoring of the rights of one who
Why am I blamed for the age's sins
Has entrusted his bond of protection to you, along with his rein?
When I have no crime to answer for?
لاdo not تَحْقِرَنَّever despise صَغِيرَa humble member of قَوْمٍa people رُبَّماperhaps
لا تَحْقِرَنَّ صَغِيرَ قَوْمٍ رُبَّما
كَبُرتْgrew greater فَضائِلهُhis virtues علىthan أقْوامهِhis people
كَبُرتْ فَضائِلهُ على أقْوامهِ
Do not scorn a humble man among a people; perhaps
Sustenance is too base for me to waste
His virtues have surpassed those of his people.
My days excusing myself before any but you
تَعِسَmay ... be wretched! الشَّبابُyouth فماfor ... not سُعِدْتُI was happy بِشَرْخهِin its prime
تَعِسَ الشَّبابُ فما سُعِدْتُ بِشَرْخهِ
وَلقَدْand indeed شَقيتُI suffered بِظُلْمهِfrom its injustice وَظَلامهِand its darkness
وَلقَدْ شَقيتُ بِظُلْمهِ وَظَلامهِ
Woe to youth! I found no happiness in its prime,
And indeed I have suffered from its injustice and its darkness.
أَمُكلِّفيO you who charge me with ذَنْبَthe sin of الزَّمانِTime وَليْسَand there is no لِيfor me
أَمُكلِّفي ذَنْبَ الزَّمانِ وَليْسَ لِي
ذَنْبٌa sin يُؤاخِذُنيhe holds me accountable علىfor إجْرامِهِits commission
ذَنْبٌ يُؤاخِذُني على إجْرامِهِ
O you who charge me with Time's sin, though I have no
Sin for whose commission he could hold me to account!
الرِّزْقُlivelihood أَحْقَرُtoo paltry أَنto أُضَيِّعَI waste مُدَّتيmy time
الرِّزْقُ أَحْقَرُ أَن أُضَيِّعَ مُدَّتي
بِالعُذْرِon making excuses عِنْدَbefore سِوَاكُمُanyone other than you وَملامِهِand reproaching him
بِالعُذْرِ عِنْدَ سِوَاكُمُ وَملامِهِ
Livelihood is too paltry for me to waste my time
On apologies before anyone but you, and on reproaching him.
Partial English translation: 40 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1