ياO زمانage العكسreversal قلابoverturner الأمورaffairs
يا زمان العكس قلاب الأمور
ماnot بقتremained إلاexcept عشيشاتlittle nests النّسورthe vultures
ما بقت إلا عشيشات النّسور
O age of reversal, overturner of affairs!
O time of reversed affairs and changed conditions
Nothing remains but the vultures' little nests.
Only the nests of eagles remain
والهوىand desire باديmanifest وخلخالand the anklet الخناdebauchery
والهوى بادي وخلخال الخنا
سوقهits market النّاديthe assembly وطبّالand a drummer يدورcircles
سوقه النّادي وطبّال يدور
And desire is manifest, and debauchery's anklet—
And desire is manifest, and the anklets of coquetry
Its market is the assembly, and a drummer circles.
Its market is the club, and a drummer revolves
كمhow often تبدّىappeared النّصحcounsel فيin ردّchecking الجسورthe bold
كم تبدّى النّصح في ردّ الجسور
ربّناour Lord الدّاريthe One who knows وسمّاحand magnanimous غفورforgiving
ربّنا الدّاري وسمّاح غفور
How often counsel has appeared in checking the bold!
How much advice appeared in rebuilding the bridges
Our Lord is the One who knows, gracious and forgiving.
Our Lord is Gracious, Forgiving, Merciful
قلsay لنسناسto the breeze الهوىdesire خلّleave المزورwhat is false
قل لنسناس الهوى خلّ المزور
بالناour mind لاهيّheedless عنof كلّevery بزورtalebearer
بالنا لاهيّ عن كلّ بزور
Tell the breeze of desire: leave what is false.
Tell the tempter of desire to avoid the false paths
Our mind is heedless of every talebearer.
We are not heedless of all fraud
خلّيleave ذكراكyour remembrance وأربابand the masters النهىwisdom
خلّي ذكراك وأرباب النهى
أينwhere ذاكthat الدهرage منcompared with هذيthese الدهورages
أين ذاك الدهر من هذي الدهور
Leave your remembrance and the masters of wisdom.
Leave your remembrance and the people of prohibition
Where is that age, compared with these ages?
Where is that time from these times?
ماnot رأيناwe saw الشكرgratitude وأفادand brought profit النّصبfraud
ما رأينا الشكر وأفاد النّصب
خلّهاleave it ترعىto graze ودعand leave عنكaway from you الغرورvanity
خلّها ترعى ودع عنك الغرور
We saw no gratitude, while fraud brought profit.
We did not see gratitude, but loss benefited
Let it graze, and leave vanity behind.
Let it graze, and leave behind arrogance
قالhe said لطبّالto the drummer الهوىdesire بعدهafter it نزولa fall
قال لطبّال الهوى بعده نزول
خلّleave عنكaway from you الخدعtrickery صيّادكyour hunter غيورjealous
خلّ عنك الخدع صيّادك غيور
He told the drummer of desire: a fall comes after it.
The drummer of desire said after its descent
Leave trickery behind; your hunter is jealous.
Leave behind your deceptions, your jealous hunter
قدindeed رمتكcast you النّفسthe soul فيinto ريحwind الدّيورthe dwellings
قد رمتك النّفس في ريح الدّيور
بحرهاits sea طاميswollen وغدّاقand overflowing with الأمورaffairs
بحرها طامي وغدّاق الأمور
The soul has cast you into the wind of the dwellings.
Your soul has thrown you to the winds of eras
Its sea is swollen and overflowing with affairs.
Its sea is turbulent and its affairs are murky
كمhow many سرابa mirage ظنهhe took it for الظّاميthe thirsty one سرورjoy
كم سراب ظنه الظّامي سرور
خابfailed مسعاهhis striving علىin غيّerror وزورand falsehood
خاب مسعاه على غيّ وزور
How many a mirage the thirsty man took for joy!
How much an illusion the ignorant thought joy
His striving failed in error and falsehood.
His hopes were dashed by wrongdoing and falsehood
كانthere was ليfor me حزمresolve علىtoward شيخthe master الوفاfidelity
كان لي حزم على شيخ الوفا
يسلفoffers in advance الوافيthe faithful one بقولٍwith a saying كنbe حذورwary
يسلف الوافي بقولٍ كن حذور
I had firm resolve toward the master of fidelity.
I had resolve with the Sheikh of loyalty
The faithful one offers a saying: be wary
Who lends to the loyal with words: “Be cautious”
منof زمانan age يملكpossesses العزّglory النَّفورelusive
من زمان يملك العزّ النَّفور
صفوهits purity مرّbitter وغربانهand its crows نسورvultures
صفوه مرّ وغربانه نسور
Of an age that holds elusive glory.
Of an era that commands aloofness and avoidance
Its purity is bitter, and its crows are vultures.
Its essence is bitter and its ravens are eagles
حقّقconfirmed الدّهرtime لناfor us ماضيthe past السّلفthe forebears
حقّق الدّهر لنا ماضي السّلف
ورماةand the archers الوغدthe scoundrel طالتreached far بالزعورthrough fear
ورماة الوغد طالت بالزعور
Time has confirmed for us the forebears' past.
Time has verified for us the past of ancestry
And the scoundrel's archers extended their reach through fear.
And the arrows of the vile have lengthened with feathers
صرتyou became برقاًlightning خلَّباًdeceptive مالهit has no جناfruit
صرت برقاً خلَّباً ماله جنا
وإنand even if محىerased رسمtrace الهدىguidance تحتbeneath الخدورthe curtains
وإن محى رسم الهدى تحت الخدور
You became deceptive lightning, bearing no fruit.
I became like flashing lightning that has no shelter
And even if guidance's trace was erased beneath the curtains.
Even if the trace of guidance is erased under the veils
ياO ليالٍnights وزّتgoaded عبداًa servant بزورthrough falsehood
يا ليالٍ وزّت عبداً بزور
لونهاtheir hue قانيdeep crimson ورؤياهاand their vision غرورdelusion
لونها قاني ورؤياها غرور
O nights that goaded a servant through falsehood!
Oh nights that have wrongfully bound a slave
Their hue is crimson, and their vision is delusion.
Their color is weary and their visions are illusions
تدّعيthey assert دعوىa claim ودعواهاand their claim قصورfalling short
تدّعي دعوى ودعواها قصور
خابfailed مسعاهاtheir striving ولمّماتand gatherings الحجُورthe laps
خاب مسعاها ولمّمات الحجُور
They make a claim, yet their claim falls short.
Making a claim but their claim is deficient
Their striving failed, as did the gatherings in laps.
Its hopes were dashed and the warrens were sealed
قدindeed بداappeared نورlight الهدىguidance منّاfrom us وعمّand spread
قد بدا نور الهدى منّا وعمّ
وانجلىand receded بحرthe sea الرّدىruin عنّاfrom us مرورpassing
وانجلى بحر الرّدى عنّا مرور
The light of guidance has appeared from us and spread.
The light of guidance from us has shone
And the sea of ruin receded from us, passing away.
And the sea of misguidance has cleared before us
وأثنيand I praise اللهGod مولّيناbestowing upon us النّعمblessings
وأثني الله مولّينا النّعم
منwho حياrevived الأرضthe earth بجريانthrough the flowing of الغدُورthe pools
من حيا الأرض بجريان الغدُور
And I praise God, who bestows blessings upon us,
And God has praised our protecting Master
Who revived the earth through the flow of the pools.
Who gave life to the land through flowing rivers
Sol 6.1