الدَهرُTime يَزبِقُdyes red مِنthose whom حَواهُit has encompassed them كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
الدَهرُ يَزبِقُ مِن حَواهُ كَأَنَّهُم
شَعرٌhair يُغَيَّرُis dyed فَهوَso it is أَحمَرُred أَزبَقُvividly red
شَعرٌ يُغَيَّرُ فَهوَ أَحمَرُ أَزبَقُ
Time reddens those it contains, as though they were
Time passes by fulfilling its course as if they
hair being dyed, becoming a vivid red.
Are a poem whose rhymes keeps changing, now red now green
وَالبَهمُand young livestock يُربَقُare tethered وَالأَنامُand humankind بَهائِمٌbeasts
وَالبَهمُ يُربَقُ وَالأَنامُ بَهائِمٌ
أَبَداًforever تُقَيَّدُare bound بِالقَضاءِby fate وَتُربَقُand tethered
أَبَداً تُقَيَّدُ بِالقَضاءِ وَتُربَقُ
And young livestock are tethered, and humankind are beasts,
And fate keeps rhyming while people are like beasts
forever bound by fate and tethered.
Always shackled by destiny's decree
فَلَكٌa celestial sphere يَدورُrevolves عَلىover مَعاشِرَcommunities جَمَّةٍnumerous
فَلَكٌ يَدورُ عَلى مَعاشِرَ جَمَّةٍ
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though it were سِجنٌa prison عَلَيهِمupon them مُطبَقُsealed shut
وَكَأَنَّهُ سِجنٌ عَلَيهِم مُطبَقُ
A celestial sphere revolves over many communities,
A cycle turns over crowds of gathered stars
and it is like a prison sealed shut upon them.
As if it's a prison closed over them
فيat كُلِّevery حينٍmoment يَستَهِلُّbegins to pour مِنَof الأَذىsuffering
في كُلِّ حينٍ يَستَهِلُّ مِنَ الأَذى
مَطَرٌrain يَخُصُّsingles out أَماكِناًplaces وَيُطَبِّقُand blankets all
مَطَرٌ يَخُصُّ أَماكِناً وَيُطَبِّقُ
At every moment, suffering begins to rain down—
At every moment, harm pours down from the rain
a rain that singles out some places and blankets all.
Targeting places selectively and blanketing
مُهَجٌsouls تَهارَشُfight one another فيover الخَسيسِthe paltry وَإِنand even if غَدَتthey become
مُهَجٌ تَهارَشُ في الخَسيسِ وَإِن غَدَت
كَالنابِحاتِlike barking dogs فَكُلُّso every طَعمٍmorsel خِربَقُhellebore (a poisonous herb)
كَالنابِحاتِ فَكُلُّ طَعمٍ خِربَقُ
Souls fight over trifles, and even if they become
Passions clash meanly even if they become
like barking dogs, every morsel is hellebore.
Like mourners where every taste is rotten
لاdo not تَفرَحَنَّever rejoice بِماin what بَلَغتَyou have attained مِنَof العُلاhigh rank
لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِما بَلَغتَ مِنَ العُلا
وَإِذاand when سَبَقتَyou have taken the lead فَعَنthen after قَليلٍa short while تُسبَقُyou will be overtaken
وَإِذا سَبَقتَ فَعَن قَليلٍ تُسبَقُ
Do not rejoice in the heights you have attained;
Do not rejoice at what you have attained an ascent
and when you take the lead, you will soon be overtaken.
And if you raced ahead, soon you will be outrun
وَلِيَحذَرand let him beware الدَعوىboasting اللَبيبُthe discerning person فَإِنَّهاfor it
وَلِيَحذَر الدَعوى اللَبيبُ فَإِنَّها
لِلفَضلِto merit مَهلَكَةٌa cause of ruin وَخَطبٌand a calamity موبَقُruinous
لِلفَضلِ مَهلَكَةٌ وَخَطبٌ موبَقُ
And let the wise beware of boasting, for it is
So let the sensible beware of boasting which is
the ruin of merit and a ruinous calamity.
For merit a lethal disaster and a wretched pitfall
لَوif قالَsaid بَدرُthe full moon التَمِّfullness إِنيindeed I am دِرهَمٌa dirham
لَو قالَ بَدرُ التَمِّ إِني دِرهَمٌ
قالَتsaid لَهُto it السَفهاءُthe fools أَنتَyou are مُزأَبِقُmercury-coated
قالَت لَهُ السَفهاءُ أَنتَ مُزأَبِقُ
If the full moon said, 'I am a dirham,'
If the full moon said I am but a coin
the fools would say to it, 'You are mercury-coated.'
Fools would say you are tarnished and fake
إِيّاكَbeware وَالدُنِّياand the world فَإِنَّfor indeed لِباسَهاits clothing
إِيّاكَ وَالدُنِّيا فَإِنَّ لِباسَها
يُبليwears out الجُسومَbodies وَطَيبُهاand its perfume لاdoes not يَعبَقُlinger
يُبلي الجُسومَ وَطَيبُها لا يَعبَقُ
Beware the world, for its clothing
Beware of this world for the dress it wears
wears bodies out, and its perfume does not linger.
Wears out bodies while its scent does not last
وَلَهاand it has هُمومٌcares بِالنُفوسِto souls لَوابِقٌclinging
وَلَها هُمومٌ بِالنُفوسِ لَوابِقٌ
وَسُرورُهاand its joy بِصُدورِناin our breasts لاdoes not يَلبَقُcling
وَسُرورُها بِصُدورِنا لا يَلبَقُ
And it has cares that cling to souls,
It has anxieties that ruin souls precipitously
but its joy does not linger in our breasts.
While its joys in our hearts do not befit
وَاللَهُand God خالِقُناour creator لِأَمرٍfor a purpose شاءَهُHe willed it
وَاللَهُ خالِقُنا لِأَمرٍ شاءَهُ
أَبَقَfled العَبيدُthe slaves وَعَبدُهُbut His slave لاdoes not يَأبَقُflee
أَبَقَ العَبيدُ وَعَبدُهُ لا يَأبَقُ
And God created us for a purpose He willed;
And God who created us for a purpose He intended
slaves have fled, but His slave does not flee.
Slaves flee while His servant does not
Sol 6.1