أَوالِيَO governor of هَذاthis المِصرِthe city فيin زِيِّgarb واحِدٍone
أَوالِيَ هَذا المِصرِ في زِيِّ واحِدٍ
أَواخِرَlast ones مِنof أَيّامِناour days وَأَوالِand first ones
أَواخِرَ مِن أَيّامِنا وَأَوالِ
O governor of this city, in one garb are
The cycle of this land in one attire
The last of our days and the first.
The ends of our days and the beginnings
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حِبالُropes الناسِthe people عادَتbecame بَوالِياًworn-out
إِذا ما حِبالُ الناسِ عادَت بَوالِياً
فَإِنَّthen indeed حِبالَropes الشَمسِthe sun غَيرُnot بَوالِworn-out
فَإِنَّ حِبالَ الشَمسِ غَيرُ بَوالِ
When people's ropes become worn,
When people's ropes return worn out
The sun's ropes, indeed, are not worn out.
But the sun's ropes do not wear out
تَوالِيَbefriending بَعضِsome القَومِthe people ليسَis not بِنافِعٍof benefit
تَوالِيَ بَعضِ القَومِ ليسَ بِنافِعٍ
وَتَمضيand pass on هَوادٍleaders لِلرَدىto death وَتَوالِand followers
وَتَمضي هَوادٍ لِلرَدى وَتَوالِ
Befriending some people is of no avail,
The succession of some people is useless
And leaders and followers pass on to death.
And periods pass into decline and succession
جَوالِيَmy contending with أَحداثِthe events الزَمانِtime سَفاهَةًfolly
جَوالِيَ أَحداثِ الزَمانِ سَفاهَةً
وَأَنفُسُناand our souls عَمّاfrom what يَحُلُّbefalls جَوالِwandering away
وَأَنفُسُنا عَمّا يَحُلُّ جَوالِ
My contending with time's events is folly,
The vagaries of time’s events are folly
And our souls wander away from what befalls.
While we are oblivious to what is proper
تَظَلُّremain حَواليyearlings قُرَّحٍmature horses وَبَوازِلٍand mature camels
تَظَلُّ حَوالي قُرَّحٍ وَبَوازِلٍ
حَوالِيَaround me قَدalready أَعيَيتُهاI have wearied them بِحِوالِwith maneuvering
حَوالِيَ قَد أَعيَيتُها بِحِوالِ
Yearlings of mature horses and camels linger
The environs of wounds and calamities remain
Around me; I have wearied them with maneuvering.
Environs I have tired with environments
خَوىset لِيَfor me نَجمٌa star فيin قَديمٍold times وَحادِثٍand new times
خَوى لِيَ نَجمٌ في قَديمٍ وَحادِثٍ
وَتُذكَرُand are remembered أَوقاتٌtimes مَضَينَthey passed خَوالِempty
وَتُذكَرُ أَوقاتٌ مَضَينَ خَوالِ
A star set for me in times old and new,
An old and new star yearns for me
And empty times gone by are remembered.
And past times are remembered, yearnings
دَواليكَtake your turns ياO رَيبَvicissitude الخُطوبِcalamities فَهَذِهِfor these
دَواليكَ يا رَيبَ الخُطوبِ فَهَذِهِ
ثِقالُheavy غُروبٍlarge buckets ماnot لَهُنَّfor them دَوالِwater-drawers
ثِقالُ غُروبٍ ما لَهُنَّ دَوالِ
Turn after turn, O vicissitude of calamities! For these are
Your cycling, O varying fate, so here is
Heavy buckets with none to draw them.
The weight of a sunset that has no cycling
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الإِماءُthe slave women الثاكِلاتُthe bereaved رَأَيتَهاyou saw them
إِذا ما الإِماءُ الثاكِلاتُ رَأَيتَها
سَوالِيَflayers لِلأَحياءِof the living فَهيَthen they are سَوالِforgetful of grief
سَوالِيَ لِلأَحياءِ فَهيَ سَوالِ
Whenever you see bereaved slave women
When you see the crying slave women
Flaying the living, they have forgotten their grief.
Seeking the living, they are seeking
وَإِنَّand indeed طَوالَthe long span الدَهرِtime صَيَّرَhas made أَينُقيmy she-camels
وَإِنَّ طَوالَ الدَهرِ صَيَّرَ أَينُقي
رَذاياworn-out وَجَربىand mangy ماnot لَهُنَّfor them طَوالِtar-daubers
رَذايا وَجَربى ما لَهُنَّ طَوالِ
And indeed the long span of time has made my she-camels
And the length of time has made graceful
Worn-out and mangy, with none to daub them with tar.
Delicate, with no length
عَوىhowled لِيَat me ذِئبٌa wolf فَاِنتَبَهتُso I took heed لِزَجرِهِto its warning
عَوى لِيَ ذِئبٌ فَاِنتَبَهتُ لِزَجرِهِ
رُوَيدَكَtake your time إِنَّindeed النَيِّراتِthe bright stars عَوالِhigh above
رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ النَيِّراتِ عَوالِ
A wolf howled at me, and I heeded its warning:
A wolf howled, so I was alert to its snarling
Take your time: the bright stars are high above.
Gently, the howlers are environments
مَتىwhenever ماemphatic particle تَبِتspend the night خوصُnarrow-eyed ones المَطاياthe mounts مَوالِياًswift-moving
مَتى ما تَبِت خوصُ المَطايا مَوالِياً
بِناwith us فيin اِبتِغاءِseeking العِزِّglory فَهيَthen they are مَوالِpatrons
بِنا في اِبتِغاءِ العِزِّ فَهيَ مَوالِ
Whenever the narrow-eyed mounts spend the night moving swiftly
When the saddles of steeds begin to wrap around
With us in pursuit of glory, they are our patrons.
Taking us in pursuit of honor, they are wrappings
وَماand not الناسُthe people إِلّاexcept كَالقَنيصِlike quarry إِزاءَهُfacing it
وَما الناسُ إِلّا كَالقَنيصِ إِزاءَهُ
كَوالِئُguardians مِنfrom أَخطارِهِits dangers وَكَوالِand kidney-strikers
كَوالِئُ مِن أَخطارِهِ وَكَوالِ
And people are only like quarry; facing it are
People are but like a shirt against him
Guardians against its dangers, and those who strike its kidneys.
Dangers orbit them and wrappings
غَوىwent astray لَيلُthe night مُثرٍa wealthy man فَاِستَقَلَّthen it shouldered بِفِتنَةٍa trial
غَوى لَيلُ مُثرٍ فَاِستَقَلَّ بِفِتنَةٍ
وَقَدand already رَخُصَتbecame cheap لِلسائِمينَfor bidders غَوالِcostly things
وَقَد رَخُصَت لِلسائِمينَ غَوالِ
A wealthy man's night went astray and shouldered a trial,
An abundant night went astray with sedition
And costly things have already grown cheap for bidders.
And aberrations were cheapened for the insomniacs
وَكَيفَand how اِحتِياليmy contriving فيwith الصَديقِthe friend وَقَدwhen already نَوىintended
وَكَيفَ اِحتِيالي في الصَديقِ وَقَد نَوى
لِيَfor me الشَرَّevil مُحتاجٌa needy man أَصابَreceived نَواليmy bounty
لِيَ الشَرَّ مُحتاجٌ أَصابَ نَوالي
And how shall I deal with a friend, when he has intended
How can I scheme against a friend when
Evil for me—a needy man who received my bounty?
A needy enemy intending me harm obtains wrappings
Sol 6.1