بِالقَضاءِby the decree البَليغِfar-reaching كُنّاwe came to be فَعِشناand so we lived
بِالقَضاءِ البَليغِ كُنّا فَعِشنا
ثُمَّthen زُلناwe vanished وَكُلُّand every خَلقٍcreature يَزولُvanishes
ثُمَّ زُلنا وَكُلُّ خَلقٍ يَزولُ
By the far-reaching decree we came to be, and so lived;
With fate's decree we lived, then fell -
then we vanished, and every creature vanishes.
All creatures fade, all life will fail.
نَحنُwe فيon هَذِهِthis البَسيطَةِthe earth أَضياguests (word begins)
نَحنُ في هَذِهِ البَسيطَةِ أَضيا
فٌcompletion of 'guests' لَناfor us فيin ذَراshelter المَليكِthe king نَزولُlodging
فٌ لَنا في ذَرا المَليكِ نَزولُ
We are guests upon this earth,
On this wide plain we shine awhile
with lodging in the king's shelter.
Then drop to dust - such is our trail.
وَالمَليكانِand the two kings ذاهِبانِpassing away مُوَلّىappointed
وَالمَليكانِ ذاهِبانِ مُوَلّى
مُستَجِدٌّnewly installed وَراحِلٌand departing مَعزولُdeposed
مُستَجِدٌّ وَراحِلٌ مَعزولُ
And both kings pass away: one appointed,
The angels come and go in haste
newly installed, and one departing, deposed.
New tenants here, evicted guests.
بَلِيَhas worn out الحَبلُthe rope وَالغَزالَةُand the sun فَوقَabove الأَرthe earth (word begins)
بَلِيَ الحَبلُ وَالغَزالَةُ فَوقَ الأَر
ضِcompletion of 'earth' لَمdid not يَبلَwear out خَيطُهاits thread المَغزولُspun
ضِ لَم يَبلَ خَيطُها المَغزولُ
The rope has worn out, but the sun above the earth—
Though ropes may bind the gazelle in place
its spun thread has not worn out.
Time frays the knots that man invests.
وَأَناand I العَودُthe old camel قَلبُهُits heart أَضمَرَharbored الشَوlonging (word begins)
وَأَنا العَودُ قَلبُهُ أَضمَرَ الشَو
قَcompletion of 'longing' وَلَكِنَّand yet ظَهرَهُits back مَجزولُwounded
قَ وَلَكِنَّ ظَهرَهُ مَجزولُ
And I am the old camel: its heart has harbored longing,
My heart concealed in wood will bide
and yet its back is wounded.
Though only rot appears outside.
وَمِنَand among الرُشدِwisdom لِلفَصيلِfor the weaned camel calf اِنفِصالٌa departure
وَمِنَ الرُشدِ لِلفَصيلِ اِنفِصالٌ
بِالرَدىthrough death قَبلَbefore أَنthat يَحينَcomes due بُزولُa camel's fang emerging
بِالرَدى قَبلَ أَن يَحينَ بُزولُ
And it is wisdom for a weaned camel calf to depart
The foal breaks from the herd, to ride
through death, before its fang is due to emerge.
Alone, before the herd divides.
باتَspent the night يَنعىannouncing the deaths of الأَبدانَthe bodies بَدرٌa full moon بَدينٌplump
باتَ يَنعى الأَبدانَ بَدرٌ بَدينٌ
وَهِلالٌand a crescent moon فيin أُفقِهِits horizon مَهزولُgaunt
وَهِلالٌ في أُفقِهِ مَهزولُ
A plump full moon spent the night announcing bodies' deaths,
Waning moons portend the ruin, spread
and a gaunt crescent on its horizon.
Across horizons tinted red.
كَمhow many أَباداthey both destroyed مِنof عالَمٍa world وَأَعاداand they both restored
كَم أَبادا مِن عالَمٍ وَأَعادا
سابِحاًa swimmer وَهوَwhile he فيin الثَرىthe soil مَأزولُconfined
سابِحاً وَهوَ في الثَرى مَأزولُ
How many a world have they both destroyed, and brought back
How many realms has time unmade?
a swimmer, though he is confined in the soil!
Though dead, their works will yet be read.
سَلَبَstripped الدِنَّthe wine-cask مِبزَلاًa tap حِلفُa sworn companion راحٍwine
سَلَبَ الدِنَّ مِبزَلاً حِلفُ راحٍ
بِفَتاةٍby a maiden نَجيعُهُhis lifeblood مَبزولُdrained
بِفَتاةٍ نَجيعُهُ مَبزولُ
A wine-lover stripped the wine-cask of its tap;
A lodging wasted, gone to dust -
by a maiden his lifeblood is drained.
Just like its hosts, now turned to rust.
طَلَلاهُhis two remnants دارٌa house وَجِسمٌand a body فَشَخso the form (word begins)
طَلَلاهُ دارٌ وَجِسمٌ فَشَخ
صُcompletion of 'form' المَرءِof the man خاوٍhollow وَرَبعُهُand his dwelling مَنزولُinhabited
صُ المَرءِ خاوٍ وَرَبعُهُ مَنزولُ
His two remnants are a house and a body; thus the form
Desire undressed the willing bust.
of a man is hollow, and his dwelling is inhabited.
All modesty was soon unjust.
Sol 6.1