كَريمٌa noble man أَنابَrepented وَماand not أُنِّباwas rebuked
كَريمٌ أَنابَ وَما أُنِّبا
وَأَنساهُand made him forget طولُthe length المَدىof time زَينَباZaynab
وَأَنساهُ طولُ المَدى زَينَبا
A noble man repented without being rebuked,
Noble is he who repents though he's not blamed,
and the long passage of time made him forget Zaynab,
And time's length made him forget Zainab's name.
لِإِحدىfor one الأَرانِبِof the hares فيamong قَومِهاher people
لِإِحدى الأَرانِبِ في قَومِها
وَإِنand even if صُبِّحَتshe was served at dawn بَعدَناafter us أَرنَباa hare
وَإِن صُبِّحَت بَعدَنا أَرنَبا
for one of the hares among her people,
One of the rabbits said to her rabbit clan,
even if she was served a hare at dawn after us.
That we were rabbits though now humans we became.
لَهاshe has والِدٌa father بَيتُهُhis house شامِخٌlofty
لَها والِدٌ بَيتُهُ شامِخٌ
مَعَwith النَسرِthe Vulture أَوor مِثلَهُlike it طُنُباin tent-ropes
مَعَ النَسرِ أَو مِثلَهُ طُنُبا
She has a father whose house is lofty,
Her father has a towering house,
beside the Vulture, or matching it in tent-ropes.
With eagles or the like of juniper.
عَهِدتُكَI knew you لاnot تَتَوَقّىyou guard against الهَجيرَthe noonday heat
عَهِدتُكَ لا تَتَوَقّى الهَجيرَ
وَلاand not تَرهَبُyou fear الأَشيَبَthe hoary one الأَشنَباthe white-toothed one
وَلا تَرهَبُ الأَشيَبَ الأَشنَبا
I knew you never to shun the noonday heat,
I knew you fear not separation,
nor to fear the hoary, white-toothed one.
Nor dread the grey beard however it snarls.
وَلَكِنand yet لَقَيتَyou encountered صُروفَthe vicissitudes الزَمانِof time
وَلَكِن لَقَيتَ صُروفَ الزَمانِ
وَباشَرَتهاand you grappled with them مِقنَباًa cavalry troop مِقنَباa cavalry troop
وَباشَرَتها مِقنَباً مِقنَبا
But you encountered the vicissitudes of time,
But you met time's vicissitudes,
and grappled with them, troop after troop.
And handled them with composure and calm.
إِذاwhen المَرءُa man مَرَّتhave passed لَهُfor him أَربَعونَforty
إِذا المَرءُ مَرَّت لَهُ أَربَعونَ
فَلَيسَthen he is not يُعَنَّفُharshly rebuked إِنif حُنِّباhe is bowed
فَلَيسَ يُعَنَّفُ إِن حُنِّبا
When forty years have passed for a man,
When a man turns forty years of age,
he is not harshly rebuked if he grows bent.
He's not rebuked if he is mild.
وَإِنand if يَفرِhe cuts through خَطباًa calamity فَأَهلٌthen he is equal لَهُto it
وَإِن يَفرِ خَطباً فَأَهلٌ لَهُ
وَإِلّاand otherwise فَكَمthen how many مِنof حُسامٍa keen sword نَباfailed to cut
وَإِلّا فَكَم مِن حُسامٍ نَبا
And if he cuts through a calamity, he is equal to it;
If he errs he's pardoned,
and if not, how many a keen sword has failed to bite!
Else how many fine swords would go to waste.
وَلاand no عَقلَreason لِلدَهرِbelongs to time فيماas far as أَرىI see
وَلا عَقلَ لِلدَهرِ فيما أَرى
فَكَيفَso how يُعاتَبُis it reproached إِنif أَذنَباit did wrong
فَكَيفَ يُعاتَبُ إِن أَذنَبا
And time has no mind, as I see it,
Fate, I see, has no reason,
so how can it be reproached if it does wrong?
Why then blame it if it strays?
فَهَلّاso why not تَراحُyou feel longing لِأَهلِfor the people الجَنابِof the encampment
فَهَلّا تَراحُ لِأَهلِ الجَنابِ
إِذاwhen الرَكبُthe caravan أَفراسَهُits horses جَنَّباled alongside
إِذا الرَكبُ أَفراسَهُ جَنَّبا
So why not yearn for the people of the encampment,
Why not be gentle to the highborn
when the caravan leads its horses alongside?
When the caravan unbridled its steeds?
وَكُنتَand you were إِلىtoward وَصلِهِمreunion with them مائِلاًinclined
وَكُنتَ إِلى وَصلِهِم مائِلاً
تُعاصيyou defy العَذولَthe reproacher وَإِنand even if أَطنَباhe spoke at length
تُعاصي العَذولَ وَإِن أَطنَبا
And you used to incline toward reunion with them,
And you were inclined to unite with them,
defying the reproacher, even if he spoke at length.
Defying the spinsters however they grumble.
Sol 6.1