كُلٌّeveryone تَسيرُmoves along بِهِwith him الحَياةُlife وَماand not لَهُfor him
كُلٌّ تَسيرُ بِهِ الحَياةُ وَما لَهُ
عِلمٌknowledge عَلىat أَيِّwhich المَنازِلِthe abodes يَقدُمُhe arrives
عِلمٌ عَلى أَيِّ المَنازِلِ يَقدُمُ
Life carries everyone along, yet none has
knowledge of which abode he will reach.
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنَّناthat we بِجَهالَةٍin ignorance
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّنا بِجَهالَةٍ
نَبنيwe build وَكُلُّand every بِناءِbuilding قَومٍa people يُهدَمُis demolished
نَبني وَكُلُّ بِناءِ قَومٍ يُهدَمُ
And among the wonders is that we, in ignorance,
build, though every structure a people raises is torn down.
وَالمَرءُand a person يَسخَطُis resentful ثُمَّthen يَرضىis content بِالَّذيwith what
وَالمَرءُ يَسخَطُ ثُمَّ يَرضى بِالَّذي
يُقضىis decreed وَيوجِدُهُand brings him into being الزَمانُtime وَيُعدِمُand annihilates
يُقضى وَيوجِدُهُ الزَمانُ وَيُعدِمُ
And a man is resentful, then content with what
is decreed; time brings him into being and annihilates him.
وَيَلَذُّand savors أَطعِمَةَthe foods البَقاءِsurvival وَخَيرُهاand the best of them
وَيَلَذُّ أَطعِمَةَ البَقاءِ وَخَيرُها
كَالسُمِّlike poison يُخلَطُis mixed بِالحِمامِwith death وَيُؤدَمُand is seasoned
كَالسُمِّ يُخلَطُ بِالحِمامِ وَيُؤدَمُ
And he savors life's foods, though the best of them
is like poison, mixed with death and seasoned with it.
وَالدَهرُand time يَقدُمُgrows old عَنthrough تَرادُفِthe succession أَعصُرٍages
وَالدَهرُ يَقدُمُ عَن تَرادُفِ أَعصُرٍ
فَيَغيبُso vanish أَعصُرُages فيamid الخُطوبِthe calamities وَيَقدُمُand grows old
فَيَغيبُ أَعصُرُ في الخُطوبِ وَيَقدُمُ
And time grows old through the succession of ages;
so ages vanish amid calamities, and it grows older.
ذَكَرَcommemorated القَريضُpoetry رَبيعَةَRabīʿa بنِson of مُكَدَّمٍMukaddam
ذَكَرَ القَريضُ رَبيعَةَ بنِ مُكَدَّمٍ
وَليُنسِيَنَّand will surely be forgotten رَبيعَةٌRabīʿa وَمُكَدَّمُand Mukaddam
وَليُنسِيَنَّ رَبيعَةٌ وَمُكَدَّمُ
Poetry has commemorated Rabīʿa ibn Mukaddam,
yet Rabīʿa and Mukaddam will surely be forgotten.
وَنَرومُand we seek دُنياناour world وَماand not كَلِفٌone enamored بِهاwith it
وَنَرومُ دُنيانا وَما كَلِفٌ بِها
إِلّاexcept الفَنيقُthe pampered male camel وَيَظَلُّand he remains وَهوَwhile he is مُسَدَّمُbarred from mating
إِلّا الفَنيقُ وَيَظَلُّ وَهوَ مُسَدَّمُ
And we pursue our world, but none is enamored of it
except the pampered male camel, who remains barred from mating.
هُوِيَتwas loved وَقَدand already خَدَمَتserved وَلَمand did not تَرَsee خِدمَةًservice
هُوِيَت وَقَد خَدَمَت وَلَم تَرَ خِدمَةً
وَتَعَرَّضَتand offered itself لَكَto you إِذwhen أُهينَتwas humiliated تَخدُمُserving
وَتَعَرَّضَت لَكَ إِذ أُهينَت تَخدُمُ
The world has been loved, though it has served and never been served;
and it has offered itself to you when humiliated, still serving.
وَأُضيعُand I squander أَوقاتيmy time بِغَيرِwithout نَدامَةٍregret
وَأُضيعُ أَوقاتي بِغَيرِ نَدامَةٍ
وَيَفوتُنيand escapes me الشَيءُthe thing اليَسيرُtrifling فَأَندَمُso I regret
وَيَفوتُني الشَيءُ اليَسيرُ فَأَندَمُ
And I squander my time without regret,
yet a trifling thing escapes me, and I regret it.
مَنَعَwithheld الفَتىthe young man هَيناًa trifle فَجَرَّso brought on عَظائِماًgreat calamities
مَنَعَ الفَتى هَيناً فَجَرَّ عَظائِماً
وَحَمىand barred نُمَيرَsweet الماءِthe water فَاِنبَعَثَso gushed forth الدَمُthe blood
وَحَمى نُمَيرَ الماءِ فَاِنبَعَثَ الدَمُ
A young man withheld a trifle, bringing on great calamities;
and barred sweet water, so blood gushed forth.
وَجَديدُand the freshness عيشَتِناour life الشَبابُyouth فَإِنso if مَضىit passes
وَجَديدُ عيشَتِنا الشَبابُ فَإِن مَضى
فَقَميصُناthen our shirt خَلقُworn-out اللِباسِthe clothing مُرَدَّمُpatched
فَقَميصُنا خَلقُ اللِباسِ مُرَدَّمُ
And the freshness of our life is youth; if it passes,
then our shirt is a threadbare garment, patched over.
وَالجِسمُand the body ظَرفُa vessel نَوائِبٍcalamities وَكَأَنَّهُand as though it were
وَالجِسمُ ظَرفُ نَوائِبٍ وَكَأَنَّهُ
ظَرفٌan adverbial يُؤَخِّرُis placed later تارَةًat times وَيُقَدِّمُand is placed earlier
ظَرفٌ يُؤَخِّرُ تارَةً وَيُقَدِّمُ
And the body is a vessel for calamities, as though it were
an adverbial, sometimes placed later and sometimes earlier.
Sol 6.1