أَقصَرتُI have desisted مِنbecause of قَصرِthe shortness of النَهارِthe day وَقَدand already أَنىhas drawn near
أَقصَرتُ مِن قَصرِ النَهارِ وَقَد أَنى
مِنّيto me الغُروبُsunset وَلَيسَand there is no ليfor me إِقصارُrespite
مِنّي الغُروبُ وَلَيسَ لي إِقصارُ
I have desisted because the day is short, and already
My sunset draws near, yet I have no respite.
وَيَنالُand attains طالِبُa seeker of حاجَةٍa need بِفَلاتِهِin his wilderness
وَيَنالُ طالِبُ حاجَةٍ بِفَلاتِهِ
ماwhat لاnot تَجودُgive generously بِمِثلِهِwith its like الأَمصارُthe cities
ما لا تَجودُ بِمِثلِهِ الأَمصارُ
And one seeking what he needs gains in his wilderness
What the cities do not bestow the like of.
وَإِذاand when الحَوادِثُcalamities جَهَّزَتmustered جَيشاًan army لَهاfor themselves
وَإِذا الحَوادِثُ جَهَّزَت جَيشاً لَها
خَمَدَتwere extinguished قُرَيشٌQuraysh فيهِin it وَالأَنصارُand the Ansar
خَمَدَت قُرَيشٌ فيهِ وَالأَنصارُ
And when calamities muster an army of their own,
Quraysh and the Ansar are snuffed out amid it.
أَناI ماnot حَجَجتُI performed the pilgrimage فَكَمyet how often تَحُجُّmake pilgrimage to نَوائِبٌcalamities
أَنا ما حَجَجتُ فَكَم تَحُجُّ نَوائِبٌ
شَخصيmy person وَيَفقِدُand is absent عِندَهاwith them الإِحصارُhindrance to pilgrimage
شَخصي وَيَفقِدُ عِندَها الإِحصارُ
I have not made the pilgrimage, yet how often calamities make pilgrimage
To my person, and no hindrance stands in their way.
قَدُمَhas grown old الزَمانُtime وَعُمرُهُand its lifespan إِنif قِستَهُyou measure it
قَدُمَ الزَمانُ وَعُمرُهُ إِن قِستَهُ
فَلَدَيهِthen beside it أَعمارُthe lifespans of النُسورِthe vultures قِصارُshort
فَلَدَيهِ أَعمارُ النُسورِ قِصارُ
Time has grown ancient, and if you measure its span,
Then beside it, the lives of vultures are short.
الهَمُّworry مُنتَشِرٌwidespread وَلَكِنand yet رَبُّهُits owner
الهَمُّ مُنتَشِرٌ وَلَكِن رَبُّهُ
يَوماًone day يَصيرُgoes إِلىto الثَرىthe dust فَيُصارُand is cut apart
يَوماً يَصيرُ إِلى الثَرى فَيُصارُ
Worry is widespread, but the one who bears it
One day goes to the dust and is torn apart.
وَالمُعصِراتُand girls coming of age مِنَamong الخِرادِthe bashful maidens عَواصِفٌtempests
وَالمُعصِراتُ مِنَ الخِرادِ عَواصِفٌ
كَالمُعصِراتِlike rain-laden clouds صَنيعُهاtheir work إِعصارُa whirlwind
كَالمُعصِراتِ صَنيعُها إِعصارُ
And girls coming of age among the bashful maidens are tempests,
Like rain-laden clouds; their work is a whirlwind.
كَمhow often يَسمَعُhear الناسُpeople العِظاتِthe admonitions وَكَمand how often رَأَواthey have seen
كَم يَسمَعُ الناسُ العِظاتِ وَكَم رَأَوا
غَيرَother than الجَميلِthe beautiful فَغُضَّتso were lowered الأَبصارُthe eyes
غَيرَ الجَميلِ فَغُضَّت الأَبصارُ
How often people hear admonitions, and how often they have seen
What is unseemly, and so eyes were lowered.
Sol 6.1