عَوىhowled فيin سَوادِthe blackness of اللَيلِthe night عافٍa food-seeker لَعَلَّهُperhaps he
عَوى في سَوادِ اللَيلِ عافٍ لَعَلَّهُ
يُجابُhe is answered وَأَنّىand how? وَالدِيارُand the dwellings عَوافيeffaced
يُجابُ وَأَنّى وَالدِيارُ عَوافي
A forager howled in the blackness of night, hoping
He yearned in the darkness of night though unwell, perhaps
to be answered—but how, when the dwellings are effaced?
His call will be answered, but how when home is far?
وَلَيسَnor are there إِذاwhen الحُسّادُthe envious كانَتwere عُيونَهُمُtheir eyes
وَلَيسَ إِذا الحُسّادُ كانَت عُيونَهُمُ
شَوافِنَlooking askance لِلداءِfor the illness الدَفينِdeep-seated شَوافيcures
شَوافِنَ لِلداءِ الدَفينِ شَوافي
Nor, when the eyes of the envious are
Not so, when the envious have eyes
looking askance, are there cures for the deep-seated illness.
That are eager to see a harmless man suffer.
صَوافِنُstanding with one forehoof poised خَيلٍhorses عِندَat بابِthe gate of مُمَلَّكٍa king
صَوافِنُ خَيلٍ عِندَ بابِ مُمَلَّكٍ
جُمِعنَthey were gathered وَماand not أَوقاتُهُhis times بِصَوافيat all serene
جُمِعنَ وَما أَوقاتُهُ بِصَوافي
Horses standing with one forehoof poised at a king's gate
Horses gathered at a king's door
have been gathered, yet his days are not serene.
Though it was not time for departure.
وَسِرُّكَand your secret مِثلُlike العِرسِa wife أَوفَتshe kept faith لِواحِدٍwith one
وَسِرُّكَ مِثلُ العِرسِ أَوفَت لِواحِدٍ
وَأَعوَزَهاand she lacked لِلصاحِبينَfor the companions تَوافيmutual fidelity
وَأَعوَزَها لِلصاحِبينَ تَوافي
And your secret is like a wife: she keeps faith with one,
Your secret is like a wedding that was meant for one
but keeping faith with companions is beyond her.
Yet was lacking for both companions.
وَأَسرارُand the secrets بَعضِsome الناسِpeople باتَتhave become لِناظِرٍto an onlooker
وَأَسرارُ بَعضِ الناسِ باتَت لِناظِرٍ
كَأَسرارِlike the lines كَفٍّa palm غَيرِهِنَّothers besides them خَوافيhidden
كَأَسرارِ كَفٍّ غَيرِهِنَّ خَوافي
And some people's secrets have become, to an onlooker,
Some people's secrets seemed to the beholder
like the lines of a palm; others remain hidden.
Like the secrets of another's hidden palm.
خَواتِمُoutcomes أَعمالِdeeds الفَتىthe young man إِنif بَغىhe sought الهُدىguidance
خَواتِمُ أَعمالِ الفَتى إِن بَغى الهُدى
هَدَتهُthey guided him وَإِلّاand otherwise فَالهُمومُthen worries ضَوافيabundant
هَدَتهُ وَإِلّا فَالهُمومُ ضَوافي
The outcomes of a young man's deeds, if he seeks guidance,
The seals of a man's deeds, if he seeks guidance,
guide him; otherwise, worries abound.
Guide him, else worries throng him.
وَأَعمارُناand our lives أَبياتُverses شِعرٍpoetry كَأَنَّماas though
وَأَعمارُنا أَبياتُ شِعرٍ كَأَنَّما
أَواخِرُهاtheir endings لِلمُنشِدينَfor the reciters قَوافيrhymes
أَواخِرُها لِلمُنشِدينَ قَوافي
And our lives are lines of poetry, as though
Our lives are verses of poetry, as though
their endings were rhymes for the reciters.
Their rhymed endings are for the reciters.
إِذاwhen حَسُنَتthey were good زانَتthey adorned وَإِنand if قَبُحَتthey were ugly جَنَتthey brought about
إِذا حَسُنَت زانَت وَإِن قَبُحَت جَنَت
أَذىًharm وَهَواًand desire فيماinto what يَسوءُbrings sorrow هَوافيstraying
أَذىً وَهَواً فيما يَسوءُ هَوافي
When they are good, they adorn; if ugly, they bring
If good, they adorn, if bad, they hurt,
harm, and through desire they stray into what brings sorrow.
Evil and passion in what is ruined.
نَوىintended فِيَّagainst me باغٍa wrongdoer ماwhat يَضِرُّcauses harm وَدونَهُbut in his way
نَوى فِيَّ باغٍ ما يَضِرُّ وَدونَهُ
خُطوبٌcalamities لِإيجابِto the dictates of الحُقودِgrudges نَوافيnegating
خُطوبٌ لِإيجابِ الحُقودِ نَوافي
A wrongdoer planned harm against me, but in his way
A hater intended harm to me, while before him
stand calamities that thwart the dictates of grudges.
Were calamities to affirm resentments.
وَكَمand many a طالِبٍseeker وافىcame upon وَقَدand already شارَفَneared الغِنىwealth
وَكَم طالِبٍ وافى وَقَد شارَفَ الغِنى
سَوافِيَsand-sweeping gusts ريحٍof wind فَاِنثَنىthen he turned back بِسُوافِwith livestock plague
سَوافِيَ ريحٍ فَاِنثَنى بِسُوافِ
And many a seeker, already close to wealth, has met
How many desiring ones met with fortune though they neared
sand-sweeping winds, then turned back with a deadly livestock plague.
The winds of desolation that bowed them.
طَوافِيَfloating دُرٍّpearls يَمنَحُgrants الجَدُّfortune أَهلَهُits favored ones
طَوافِيَ دُرٍّ يَمنَحُ الجَدُّ أَهلَهُ
بِرِفقٍwith gentleness فَيَغنيthus dispenses عَنwith سُرىًnight travel وَطَوافِand wandering
بِرِفقٍ فَيَغني عَن سُرىً وَطَوافِ
Fortune grants its favorites floating pearls,
The cycles of wealth bestow generosity on its people
gently, making night travel and wandering needless.
With gentleness, so they have no need to roam.
حَوىgained فيin رَخاءٍcomfort وادِعٌone at ease فَضلَabundance of نِعمَةٍbounty
حَوى في رَخاءٍ وادِعٌ فَضلَ نِعمَةٍ
عَداهاhe missed it مُكِلٌone with weary mounts وَالرِكابُand the riding camels حَوافيfootsore
عَداها مُكِلٌ وَالرِكابُ حَوافي
A man at ease gained abundant bounty in comfort,
He found refuge in prosperity, content with grace,
which a man with weary mounts missed, his camels footsore.
While the unsuccessful blame their mounts.
Sol 6.1