وَماand not تَبَقّيpreserves سِهامَarrows of المَرءِthe man كَثرَتُهاtheir abundance
وَما تَبَقّي سِهامَ المَرءِ كَثرَتُها
فَاِقضِso spend الحَياةَlife وَأَنتَwhile you are الصارِمُthe keen-edged sword الفَردُthe solitary one
فَاِقضِ الحَياةَ وَأَنتَ الصارِمُ الفَردُ
Nor does their abundance preserve a man's arrows.
So live out your life as the lone, keen-edged sword.
وَالشَيبُand the gray-haired شابواthey grew gray عَلىin جَهلٍignorance وَمَنقِصَةٍand deficiency
وَالشَيبُ شابوا عَلى جَهلٍ وَمَنقِصَةٍ
وَالمُردُand the beardless youths فيin كُلِّevery أَمرٍmatter باطِلٍvain مَرَدواthey grew practiced
وَالمُردُ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ باطِلٍ مَرَدوا
And the gray-haired grew gray in ignorance and deficiency,
And the beardless youths grew practiced in every vain pursuit.
وَالعَيشُand life كَالماءِlike water تَغشاهُapproach it حَوائِمُناour thirsty, circling ones
وَالعَيشُ كَالماءِ تَغشاهُ حَوائِمُنا
فَصادِرونَso some depart from water وَقَومٌand a group إِثرَهُمin their wake وَرَدواthey came to the water
فَصادِرونَ وَقَومٌ إِثرَهُم وَرَدوا
And life is like water, which our thirsty ones approach;
So some depart, and others come to the water in their wake.
وَمَدُّand the prolonging of وَقتِيَmy time مِثلُlike القِصرِbrevity غايَتُهُits end
وَمَدُّ وَقتِيَ مِثلُ القِصرِ غايَتُهُ
وَفيand in الهَلاكِdestruction تَساوىbecame equal الدُرُّpearls وَالبَرَدُand hailstones
وَفي الهَلاكِ تَساوى الدُرُّ وَالبَرَدُ
And my time, long or short, reaches the same end;
And in destruction, pearls and hailstones are equal.
ياoh رُبَّhow many أَفواهِmouths of غيدٍgraceful women أُملِأَتwere filled شَنَباًcool sweetness of teeth
يا رُبَّ أَفواهِ غيدٍ أُملِأَت شَنَباً
ثُمَّthen اِستَحالَit changed فَفيso in أَوطانِهِits dwelling places الدَرَدُtoothlessness
ثُمَّ اِستَحالَ فَفي أَوطانِهِ الدَرَدُ
Oh, how many mouths of graceful women were filled with the cool sweetness of teeth,
Then it changed, and toothlessness dwelt in its former homes.
يَغدواhe goes in the morning عَلىon دِرعِهِhis coat of mail الزَرّادُthe mail-maker يُحكِمُهاhe makes it strong
يَغدوا عَلى دِرعِهِ الزَرّادُ يُحكِمُها
وَهَلand will يُنَجّيهِsave him مِمّاfrom what قُدِّرَالزَرَدُwas decreed; the chain mail
وَهَل يُنَجّيهِ مِمّا قُدِّرَالزَرَدُ
The mail-maker works on his armor in the morning, making it strong;
And will the chain mail save him from what has been decreed?
عَجِبتُI marveled لِلمُدنِفِat the gravely ill man المُشفيverging عَلىon تَلَفٍdeath
عَجِبتُ لِلمُدنِفِ المُشفي عَلى تَلَفٍ
وَمَنand those who يُحَدِّثُspeaks عَنهُabout him بِالرَدىof death خَلَدواthey lived forever
وَمَن يُحَدِّثُ عَنهُ بِالرَدى خَلَدوا
I marveled at the gravely ill man on the brink of death,
And have those who speak of his death lived forever?
Sol 6.1