الساعُthe hours آنِيَةُvessels الحَوادِثِof events ماwhat حَوَتthey contained
الساعُ آنِيَةُ الحَوادِثِ ما حَوَت
لَمnot (past negation) يَبدُappear إِلّاexcept بَعدَafter كَشفِlifting غَطائِهاtheir cover
لَم يَبدُ إِلّا بَعدَ كَشفِ غَطائِها
The hours are vessels of events: whatever they contain
The hours are vessels of events; what they hold
appears only after their coverings are lifted.
appears only after their lids are lifted.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هَذاthis الزَمانُage قَصيدَةٌa poem
وَكَأَنَّما هَذا الزَمانُ قَصيدَةٌ
ماnot اِضطُرَّwas compelled شاعِرُهاits poet إِلىto إيطائِهاrepeating its rhyme-word
ما اِضطُرَّ شاعِرُها إِلى إيطائِها
And it is as though this time were a poem
And it is as though this age were a poem
whose poet was never forced to repeat a rhyme-word.
whose poet was not forced to repeat a rhyme-word.
لَيسَتare not لَياليهِits nights مُحِسَّةُaware of كائِنٍany being
لَيسَت لَياليهِ مُحِسَّةُ كائِنٍ
وُصِفَتwere described بِسُرعَتِهاby their swiftness وَلاand not إِبطائِهاtheir slowness
وُصِفَت بِسُرعَتِها وَلا إِبطائِها
Its nights are imperceptible to any being, as though
Its nights are unaware of any being;
described by their swiftness, never their delay.
they are described as swift, not slow.
وَالمِصرُand the city آنَسُmore congenial مِنهُthan it خَرقُan open expanse مَفازَةٍof desert
وَالمِصرُ آنَسُ مِنهُ خَرقُ مَفازَةٍ
أَنَسَfelt at home الدَليلُthe guide بِقافِهاwith its qāf مَعَalong with طائِهاits ṭāʾ
أَنَسَ الدَليلُ بِقافِها مَعَ طائِها
More companionable than the city is the crossing of a wilderness,
And a desert expanse is more congenial than the city,
where the guide takes comfort in its qāf together with its ṭāʾ.
where the guide felt at home with its qāf and ṭāʾ.
وَسِهامُand the arrows دَهرِكَof your time لاnot تَزالُcease مُصيبَةًhitting the mark
وَسِهامُ دَهرِكَ لا تَزالُ مُصيبَةً
صُرِفَتwere turned away بِإِذنِby permission of اللَهِGod عَنfrom أَخطائِهاtheir misses
صُرِفَت بِإِذنِ اللَهِ عَن أَخطائِها
The arrows of your age never cease to strike true,
And the arrows of your time never cease to strike true,
diverted, by God’s leave, from missing their mark.
kept, by God's leave, from missing their mark.
إِنَّindeed المَواهِبَthe gifts كُلَّهاall of them عارِيَّةٌa loan
إِنَّ المَواهِبَ كُلَّها عارِيَّةٌ
وَمِنَand among السَفاهَةِfolly غَبطَةٌdelight بِعَطائِهاin their bestowal
وَمِنَ السَفاهَةِ غَبطَةٌ بِعَطائِها
Indeed, all gifts are merely things on loan,
Indeed, all gifts are on loan,
and it is folly to rejoice in their bestowal.
and delight in their bestowal is folly.
Sol 6.1