أَهابُI fear مَنِيَّتيmy death وَأُحِبُّand I love سِتريmy concealment
أَهابُ مَنِيَّتي وَأُحِبُّ سِتري
وَخَوفُand the fear of الشَيخِthe old man مِنof هَرَمٍdecrepitude وَهَترِand dotage
وَخَوفُ الشَيخِ مِن هَرَمٍ وَهَترِ
I fear my death, yet love my concealment;
An old man's fear is of decrepitude and dotage.
وَلَوand even if كُنتُI were الفنيقَthe prized stud-camel وَمِثلَand like رَضوىRadwa
وَلَو كُنتُ الفنيقَ وَمِثلَ رَضوى
سَناميmy hump هَدَّتِwould demolish الأَيّامُthe days كِتريmy hump
سَنامي هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ كِتري
Even were I a prized stud-camel, and Radwa's equal
My hump, the days would crush that hump of mine.
أَلَمdid ... not? تَرَنيyou see me صَرَمتُI severed حِبالَthe cords of عَزميmy resolve
أَلَم تَرَني صَرَمتُ حِبالَ عَزمي
كَماjust as صَرَمَsevered الخَليطُthe companions حِبالَthe bonds of فَترِweakness
كَما صَرَمَ الخَليطُ حِبالَ فَترِ
Have you not seen me sever the cords of my resolve,
As companions severed their feeble bonds?
هِيَthey are الأَيّامُthe days أَعيُنُهاtheir eyes رَوانٍgazing
هِيَ الأَيّامُ أَعيُنُها رَوانٍ
إِلىat الإِنسانِhumankind مِنwith حَولِsquinting وَشُترِand everted eyelids
إِلى الإِنسانِ مِن حَولِ وَشُترِ
Such are the days: their eyes gaze
At humankind, cross-eyed and with everted lids.
وَماand not يَأتيكَcomes to you ماwhat تَهوىyou desire بِضَربٍthrough striking
وَما يَأتيكَ ما تَهوى بِضَربٍ
وَطَعنٍand thrusting فيinto صُدورِthe breasts of الخَيلِhorses نَترُrending
وَطَعنٍ في صُدورِ الخَيلِ نَترُ
What you desire will not come to you through blows
And rending thrusts into horses' breasts.
وَماand not عَتَّرَتquivered رِماحُthe spears of الدَهرِtime إِلّاexcept
وَما عَتَّرَت رِماحُ الدَهرِ إِلّا
لَعَترِto slaughter سِوايَthose other than me دائِبَةًunceasingly وَعَتريand to slaughter me
لَعَترِ سِوايَ دائِبَةً وَعَتري
Time's spears have quivered only
To slaughter others, ceaselessly, and me.
كَأَنّيas though I were الأَضبَطُal-Adbat السَعديُّal-Sa'di سَعديmy Sa'd
كَأَنّي الأَضبَطُ السَعديُّ سَعدي
حِماميmy death يَستَجيشُmusters troops بِكُلِّin every قُترِquarter
حِمامي يَستَجيشُ بِكُلِّ قُترِ
As though I were al-Adbat al-Sa'di: my Sa'd
Is my death, mustering troops in every quarter.
سَأَلحَقُI shall join رَهطَthe kinsmen of شَدّادِShaddad بنِson of عادٍ'Ad
سَأَلحَقُ رَهطَ شَدّادِ بنِ عادٍ
وَقائِلَand the spokesman of وَفدِهِمtheir delegation قَيلَQayl بنَson of عِترِ'Itr
وَقائِلَ وَفدِهِم قَيلَ بنَ عِترِ
I shall join the kinsmen of Shaddad son of 'Ad,
And their delegation's spokesman, Qayl son of 'Itr.
وَكَيفَand how أَرومُI seek تَقويمَstraightening اللَياليthe nights
وَكَيفَ أَرومُ تَقويمَ اللَيالي
وَقَدwhen already بُنِيَتthey were built عَلىon خَتلٍdeceit وَخَترِand treachery
وَقَد بُنِيَت عَلى خَتلٍ وَخَترِ
How can I seek to straighten the nights,
When they were built on deceit and treachery?
أُؤَمَّلُI am given hope of جَنَّةًa garden رَحُبَتgrew spacious وَراحَتand grew fragrant
أُؤَمَّلُ جَنَّةً رَحُبَت وَراحَت
وَتَعجَزُand falls short قُدرَتيmy ability عَنof نَيلِattaining فِترِa thumb-to-forefinger span
وَتَعجَزُ قُدرَتي عَن نَيلِ فِترِ
I am offered hope of a garden, spacious and fragrant,
Yet my power cannot gain a thumb-to-forefinger span.
وَكَمand how often وَتَرَتstrung لِيَfor me النَّكَباتُcalamities قَوساًa bow
وَكَم وَتَرَت لِيَ النَّكَباتُ قَوساً
كَأَنَّas though الدَهرَtime يَطلُبُنيpursues me بِوَترِfor a blood-debt
كَأَنَّ الدَهرَ يَطلُبُني بِوَترِ
How often calamities have strung a bow against me,
As though time pursued me for a blood-debt!
أَرىI see الساعاتِthe hours أَمكَرَthe most cunning ساعِياتٍcreeping creatures
أَرى الساعاتِ أَمكَرَ ساعِياتٍ
فَمِنso some are رَبّاتِpossessors of أَذنابٍtails وَبُترِand tailless ones
فَمِن رَبّاتِ أَذنابٍ وَبُترِ
I see the hours as the wiliest of creeping creatures:
Some have tails, and others are tailless.
وَكَمand how many مِنa فارِسٍhorseman عَيَّيتproved powerless قَناةٌa lance
وَكَم مِن فارِسٍ عَيَّيت قَناةٌ
بِمَصرَعِهِto bring him down وَصادَتهُand they caught him بِقِترِwith hunters' smoke
بِمَصرَعِهِ وَصادَتهُ بِقِترِ
How many a horseman a lance was powerless
To fell, yet the hours caught him with hunters' smoke!
Sol 6.1