حَوائِجُthe needs of نَفسيmy soul كَالغَوانيlike beautiful women قَصائِرٌconfined
حَوائِجُ نَفسي كَالغَواني قَصائِرٌ
وَحاجاتُand the needs of غَيريpeople other than me كَالنِساءِlike women الرَدائِدreturned after divorce
وَحاجاتُ غَيري كَالنِساءِ الرَدائِد
My soul's needs are confined, like beautiful women,
and others' needs are like women sent home after divorce.
إِذاwhen أَغضَبَangers الخَيلَthe horses الشَكيمُthe bit فَماso not لَهاfor them
إِذا أَغضَبَ الخَيلَ الشَكيمُ فَما لَها
عَلَيهِover it اِقتِدارٌpower غَيرَother than أَزمِbiting الحَدائِدِthe iron pieces
عَلَيهِ اِقتِدارٌ غَيرَ أَزمِ الحَدائِدِ
When the bit angers the horses, they have
no power over it except to bite the iron.
وَماand not يَسبَحُswims الإِنسانُthe human being فيin لُجِّthe depths of غَمرَةٍdeep water
وَما يَسبَحُ الإِنسانُ في لُجِّ غَمرَةٍ
مِنَof العِزِّglory إِلّاexcept بَعدَafter خَوضِwading through الشَدائِدِhardships
مِنَ العِزِّ إِلّا بَعدَ خَوضِ الشَدائِدِ
And no one swims in the depths of an ocean
of glory except after wading through hardships.
وَماand not كَفَّceased عَقليmy mind أَنto يُؤَمِّلَhope for بائِداًsomething perishable
وَما كَفَّ عَقلي أَن يُؤَمِّلَ بائِداً
مِنَof الأَمرِaffairs إِنّيindeed I بائِدٌperishable وَاِبنُand the son of بائِدِone who perishes
مِنَ الأَمرِ إِنّي بائِدٌ وَاِبنُ بائِدِ
And my mind has not ceased hoping for something perishable
among life's affairs: I perish, and am the son of one who perishes.
أَحيدُI turn aside فَتُشوينيso they graze me السِهامِthe arrows وَلَوand if رَمَتshot
أَحيدُ فَتُشويني السِهامِ وَلَو رَمَت
قِسيُّthe bows of حِماميmy death لَمdid not تَجِدُنيfind me بِحائِدِas one who dodges
قِسيُّ حِمامي لَم تَجِدُني بِحائِدِ
I dodge, and arrows graze me; but were
the bows of my death to shoot, they would not find me dodging.
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot شامَscanned الغَمائِمَthe clouds شائِميmy cloud-watcher
لَعَمرُكَ ما شامَ الغَمائِمَ شائِمي
وَلاand not طَلَبَsought الرَوضَthe meadow السَحابيَّcloud-fed رائِدِmy pasture-scout
وَلا طَلَبَ الرَوضَ السَحابيَّ رائِدِ
By your life, my cloud-watcher has not scanned the clouds,
and my pasture-scout has not sought a cloud-fed meadow.
تُذادُare driven away عَنِfrom الحَوضِthe watering pool الغَرائِبُcamels from other herds ضِنَّةًout of stinginess
تُذادُ عَنِ الحَوضِ الغَرائِبُ ضِنَّةً
وَحَوضُand the pool of الرَدىdeath ماno دونَهُbefore it كَفُّthe hand of ذائِدِone who drives away
وَحَوضُ الرَدى ما دونَهُ كَفُّ ذائِدِ
Camels from other herds are driven from the pool out of stinginess,
and no guard's hand blocks the pool of death.
وَكَيفَand how أُرَجّيI hope for مِنfrom زَمانٍtime زِيادَةًan increase
وَكَيفَ أُرَجّي مِن زَمانٍ زِيادَةً
وَقَدand already حَذَفَhas cut away الأَصليَّthe essential حَذفَthe cutting away of الزَوائِدِthe superfluous additions
وَقَد حَذَفَ الأَصليَّ حَذفَ الزَوائِدِ
And how can I hope for increase from time,
when it has cut away the essential as it cuts away the superfluous?
أَواكَalas for you ضَنٍailing one فَاِهرَبso flee مِنَfrom الأُنسِcompany طالَماso often
أَواكَ ضَنٍ فَاِهرَب مِنَ الأُنسِ طالَما
تَتَبَرَّمَyou chafe مُضَناًweakened by illness مِنat حَديثِthe talk of العَوائِدِwomen visiting the sick
تَتَبَرَّمَ مُضَناً مِن حَديثِ العَوائِدِ
Alas for you, sick man! Flee from company; so often
you chafe, weakened by illness, at the talk of women visiting the sick.
وَقَدand sometimes يُخلَفُis disappointed الظَنَّexpectation المُعيدُone who repeats إِصابَةًbeing right
وَقَد يُخلَفُ الظَنَّ المُعيدُ إِصابَةً
كَماjust as أَعوَنَreached maturity الدَجّالُthe false messiah فيin آلِthe family of صائِدِṢāʾid
كَما أَعوَنَ الدَجّالُ في آلِ صائِدِ
And even one often right may find his expectation belied,
as the Dajjal reached maturity in the family of Ṣāʾid.
وَماand not أَعجَبَتنيhas pleased me لِاِبنِof a son of آدَمَAdam شيمَةٌa character trait
وَما أَعجَبَتني لِاِبنِ آدَمَ شيمَةٌ
عَلىin كُلِّevery حالٍcondition مِنamong مَسودٍone who is ruled وَسائِدِand one who rules
عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ مِن مَسودٍ وَسائِدِ
And no trait of Adam's son has pleased me,
in any condition, whether subject or ruler.
وَتُسَليكَand makes you forget عَنabout نَيلِattaining الفَوائِدِbenefits ساعَةٌan hour
وَتُسَليكَ عَن نَيلِ الفَوائِدِ ساعَةٌ
ثَنَتturned وَصفَthe description of حَيٍّa living person بَعدَهاafter it كاسِمِlike the name فائِدِFāʾid ('dead')
ثَنَت وَصفَ حَيٍّ بَعدَها كاسِمِ فائِدِ
And an hour will make you forget the pursuit of gains,
one that thereafter makes a living man's description like the name Fāʾid—'dead.'
وَماand not يَبلُغُattain الأَحياءُthe living عَزّاًglory بِكَثرَةٍby sheer numbers
وَما يَبلُغُ الأَحياءُ عَزّاً بِكَثرَةٍ
وَهَلand do لِحَصىfor the pebbles of المَعزاءِstony ground قَدرُthe worth of الفَرائِدِchoice pearls
وَهَل لِحَصى المَعزاءِ قَدرُ الفَرائِدِ
And the living do not gain glory by sheer numbers;
and do the pebbles of stony ground have the worth of choice pearls?
لَهُit has العَدَدُthe number الوافيample وَلَكِنand yet دَنَتdrew near لَهُto it
لَهُ العَدَدُ الوافي وَلَكِن دَنَت لَهُ
فَماso not أَخَذَتهُtook it ناظِماتُwomen who string القَلائِدِthe necklaces
فَما أَخَذَتهُ ناظِماتُ القَلائِدِ
They are ample in number; yet those who approached them
did not take them—the women who string necklaces.
تُقَسَّمُare allotted أَطواقُthe collars of المَناياdeaths وَلَمand have not تَزَلceased
تُقَسَّمُ أَطواقُ المَنايا وَلَم تَزَل
تَبُتُّsever سُلوكاًthreads مِنfrom عُقودِthe necklaces of الخَرائِدِsecluded maidens
تَبُتُّ سُلوكاً مِن عُقودِ الخَرائِدِ
The collars of death are allotted, and have never ceased
to sever threads from the necklaces of secluded maidens.
وَخالَفَand went against the norm ناسٌsome people فيin السَجاياcharacter traits لِيُشهِرواto make themselves famous
وَخالَفَ ناسٌ في السَجايا لِيُشهِروا
كَماjust as جُعِلَwas made التَصريعُrhyming both half-lines خَتمَthe close of القَصائِدِpoems
كَما جُعِلَ التَصريعُ خَتمَ القَصائِدِ
And some people go against the norm in character to win fame,
just as rhyming both half-lines was made the close of poems.
Sol 6.1