أُريدُI desire لِيانَease of العَيشِlife فيin دارِan abode of شِقوَةٍmisery
أُريدُ لِيانَ العَيشِ في دارِ شِقوَةٍ
وَتَأبىyet refuse اللَياليthe nights غَيرَanything but بُخلٍstinginess وَلَيانِand delay
وَتَأبى اللَيالي غَيرَ بُخلٍ وَلَيانِ
I desire ease of life in an abode of misery,
I wish for the soft touch of life in a house of suffering
Yet the nights refuse all but stinginess and delay.
And the nights refuse anything but stinginess and smoothness
وَيُعجِبُنيand please me شَيآنِtwo things خَفضٌease وَصَحَّةٌand health
وَيُعجِبُني شَيآنِ خَفضٌ وَصَحَّةٌ
وَلَكِنَّand yet رَيبَthe reversals of الدَهرِtime غَيَّرَhave altered شَيّانيmy dragon's-blood dye
وَلَكِنَّ رَيبَ الدَهرِ غَيَّرَ شَيّاني
Two things please me: ease and health,
And I like the disposition of lowliness and probity
But time's reversals have altered my dragon's-blood dye.
But the caprice of fate changed my disposition
وَماand not جَبَلُMount الرَيّانِal-Rayyān عِنديin my view بِطائِلٍof any great worth
وَما جَبَلُ الرَيّانِ عِندي بِطائِلٍ
وَلاnor أَناI مِنwith خودِtender young women الحِسانِthe beautiful ones بِرَيّانِat all sated
وَلا أَنا مِن خودِ الحِسانِ بِرَيّانِ
Mount al-Rayyān is of no great worth to me,
And the hillside of friends is of no use to me
Nor am I sated with tender beauties.
Nor am I, in self-esteem, very friendly
وَأَحيانِيَand has kept me alive اللَهُGod القَديرُthe All-Powerful مَلاوَةًfor a long while
وَأَحيانِيَ اللَهُ القَديرُ مَلاوَةً
فَهَلّاso why not بِخَوفِin fear of اللَهِGod أَقطَعُI spend أَحيانيmy days
فَهَلّا بِخَوفِ اللَهِ أَقطَعُ أَحياني
And God the All-Powerful has kept me alive a long while;
And God, the Powerful brought me sweetness
Why, then, do I not spend my days in fear of God?
Why don’t I, in fear of God, cut off my sweetness
وَإِنَّand indeed بَنيthe sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyān أَخمَلُeclipsed عِزَّهُمtheir glory
وَإِنَّ بَني الدَيّانِ أَخمَلُ عِزَّهُم
قِيامُthe rise of عَميدٍa chief مِنfrom خُزَيمَةَKhuzaymah دَيّانِexercising authority
قِيامُ عَميدٍ مِن خُزَيمَةَ دَيّانِ
And the glory of the sons of al-Dayyān was eclipsed
And the sons of the world, their glory is worn out
By the rise of a ruling chief from Khuzaymah.
Due to the standing of a leader from Khuzaymah’s world
وَماand not اِقتَتَلَfought one another الحَيّانِthe two clans إِلّاexcept سَفاهَةًout of folly
وَما اِقتَتَلَ الحَيّانِ إِلّا سَفاهَةً
وَلَوand had صَحَّbeen genuine وُدّيmy affection لِلمُحارِبِfor the combatant حَيّانيhe would have greeted me
وَلَو صَحَّ وُدّي لِلمُحارِبِ حَيّاني
And the two clans fought only out of folly;
And the living did not fight except out of foolishness
Had my affection for the combatant been true, he would have greeted me.
If only my love was for the warrior living
وَتَهلِكُand perish أَعيانُthe foremost among الرِجالِmen وَإِنَّماand, after all
وَتَهلِكُ أَعيانُ الرِجالِ وَإِنَّما
مَصارِعُthe deaths of أَعيارٍasses كَمَصرَعِlike the death of أَعيانِeminent men
مَصارِعُ أَعيارٍ كَمَصرَعِ أَعيانِ
And eminent men perish; after all,
And the notable men perish even though
The deaths of asses are like the deaths of eminent men.
The places of eras are like the places of notables
وَلَمand did not يُشوِspare حَتفٌdeath أُمَّa mother of عُفرٍtawny gazelles بِوَهدَةٍin a hollow
وَلَم يُشوِ حَتفٌ أُمَّ عُفرٍ بِوَهدَةٍ
وَلاnor أُمَّa mother of غُفرٍan ibex kid بَينَamong آسٍmyrtle وَظَيّانِand clematis
وَلا أُمَّ غُفرٍ بَينَ آسٍ وَظَيّانِ
And death did not spare a mother gazelle in a hollow,
And no bosom of a mother of ‘Ufayr [clan name] shone
Nor a mother ibex amid myrtle and clematis.
Nor a mother of Ghufayr between As and Dhiyan
أُريدُI desire عَلِيّاتِthe loftiest of المَراتِبِranks ضِلَّةًin folly
أُريدُ عَلِيّاتِ المَراتِبِ ضِلَّةً
وَخَرطُand stripping قَتادِthorny tragacanth shrubs اللَيلِthe night دونَbarring the way to عُلَيّانِʿUlayyān
وَخَرطُ قَتادِ اللَيلِ دونَ عُلَيّانِ
I seek the loftiest ranks in folly,
I wish for the highest ranks to go astray
Yet stripping night's thornbushes bars the way to ʿUlayyān.
And the quilt of night beneath ‘Ulayyan
Sol 6.1