سَأَلتُI asked عَنِabout الأَجيالِthe generations فيin كُلِّevery بُرهَةٍage
سَأَلتُ عَنِ الأَجيالِ في كُلِّ بُرهَةٍ
فَكانواso they were فَريقاًa company سارَthat went إِثرَafter فَريقِanother company
فَكانوا فَريقاً سارَ إِثرَ فَريقِ
I asked about the generations in every age;
they were one company following another.
كَأَنَّas though بُرَيقاًa little lightning flash لِاِمرِءِof Imruʾ القَيسِal-Qays لامِعاًgleaming
كَأَنَّ بُرَيقاً لِاِمرِءِ القَيسِ لامِعاً
أَغَصَّchoked جَميعَall الشائِمينَthe lightning-watchers بِريقِwith saliva
أَغَصَّ جَميعَ الشائِمينَ بِريقِ
As though a gleaming little flash of Imruʾ al-Qays’s lightning
had choked all its watchers on their own saliva.
وَخَرَّقَand shredded ثَوبَthe robe العَيشِof life طولُthe duration لِباسِهِof wearing it
وَخَرَّقَ ثَوبَ العَيشِ طولُ لِباسِهِ
وَهَبَّتand rose حَريقٌa flock of birds طُيِّرَتwas put to flight بِحَريقِby fire
وَهَبَّت حَريقٌ طُيِّرَت بِحَريقِ
And long wearing has shredded the robe of life;
a flock of birds rose, put to flight by fire.
إِذاif أَنتَyou عاتَبتَyou reproach المَقاديرَfate’s decrees لَمnot تَزَلyou cease to be
إِذا أَنتَ عاتَبتَ المَقاديرَ لَم تَزَل
كَعُتبَةَlike ʿUtba أَوor كَالرَخنَسِlike al-Rakhnas بنِson of شُرَيقِShurayq
كَعُتبَةَ أَو كَالرَخنَسِ بنِ شُرَيقِ
If you reproach fate’s decrees, you remain
like ʿUtba or al-Rakhnas ibn Shurayq.
وَمازالَand he kept on يُخبيextinguishing جاهِداًstrenuously نارَthe fire قَومِهِof his people
وَمازالَ يُخبي جاهِداً نارَ قَومِهِ
أَبوAbū (father of) لَهَبٍLahab (flame) حَتّىuntil مَضىhe went لِحَريقِto the flames
أَبو لَهَبٍ حَتّى مَضى لِحَريقِ
And he kept striving to quench his people’s fire—
Abū Lahab—until he went to the flames.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat المَرءَa person فَوقَupon فِراشِهِhis bed
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ المَرءَ فَوقَ فِراشِهِ
يَفوقُgasps عَلىdespite ظَمءٍthirst فُواقَthe gasp غَريقِof a drowning man
يَفوقُ عَلى ظَمءٍ فُواقَ غَريقِ
Have you not seen that a man upon his bed
gasps, though thirsty, like a drowning man?
فَإِنّيfor indeed I أَرىsee البِطريقَthe patrician وَالراهِبَand the monk الَّذيwho
فَإِنّي أَرى البِطريقَ وَالراهِبَ الَّذي
بِقُلَّتِهِon his mountaintop ساراthe two traveled مَعاًtogether بِطَريقِalong a road
بِقُلَّتِهِ سارا مَعاً بِطَريقِ
For I see that the patrician and the monk who dwells
on his mountaintop have traveled one road together.
يُغَيِّرُchanges بِالمُرَّيقِwith safflower عَشرَten بَنانِهِof his fingertips
يُغَيِّرُ بِالمُرَّيقِ عَشرَ بَنانِهِ
خِضابُthe dye حِمامٍof death لِلنُفوسِof souls مُريقِa spiller
خِضابُ حِمامٍ لِلنُفوسِ مُريقِ
His ten fingertips are stained with safflower
by death’s dye, which spills souls.
وَماand does not يَترُكُspare الضِرغامَthe lion فيin أَجَماتِهِits thickets
وَما يَترُكُ الضِرغامَ في أَجَماتِهِ
وَلاnor ذاتَa female possessing رَوقٍa horn فيamid ظِلالٍshade وَريقِand water
وَلا ذاتَ رَوقٍ في ظِلالٍ وَريقِ
And it spares neither the lion in its thickets
nor the horned antelope amid shade and water.
Sol 6.1