كُلٌّeveryone تَسيرُmoves along بِهِwith him الحَياةُlife وَماand not لَهُfor him
كُلٌّ تَسيرُ بِهِ الحَياةُ وَما لَهُ
عِلمٌknowledge عَلىas to أَيِّwhich المَنازِلِabodes يَقدُمُhe will reach
عِلمٌ عَلى أَيِّ المَنازِلِ يَقدُمُ
Life carries everyone along, and he has no
Each moves through life not knowing
knowledge of which abode he will reach.
To which stage he goes,
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنَّناthat we بِجَهالَةٍin ignorance
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّنا بِجَهالَةٍ
نَبنيwe build وَكُلُّand every بِناءِbuilding قَومٍa people يُهدَمُis demolished
نَبني وَكُلُّ بِناءِ قَومٍ يُهدَمُ
And among the wonders is that we, in ignorance,
And strange that we in ignorance
build, though all that people build is torn down.
Build, though each building falls.
وَالمَرءُand a man يَسخَطُresents ثُمَّthen يَرضىis content بِالَّذيwith what
وَالمَرءُ يَسخَطُ ثُمَّ يَرضى بِالَّذي
يُقضىis decreed وَيوجِدُهُand brings him into being الزَمانُtime وَيُعدِمُand annihilates
يُقضى وَيوجِدُهُ الزَمانُ وَيُعدِمُ
And man resents, then accepts, what
Man resents, then approves what Fate
is decreed; time brings him into being and annihilates him.
Ordains that Time create or waste.
وَيَلَذُّand he relishes أَطعِمَةَfoods البَقاءِcontinued life وَخَيرُهاand their best
وَيَلَذُّ أَطعِمَةَ البَقاءِ وَخَيرُها
كَالسُمِّlike poison يُخلَطُis mixed بِالحِمامِwith death وَيُؤدَمُand is seasoned
كَالسُمِّ يُخلَطُ بِالحِمامِ وَيُؤدَمُ
And he relishes life's foods, though the best of them
And the food of eternity he enjoys
is like poison, mixed and seasoned with death.
Though it be as poison mixed with dove's blood.
وَالدَهرُand time يَقدُمُgrows old عَنthrough تَرادُفِthe succession of أَعصُرٍages
وَالدَهرُ يَقدُمُ عَن تَرادُفِ أَعصُرٍ
فَيَغيبُso disappear أَعصُرُages فيamid الخُطوبِcalamities وَيَقدُمُand arrive
فَيَغيبُ أَعصُرُ في الخُطوبِ وَيَقدُمُ
And time grows old through the succession of ages;
And Time advances with succession of ages
so ages vanish amid calamities, and others arrive.
So ages pass distraught with calamities.
ذَكَرَcommemorated القَريضُverse رَبيعَةَRabi‘ah بنِson of مُكَدَّمٍMukaddam
ذَكَرَ القَريضُ رَبيعَةَ بنِ مُكَدَّمٍ
وَليُنسِيَنَّand will surely be forgotten رَبيعَةٌRabi‘ah وَمُكَدَّمُand Mukaddam
وَليُنسِيَنَّ رَبيعَةٌ وَمُكَدَّمُ
Verse has commemorated Rabi‘ah ibn Mukaddam,
Al-Qaridh recalls Rabia Bin Mukaddam
yet Rabi‘ah and Mukaddam will surely be forgotten.
Though Rabia and Mukaddam be forgot.
وَنَرومُand we seek دُنياناour world وَماand not كَلِفٌenamored بِهاof it
وَنَرومُ دُنيانا وَما كَلِفٌ بِها
إِلّاexcept الفَنيقُthe pampered stud-camel وَيَظَلُّand he remains وَهوَwhile he is مُسَدَّمُbarred from mating
إِلّا الفَنيقُ وَيَظَلُّ وَهوَ مُسَدَّمُ
And we seek our world, yet none is enamored of it
We seek a world, and none but the wrecked in her
except the pampered stud-camel, who remains barred from mating.
Has business in her, and remains with purpose damned.
هُوِيَتshe was loved وَقَدthough already خَدَمَتshe served وَلَمand has not تَرَseen خِدمَةًservice
هُوِيَت وَقَد خَدَمَت وَلَم تَرَ خِدمَةً
وَتَعَرَّضَتand she offered herself لَكَto you إِذwhen أُهينَتshe was humbled تَخدُمُserving
وَتَعَرَّضَت لَكَ إِذ أُهينَت تَخدُمُ
She is loved, though she has served and never been served;
It was abased, after honor, served without reward
and when humbled she offers herself to you, ready to serve.
And exposed itself being insulted to serve.
وَأُضيعُand I squander أَوقاتيmy hours بِغَيرِwithout نَدامَةٍregret
وَأُضيعُ أَوقاتي بِغَيرِ نَدامَةٍ
وَيَفوتُنيand eludes me الشَيءُthe thing اليَسيرُtrifling فَأَندَمُso I regret
وَيَفوتُني الشَيءُ اليَسيرُ فَأَندَمُ
And I squander my hours without regret,
I waste my days without regret,
yet a trifling thing eludes me, and I regret it.
And miss the easiest things to later regret.
مَنَعَwithheld الفَتىthe young man هَيناًa trifle فَجَرَّand so brought عَظائِماًgrave calamities
مَنَعَ الفَتى هَيناً فَجَرَّ عَظائِماً
وَحَمىand barred access to نُمَيرَsweet الماءِthe water فَاِنبَعَثَso gushed forth الدَمُblood
وَحَمى نُمَيرَ الماءِ فَاِنبَعَثَ الدَمُ
A young man withheld a trifle, and so brought grave calamities;
The youth refused gently so committed outrageous sins
and barred access to sweet water, so blood gushed forth.
And protected the small water skins but blood was shed.
وَجَديدُand the freshness of عيشَتِناour life الشَبابُyouth فَإِنand if مَضىit passes
وَجَديدُ عيشَتِنا الشَبابُ فَإِن مَضى
فَقَميصُناthen our shirt خَلقُworn-out اللِباسِclothing مُرَدَّمُpatched
فَقَميصُنا خَلقُ اللِباسِ مُرَدَّمُ
And youth is the freshness of our life; once it is gone,
Our fresh life is youth, so if it passes
then our shirt is a worn-out, patched garment.
Our shirts are patched clothes.
وَالجِسمُand the body ظَرفُa vessel for نَوائِبٍcalamities وَكَأَنَّهُand as though it were
وَالجِسمُ ظَرفُ نَوائِبٍ وَكَأَنَّهُ
ظَرفٌan adverbial expression يُؤَخِّرُis placed later تارَةًsometimes وَيُقَدِّمُand is put first
ظَرفٌ يُؤَخِّرُ تارَةً وَيُقَدِّمُ
And the body is a vessel for calamities, as though it were
The body is liable to disasters
an adverbial expression, sometimes placed later and sometimes put first.
As if it defers or hastens them.
Sol 6.1