لَئِنeven if سَقَتكَgave you to drink اللَياليthe nights مَرَّةًonce ضَرَباًthick white honey
لَئِن سَقَتكَ اللَيالي مَرَّةً ضَرَباً
فَكَمyet how often سَقَتكَgave you to drink عَلىover مَرِّthe passage of الزَمانِtime مَقِرbitter aloe
فَكَم سَقَتكَ عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ مَقِر
Even if the nights once gave you honey to drink,
yet how often, as time passed, have they given you bitter aloe!
إِنَّindeed المَشَقَّرَal-Mushaqqar لَمdid not تُخلِدmake everlasting مَمالِكَهُits kingdoms
إِنَّ المَشَقَّرَ لَم تُخلِد مَمالِكَهُ
شُقرٌchestnut steeds تُقادُare led وَلاnor مَسحوبَةٌtrailing mail كَشَقِرlike Shaqir
شُقرٌ تُقادُ وَلا مَسحوبَةٌ كَشَقِر
Al-Mushaqqar's kingdoms were not made everlasting
by chestnut steeds led forth, nor by trailing mail like Shaqir.
وَإِنَّماand nothing but هَذِهِthis الدُنِّياworld لَناfor us تَلَفٌruin
وَإِنَّما هَذِهِ الدُنِّيا لَنا تَلَفٌ
إِذاwhen الفَقيرُthe poor man تَصَدّىsought لِليَسارِwealth فَقِرbecame impoverished
إِذا الفَقيرُ تَصَدّى لِليَسارِ فَقِر
And this world is nothing but ruin for us:
when the poor man seeks wealth, he is brought to want.
فَأَذرِso shed دَمعَكَyour tears إِنif جُهّالُهاits fools اِبتَسَمواsmiled
فَأَذرِ دَمعَكَ إِن جُهّالُها اِبتَسَموا
مِنfrom جَهلِهِمtheir ignorance وَإِذاand when خَفَّgrew frivolous الأَنامُhumankind فِقرthen remain composed
مِن جَهلِهِم وَإِذا خَفَّ الأَنامُ فِقر
So shed your tears if its fools smile
out of ignorance; and when people grow frivolous, remain composed.
وَاِهرُبand flee مِنَfrom الناسِpeople ماthere is no فيin قُربَهُمnearness to them شَرَفٌhonor
وَاِهرُب مِنَ الناسِ ما في قُربَهُم شَرَفٌ
إِنَّindeed الفَنيقَthe prized camel إِذاwhen دانىapproached الأَنيسَhuman company عُقِرwas hamstrung
إِنَّ الفَنيقَ إِذا دانى الأَنيسَ عُقِر
And flee from people: there is no honor in being near them.
The prized camel, when it approaches human company, is hamstrung.
وَالصَقرُand the falcon يَلبَسُputs on إِنif طالَlengthens المَدىthe span هَرَماًold age
وَالصَقرُ يَلبَسُ إِن طالَ المَدى هَرَماً
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen مَرَّpassed بَينَamong الهاتِفاتِthe calling birds تَفِرbecame contemptible
حَتّى إِذا مَرَّ بَينَ الهاتِفاتِ تَفِر
And the falcon, if its span grows long, puts on old age,
until, passing among the calling birds, it becomes contemptible.
لَوif عاشَتِlived الشَمسُthe sun فيناamong us أُلبِسَتwas clothed ظُلَماًdarkness
لَو عاشَتِ الشَمسُ فينا أُلبِسَت ظُلَماً
أَوor حاوَلَsought البَدرُthe full moon مِنّاfrom us حاجَةًa favor لِحَقرِwould surely be despised
أَو حاوَلَ البَدرُ مِنّا حاجَةً لِحَقرِ
If the sun lived among us, it would be clothed in darkness;
or if the full moon sought a favor from us, it would be despised.
وَلِدتِyou bore ياO أُمَّmother طِفلاًa child شَبَّgrew up فيin عَنَتٍhardship
وَلِدتِ يا أُمَّ طِفلاً شَبَّ في عَنَتٍ
فَلَيتَso would that كَشحَكِyour flank عَنfrom ذاكَthat الجَنينِfetus بُقِرwas slit open
فَلَيتَ كَشحَكِ عَن ذاكَ الجَنينِ بُقِر
You bore, O mother, a child who grew up in hardship;
would that your flank had been slit open to remove that fetus,
لِتَستَريحاso you both might rest فَكَمfor how often عانىhe endured أَذىthe pain of قَرَسٍbitter cold
لِتَستَريحا فَكَم عانى أَذى قَرَسٍ
عِندَduring الشِتاءِwinter وَلاقىand encountered وَغرَةًscorching heat فَصُقِرand so was scorched
عِندَ الشِتاءِ وَلاقى وَغرَةً فَصُقِر
so that you both might rest—for how often he endured bitter cold
in winter, and faced scorching heat, and so was scorched!
فَلاso do not تُقِرُّacknowledge بِمَجدٍglory لِاِمرِئٍfor any man أَبَداًever
فَلا تُقِرُّ بِمَجدٍ لِاِمرِئٍ أَبَداً
إِنif كُنتَyou are بِاللَهِGod رَبَّLord of النَيّراتِthe heavenly lights تُقِرّacknowledging
إِن كُنتَ بِاللَهِ رَبَّ النَيّراتِ تُقِرّ
So never acknowledge any man's glory,
if you acknowledge God, Lord of the heavenly lights.
Sol 6.1