عَجِبتُI marvelled وَكَمand how much عَجَبٌwonder فيin الزَمانِtime
عَجِبتُ وَكَم عَجَبٌ في الزَمانِ
لِرَأيِat the judgment بَنيthe sons دَهرِكَof your age الفائِلِunsound
لِرَأيِ بَني دَهرِكَ الفائِلِ
I marvel—and how much in Time there is to marvel at—
I marvelled—and how many marvels time holds—
at the erring judgment of the men of your age.
at the unsound judgment of the sons of your age.
فَمَقتاًso loathing لِماfor what أَورَثواthey bequeathed مِنof غِنىًwealth
فَمَقتاً لِما أَورَثوا مِن غِنىً
وَماand what وَهَبوهُthey bestowed it مِنof النائِلِbounty
وَما وَهَبوهُ مِن النائِلِ
So, contempt for whatever wealth they bequeathed
So loathing for whatever wealth they bequeathed,
and whatever bounty they bestowed!
and for the bounty they bestowed.
فَلاso do not تَحمِلَنَّever bear لَهُمto them مِنَّةًa debt of gratitude
فَلا تَحمِلَنَّ لَهُم مِنَّةً
وَلَوand even if بِتَّyou spent the night فيin صورَةِthe guise العائِلِof a pauper
وَلَو بِتَّ في صورَةِ العائِلِ
Never bear them any debt of gratitude,
Never feel indebted to them,
even if you spend the night in a pauper’s guise.
even if you spend the night in a pauper's guise.
يَغولُtraverses الفَتىthe young man أَرضَهُhis land بِالوَجيفِat a gallop
يَغولُ الفَتى أَرضَهُ بِالوَجيفِ
وَلاand no بُدَّescape مِنfrom حادِثٍan occurrence غائِلِfatal
وَلا بُدَّ مِن حادِثٍ غائِلِ
The young man devours the land at a pounding gallop,
The young man traverses his land at a gallop,
yet there is no escaping a ruinous event.
yet there is no escaping a fatal calamity.
وَيَطلُبُand he seeks قوتاًsustenance وَرِزقُand the provision المَليthe Sovereign (word begins)
وَيَطلُبُ قوتاً وَرِزقُ المَلي
كِend of 'the Sovereign' يَسأَلُasks بِالطالِبِafter the seeker السائِلِthe beggar
كِ يَسأَلُ بِالطالِبِ السائِلِ
He seeks sustenance, though the provision of the Sov—
And he seeks sustenance, while the Sovereign's provision
—ereign is sought by the seeking supplicant.
asks after the seeker who begs.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَنيseen me وَجَميعَand all الأَناhumankind (word begins)
أَلَم تَرَني وَجَميعَ الأَنا
مِend of 'humankind' فيin دَولَةِthe reign الكِذبِof falsehood الذائِلِlong-trailed
مِ في دَولَةِ الكِذبِ الذائِلِ
Have you not seen me—and all human—
Have you not seen me and all humankind
—kind—beneath the sway of falsehood bound to pass away?
in the reign of long-trailed falsehood?
مَضىdeparted قَيلُthe ruler مِصرَof Egypt إِلىto رَبِّهِhis Lord
مَضى قَيلُ مِصرَ إِلى رَبِّهِ
وَخَلّىand left السِياسَةَgovernance لِلخائِلِto the conceited one
وَخَلّى السِياسَةَ لِلخائِلِ
Egypt’s Caesar has gone to his Lord,
The ruler of Egypt went to his Lord,
leaving statecraft to the caretaker.
and left governance to the conceited one.
وَقالواand they said يَعودُhe returns فَقُلناso we said يَجوزُit is possible
وَقالوا يَعودُ فَقُلنا يَجوزُ
بِقُدرَةِby the power خالِقِناof our Creator الآثِلِthe eternal
بِقُدرَةِ خالِقِنا الآثِلِ
They said, “He will return.” We said, “That may be—
They said he would return; we said it was possible,
by the power of the Creator of the tamarisks—
by the power of our eternal Creator,
إِذاwhen هَبَّrises up زَيدٌZayd إِلىto طَيِّئٍTayy
إِذا هَبَّ زَيدٌ إِلى طَيِّئٍ
وَقامَand rises كُلَيبٌKulayb إِلىto وائِلِWa'il
وَقامَ كُلَيبٌ إِلى وائِلِ
if Zayd rises again among Tayy
when Zayd rises to go to Tayy,
and Kulayb rises again among Wa’il.”
and Kulayb rises to go to Wa'il.
أَخوa brother الحَربِof war يَعدوraces عَلىon سابِحٍa swimming steed
أَخو الحَربِ يَعدو عَلى سابِحٍ
لِيَسبَحَso that he may swim فيin الزاخِرِthe surging sea السائِلِflowing
لِيَسبَحَ في الزاخِرِ السائِلِ
A warrior charges on a swimming steed,
The warrior races on a swimming steed,
that it may swim the surging flood.
to swim in the surging, flowing sea.
سَيُقصَرُwill be shortened مِنfrom طولِthe length تِلكَthat القَناةِspear
سَيُقصَرُ مِن طولِ تِلكَ القَناةِ
وَيُرفَعُand will be lifted مِنfrom دِرعِهِhis coat of mail الذائِلِtrailing
وَيُرفَعُ مِن دِرعِهِ الذائِلِ
He will shorten that long spear
That spear's length will be shortened,
and lift the trailing part of his mail.
and his trailing coat of mail drawn up.
وَتُصغيand incline إِلىtoward المَينِfalsehood أَسماعُناour ears
وَتُصغي إِلى المَينِ أَسماعُنا
وَنَصبوand we yearn إِلىfor زُخرُفِthe embellishment القائِلِof the speaker
وَنَصبو إِلى زُخرُفِ القائِلِ
Our ears incline to lies,
And our ears incline toward falsehood,
and we yearn for the speaker’s gilded words.
and we are drawn to the speaker's gilded words.
وَكَيفَand how اِعتِداليmy balance وَهَذاwhile this النَهارُday
وَكَيفَ اِعتِدالي وَهَذا النَهارُ
يَروحُdeparts بِميزانِهِwith its scales المائِلِtilted
يَروحُ بِميزانِهِ المائِلِ
How can I keep straight while this day
And how can I be balanced, when this day
goes off with its balance askew?
departs with its tilted scales?
وَإِنَّand indeed ثَبيراًThabir لَهُit has خِفَّةٌlightness
وَإِنَّ ثَبيراً لَهُ خِفَّةٌ
تَبينُbecomes evident عَلىon كِفِّةِthe scale-pan الشائِلِof the up-tipping balance
تَبينُ عَلى كِفِّةِ الشائِلِ
Even Mount Thabir has a lightness
And even Thabir has a lightness
made plain on the weigher’s scale-pan.
revealed in the upraised scale-pan.
تَصولُassail عَلَيناagainst us بَناتُthe daughters الزَمانِof time
تَصولُ عَلَينا بَناتُ الزَمانِ
فَهَلّاso why not يُصالُbe assailed عَلىagainst الصائِلِthe assailant
فَهَلّا يُصالُ عَلى الصائِلِ
Time’s calamities charge upon us;
The daughters of Time assail us;
why, then, is the assailant not assailed?
so why is the assailant not assailed?
وَقَدand indeed عَزَّproved too difficult رَملٌsand عَلىfor حاسِبٍa reckoner
وَقَد عَزَّ رَملٌ عَلى حاسِبٍ
كَماjust as عَزَّproved too difficult بَحرٌa sea عَلىfor كائِلِa volume-measurer
كَما عَزَّ بَحرٌ عَلى كائِلِ
Sand has defied the counter,
And sand has defied the reckoner,
just as the sea defies one who would measure it.
as the sea has defied the measurer.
يُهالُis heaped التُرابُearth عَلىover مَنwhoever ثَوىlies at rest
يُهالُ التُرابُ عَلى مَن ثَوى
فَآهِso alas مِنَat النَبَأِthe news الهائِلِterrifying
فَآهِ مِنَ النَبَأِ الهائِلِ
Earth is heaped over whoever lies dead,
Earth is heaped over one laid to rest;
and what dreadful tidings lie therein!
so alas for the dreadful news!
وَكَمand how many قَيَّدَfettered الدَهرُtime مِنof دالِفٍa slow walker
وَكَم قَيَّدَ الدَهرُ مِن دالِفٍ
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe was كَالسابِقِlike the racing steed الجائِلِranging
وَقَد كانَ كَالسابِقِ الجائِلِ
How many a slow-stepping elder Time has shackled,
And how many a halting walker has Time fettered,
though once he roamed like a racer.
who once was like a racing, ranging steed!
جَميعُall الَّذيthat which نَحنُwe فيهِin it النِفاقُhypocrisy
جَميعُ الَّذي نَحنُ فيهِ النِفاقُ
وَنَلحَقُand we catch up بِالذاهِبِwith the departing one الزائِلِthe vanishing one
وَنَلحَقُ بِالذاهِبِ الزائِلِ
All that surrounds our life is hypocrisy,
All that we live amid is hypocrisy,
and we shall join those gone and vanished.
and we join those who depart and vanish.
وَلَوand if لَمnot يَكُنthere were حَولَكَaround you العاذِلونَthe reproachers
وَلَو لَم يَكُن حَولَكَ العاذِلونَ
بَكَيتَyou would weep عَلىover المَنزِلِthe dwelling الحائِلِaltered
بَكَيتَ عَلى المَنزِلِ الحائِلِ
Were the reproachers not around you,
And if no reproachers were around you,
I would weep over the altered dwelling.
you would weep over the altered dwelling.
وَيُغنيكَand spares you عَنfrom طَرحِcasting فالٍan omen تَعوyou return (word begins)
وَيُغنيكَ عَن طَرحِ فالٍ تَعو
دُend of 'you return' بِاليُمنِwith good fortune طَعنُكَyour thrust فيinto الفائِلِthe hip-vein
دُ بِاليُمنِ طَعنُكَ في الفائِلِ
It spares you from casting an omen—you re—
And you need not cast an omen: you return
—turn with good fortune—your thrust at the erring augur.
with good fortune through your thrust into the hip-vein.
نُسَرُّwe rejoice إِذاwhen نَثرَةٌNathrah, a lunar mansion أَرعَفَتbled at the nose
نُسَرُّ إِذا نَثرَةٌ أَرعَفَت
وَنَفرَحُand we rejoice بِالأَسَدِin the Lion البائِلِurinating
وَنَفرَحُ بِالأَسَدِ البائِلِ
We rejoice when al-Nathrah—the Lion’s nose—bleeds rain,
We rejoice when Nathrah bleeds at the nose,
and rejoice when the Lion urinates rain.
and delight in the urinating Lion.
Sol 6.1