لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَدلَجتُI travelled by night وَالرَكبُwhile the caravan خائِفٌafraid
لَعَمري لَقَد أَدلَجتُ وَالرَكبُ خائِفٌ
وَأَحيَيتُand I stayed awake through لَيليmy night وَالنُجومُwhile the stars شُهودُwitnesses
وَأَحيَيتُ لَيلي وَالنُجومُ شُهودُ
By my life, I travelled by night while the caravan was afraid,
By my life, I have surely journeyed whilst the caravan is fearful,
And kept vigil through my night, with the stars as witnesses.
And I have revived my night whilst the stars bear witness,
وَجُبتُand I traversed سَرابِيّاًa mirage-filled desert كَأَنَّas though إِكامَهُits hillocks
وَجُبتُ سَرابِيّاً كَأَنَّ إِكامَهُ
جِوارٍmaidens وَلَكِنand yet ماnot لَهُنَّthey have نُهودُbreasts
جِوارٍ وَلَكِن ما لَهُنَّ نُهودُ
And I crossed a mirage-filled desert, its hillocks like
And I have satiated my mirage as if its gathering
Maidens, yet without breasts.
Is a neighborhood, but they have no young fawns.
تَمَجَّسَbecame a Magian حِرباءُthe chameleon of الهَجيرِthe midday heat وَحَولَهُand around it
تَمَجَّسَ حِرباءُ الهَجيرِ وَحَولَهُ
رَواهِبُnuns خَيطٍan ostrich flock وَالنَعامُand the ostriches يَهودُJews
رَواهِبُ خَيطٍ وَالنَعامُ يَهودُ
The noonday chameleon became a Magian, and around it
The warbler of the thicket has been purified and around it
Are nuns of an ostrich flock, while the ostriches are Jews.
Are roaming gazelles and ostriches wandering aimlessly.
وَقَدand indeed طالَhas been long عَهديmy acquaintance بِالشَبابِwith youth وَغَيَّرَتُand changed
وَقَد طالَ عَهدي بِالشَبابِ وَغَيَّرَتُ
عُهودَthe days الصِباof youth لِلحادِثاتِbelonging to life's vicissitudes عُهودُdays
عُهودَ الصِبا لِلحادِثاتِ عُهودُ
Long has it been since my youth, and changed
And my youth has been prolonged, yet I have changed
Are youth's days by the days of life's vicissitudes.
The epochs of childhood into new epochs.
وَزَهَّدَنيand made me renounce فيregarding هَضبَةِthe height of المَجدِglory خَبرَتيmy experience
وَزَهَّدَني في هَضبَةِ المَجدِ خَبرَتي
بِأَنَّthat قَراراتِthe resting places of الرِجالِmen وُهودُhollows
بِأَنَّ قَراراتِ الرِجالِ وُهودُ
And my experience has made me shun the height of glory,
And my experience has made me indifferent to the plateau of glory,
For men's resting places are hollows.
For the resolutions of men are prone to vanishing.
كَأَنَّas though كُهولَthe middle-aged men of القَومِthe company أَطفالُinfants أَشهُرٍmonths old
كَأَنَّ كُهولَ القَومِ أَطفالُ أَشهُرٍ
تَناغَتcooed to one another وَأَكوارَand the saddles of القِلاصِthe young she-camels مُهودُcradles
تَناغَت وَأَكوارَ القِلاصِ مُهودُ
As though the company's middle-aged men were infants only months old,
As if the elders of the people are infants of months
Cooing to one another, and the young she-camels' saddles were cradles.
Babbling, and the nests of doves abandoned.
إِذاwhen حُدِّثواthey are spoken to لَمnot يَفهَمواunderstand وَإِذاand when دُعواthey are called
إِذا حُدِّثوا لَم يَفهَموا وَإِذا دُعوا
أَجابواthey answer وَفيهُمُand within them رَقدَةٌslumber وَسُهودُand wakefulness
أَجابوا وَفيهُمُ رَقدَةٌ وَسُهودُ
When spoken to, they do not understand; and when called,
When they are told, they do not understand, and when called,
They answer, with both slumber and wakefulness within them.
They answer while amongst them there is slumber and prostration.
لَهُمthey have مَنصِبُthe standing of الإِنسِhumankind المُبينِarticulate وَإِنَّماand yet only
لَهُم مَنصِبُ الإِنسِ المُبينِ وَإِنَّما
علىupon العيسِthe pale camels مِنهُمfrom among them بِالنُعاسِin drowsiness فُهودُcheetahs
على العيسِ مِنهُم بِالنُعاسِ فُهودُ
They have the standing of articulate humans, yet they are merely
They have the position of honorable humanity, but truly
Cheetahs in their drowsiness, upon the pale camels.
Among them there is only drowsiness in liveliness.
Sol 6.1