غَداhas become كُلُّevery طِفلٍchild عَلىupon عُمرِهِhis lifespan
غَدا كُلُّ طِفلٍ عَلى عُمرِهِ
طُفَيلاًa Tufayl يَخُبُّtrots بِهِcarrying him قُرزُلُQurzul
طُفَيلاً يَخُبُّ بِهِ قُرزُلُ
Every child, astride his lifespan, has become
a Tufayl, with Qurzul carrying him at a trot.
يَوَدُّhe wishes ثَباتاًto remain firmly عَلىon ظَهرِهِits back
يَوَدُّ ثَباتاً عَلى ظَهرِهِ
وَتَدعوand call out الخُطوبُcalamities أَلّاwill you not تَنزِلُdismount
وَتَدعو الخُطوبُ أَلّا تَنزِلُ
He longs to stay firmly on its back,
while calamities call: “Will you not dismount?”
رَعىmay ... watch over اللَهُGod قَوماًa people مَضىhas passed دَهرُهُمtheir time
رَعى اللَهُ قَوماً مَضى دَهرُهُم
وَماand not فيهُمُamong them أَحَدٌanyone يَهزِلُjests
وَما فيهُمُ أَحَدٌ يَهزِلُ
May God watch over a people whose time has passed,
and none among them jested.
تُضاهيrival العَناكِبَspiders نُسوانُهُمtheir women
تُضاهي العَناكِبَ نُسوانُهُم
فَتَنسُجُso they weave لِلنَفعِfor practical use أَوor تَغزِلُspin
فَتَنسُجُ لِلنَفعِ أَو تَغزِلُ
Their women rivaled spiders,
weaving for use, or spinning.
وَماand never عَزَفَتplayed مِزهَراًa lute فيin الحَياlife (continued next line)
وَما عَزَفَت مِزهَراً في الحَيا
ةِ(completes “life”) وَلاnor الدَنُّthe wine-jar يُفتَحُis opened أَوor يُبزَلُis tapped
ةِ وَلا الدَنُّ يُفتَحُ أَو يُبزَلُ
And they never played a lute in their lives,
nor was a wine-jar opened or tapped.
جَهَلنَthey (the women) did not know الغِناءَsinging وَصَوتاًand a song يُقاit is said (continued next line)
جَهَلنَ الغِناءَ وَصَوتاً يُقا
لُ(completes “it is said”) غَنّاهُhe sang it دَحمانُDahman أَوor زُلزُلُZulzul
لُ غَنّاهُ دَحمانُ أَو زُلزُلُ
They knew nothing of singing or of a song said
to have been sung by Dahman or Zulzul.
وَنَفسُand the soul الفَتىof the young man وَلِيَتhas taken charge of جِسمَهُhis body
وَنَفسُ الفَتى وَلِيَت جِسمَهُ
إِذاwhen جاءَcomes ميقاتُهاits appointed time تُعزَلُit is dismissed
إِذا جاءَ ميقاتُها تُعزَلُ
And a young man's soul takes charge of his body;
when its appointed time comes, it is dismissed.
وَإِنَّand indeed السِماكينَthe two Simak stars لاnot يَخلِدنَwill live forever
وَإِنَّ السِماكينَ لا يَخلِدنَ
وَيَهلِكُand will perish ذوthe bearer of الرُمحِthe spear وَالأَعزَلُand the Unarmed
وَيَهلِكُ ذو الرُمحِ وَالأَعزَلُ
And the two Simak stars will not live forever;
the Spear-bearer and the Unarmed alike will perish.
أَعَيَّرتَhave you taunted غَيرَكَsomeone other than yourself داءًan affliction عَراهُthat befell him
أَعَيَّرتَ غَيرَكَ داءً عَراهُ
وَخالِقُكَand your Creator الواهِبُthe Giver المُجزِلُthe lavish Bestower
وَخالِقُكَ الواهِبُ المُجزِلُ
Have you taunted another for an affliction that befell him,
though your Creator is the Giver, the Bountiful?
وَقَدand indeed عاشَhas lived ماشاءَas long as it wished هَذاthis الغُرابُcrow
وَقَد عاشَ ماشاءَ هَذا الغُرابُ
فَماyet never قالَتِsaid الطَيرُthe birds ياO أَقزَلُlame one
فَما قالَتِ الطَيرُ يا أَقزَلُ
And this crow has lived as long as it pleased,
yet the birds never said: “O lame one!”
Sol 6.1