تُرابُare troubled جُسومِناour bodies وَهيَand they are التُرابُdust
تُرابُ جُسومِنا وَهيَ التُرابُ
إِذاwhen وَلّىdeparts عَنِfrom الآلِthe kin اِغتِرابُexile
إِذا وَلّى عَنِ الآلِ اِغتِرابُ
Our bodies are dust, and they are the dust,
Our bodies are troubled, though they are dust,
when estrangement from kin has passed away.
when exile from their kin comes to an end.
تُراعُare frightened إِذاwhen تُحَسُّare driven إِلىtoward ثَراهاtheir soil
تُراعُ إِذا تُحَسُّ إِلى ثَراها
إِياباًa return وَهوَand it is مَنصِبُهاtheir ancestral source القُرابُnear
إِياباً وَهوَ مَنصِبُها القُرابُ
It takes fright when it senses, toward its own soil,
They take fright when driven toward their soil
a homecoming—though nearness is wearisome to it.
to return—though it is their near ancestral source.
وَذاكَand that أَقَلُّless لِلأَدواءِfor ailments فيهاin them
وَذاكَ أَقَلُّ لِلأَدواءِ فيها
وَإِنand even if صَحَّتthey are healthy كَماjust as صَحَّis healthy الغُرابُthe raven
وَإِن صَحَّت كَما صَحَّ الغُرابُ
That leaves less scope for maladies within them,
And that means fewer ailments in them,
even were they as sound as the raven.
even if they are as healthy as the raven.
هُمومٌcares بِالهَواءِin the air مُعَلَّقاتٌsuspended
هُمومٌ بِالهَواءِ مُعَلَّقاتٌ
إِلىtoward التَشريفِhonor أَنفُسُهاtheir souls طِرابُeager
إِلى التَشريفِ أَنفُسُها طِرابُ
Cares hang suspended in the air;
Cares hang suspended in the air,
their souls yearn eagerly for honor.
their souls eager for honor.
فَأَرماحٌso spears يُحَطِّمُهاshatters them طِعانٌspear-thrusting
فَأَرماحٌ يُحَطِّمُها طِعانٌ
وَأَسيافٌand swords يُفَلِّلُهاnotches them ضِرابُstriking
وَأَسيافٌ يُفَلِّلُها ضِرابُ
So spears are shattered by spear-thrusts,
So spears are shattered by thrusts,
and swords are notched by blows.
and swords are notched by blows.
تَنافَسُthey compete فيfor الحُطامworldly chaff وَحَسبُand enough for شاكٍone complaining of
تَنافَسُ في الحُطام وَحَسبُ شاكٍ
طَوىًhunger قوتٌfood وَحِلفُand a companion of صدىًthirst شَرابُdrink
طَوىً قوتٌ وَحِلفُ صدىً شَرابُ
Rivalry over the world’s dross—though sufficient for one complaining
They vie for worldly chaff; enough for one suffering
of hunger is food, and for one allied with thirst, a drink.
hunger is food, and for thirst's companion, drink.
وَأَفسَدَand has corrupted جَوهَرَthe essence of الأَحسابِnoble lineages أَشبٌintermixture
وَأَفسَدَ جَوهَرَ الأَحسابِ أَشبٌ
كَماjust as فَسَدَتwere corrupted مِنَamong الخَيلِthe horses العِرابُpurebred Arabian horses
كَما فَسَدَت مِنَ الخَيلِ العِرابُ
A mongrel has corrupted the essence of noble pedigrees,
And intermixture has corrupted the essence of noble lineages,
as among horses the purebred Arabians have been corrupted.
just as purebred Arabian horses have been corrupted.
وَأَملاكٌand kings تُجَرَّأُare emboldened فيin غِناهاtheir wealth
وَأَملاكٌ تُجَرَّأُ في غِناها
وَإِنand if وَرَدَarrive العُفاةُthe alms-seekers فَهُمthen they are سَرابُa mirage
وَإِن وَرَدَ العُفاةُ فَهُم سَرابُ
And kings grow insolent amid their riches;
And kings are emboldened by their wealth,
when needy petitioners come to drink, the kings prove a mirage.
yet if alms-seekers arrive, they prove a mirage.
وَقَدand perhaps يُفريruins أسُوَدَthe lions of الغيلِthe thicket حِرصٌgreed
وَقَد يُفري أسُوَدَ الغيلِ حِرصٌ
فَتَحويهاso contain them الحَظائِرُthe enclosures وَالزِرابُand the pens
فَتَحويها الحَظائِرُ وَالزِرابُ
Greed may rend even the lions of the thicket,
And greed may undo the lions of the thicket,
so enclosures and pens contain them.
so enclosures and pens confine them.
مَتىwhenever لَمdoes not يَضطَرِبstir مِنfrom عَلوَon high جَدٌّgood fortune
مَتى لَم يَضطَرِب مِن عَلوَ جَدٌّ
فَلَيسَthen is not بِنافِعٍof any use مِنكَfrom you اِضطِرابُstriving
فَلَيسَ بِنافِعٍ مِنكَ اِضطِرابُ
When lofty fortune does not bestir itself,
Whenever fortune does not stir from on high,
no restless striving of yours will avail.
no striving of yours is of any use.
كَأَنَّas though السَيفَthe sword لَمhad not يَعطَلlack adornment زَماناًfor a time
كَأَنَّ السَيفَ لَم يَعطَل زَماناً
إِذاwhen حَلِيَare adorned الحَمائِلُthe suspension straps وَالقِرابُand the scabbard
إِذا حَلِيَ الحَمائِلُ وَالقِرابُ
As though the sword had not gone unused for an age,
As though the sword had never lacked adornment,
once baldric and scabbard are adorned.
when its suspension straps and scabbard are adorned.
تَأَلَّفُcome together أَربَعٌfour فيناwithin us فَتُذكىand so are kindled
تَأَلَّفُ أَربَعٌ فينا فَتُذكى
بِهاby them مِنّاfrom us ضَغائِنُgrudges وَاِحتِرابُand warfare
بِها مِنّا ضَغائِنُ وَاِحتِرابُ
Four elements unite within us, and then flare up
Four things unite within us, and so are kindled
through them, among us, rancors and warfare.
by them, among us, grudges and warfare.
وَلَوand if سَكَنَتinhabited جِبالَthe mountains of الأَرضِthe earth روحٌa soul
وَلَو سَكَنَت جِبالَ الأَرضِ روحٌ
لَماthen would not خَلَدَتendure forever نَضادِNaḍād (a mountain) وَلاnor أَرابُArāb (a mountain)
لَما خَلَدَت نَضادِ وَلا أَرابُ
Even if a spirit inhabited the mountains of the earth,
And were a soul to inhabit the earth's mountains,
neither Niḍād nor Arāb would endure forever.
neither Naḍād nor Arāb would endure forever.
Sol 6.1