لاdo not تَطلُبِseek الغَرضَthe goal البَعيدَdistant وَتَسهَرِand stay awake
لا تَطلُبِ الغَرضَ البَعيدَ وَتَسهَرِ
ماwhat يُقضَis decreed يَأتِwill come وَطالِبٌand a seeker لَمnot يُبهَرِbe wearied
ما يُقضَ يَأتِ وَطالِبٌ لَم يُبهَرِ
Do not seek the distant goal and stay awake.
Do not seek far-off goals and stay up late
What is decreed will come, though the seeker has not been wearied.
What is decreed will come, though the seeker grows weary
جيلٌa generation فَجيلٌthen a generation يَذهَبونَpass away وَيَنطَويand is folded away
جيلٌ فَجيلٌ يَذهَبونَ وَيَنطَوي
خَبَرٌa tale وَيُصبِحُand becomes خامِلٌan obscure person كَمُشَهَّرِlike a renowned one
خَبَرٌ وَيُصبِحُ خامِلٌ كَمُشَهَّرِ
Generation after generation passes away, and folded away is
Generation after generation passes away and is folded up
a tale; the obscure becomes like the renowned.
News becomes outdated and forgotten like writings on parchment
وَالمَرءُand a person يغشاهُovertakes him الأَذىharm مِنfrom حَيثُwhere لاnot
وَالمَرءُ يغشاهُ الأَذى مِن حَيثُ لا
يَخشاهُhe fears it فَاِعجَبso marvel مِنat صُروفِthe vicissitudes of الأَدهُرِthe ages
يَخشاهُ فَاِعجَب مِن صُروفِ الأَدهُرِ
And harm overtakes a person from where he does not
Man is beset by harm from where he least expects it
fear it; so marvel at the vicissitudes of the ages.
So be astonished at the twists and turns of fate!
ومُحَمَّدٌand Muhammad وَهُوَand he is المُنَبَّأُthe one given revelation يَشتَكيcomplains
ومُحَمَّدٌ وَهُوَ المُنَبَّأُ يَشتَكي
لِمَكانِbecause of أَكلَتِهِhis meal اِنقِطاعَthe severing of الأَبهُرِthe aorta
لِمَكانِ أَكلَتِهِ اِنقِطاعَ الأَبهُرِ
And Muhammad, though given revelation, complains
Even Muhammad, though he was the Prophet, complained
of his aorta's severing because of his meal.
Of the loss of his teeth as old age advanced
لاdo not تَغبِطَنَّever envy عَلىfor الهِباتِthe gifts فَإِنَّهاfor they are
لا تَغبِطَنَّ عَلى الهِباتِ فَإِنَّها
زَهرٌblossoms يَزولُfade مَعَwith الزَمانِthe season الأَزهَرِradiant
زَهرٌ يَزولُ مَعَ الزَمانِ الأَزهَرِ
Never envy others their gifts, for these are
Do not congratulate others on their gifts, for they
blossoms that fade with the radiant season.
Are flowers that fade with the brilliant season
وَالنَبتُand vegetation يَظهَرُappears لِعُيونِto eyes وَإِنand if مَضَتhas passed
وَالنَبتُ يَظهَرُ لِعُيونِ وَإِن مَضَت
سَنَةٌa year لَهُover it فَكَأَنَّهُthen it is as though it لَمnot يَظهَرِappeared
سَنَةٌ لَهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ لَم يَظهَرِ
And vegetation appears before the eyes; but if there passes
Though the plants disappear for a year, when they reappear
a year over it, it is as though it never appeared.
It is as if they never went away
فيin كُلِّevery عامٍyear تَستَهِلُّpour rain غَمائِمٌclouds
في كُلِّ عامٍ تَستَهِلُّ غَمائِمٌ
بِشَقائِقِwith anemones of النُعمانِal-Nuʿman أَوor بِالعَبهَرِwith narcissus
بِشَقائِقِ النُعمانِ أَو بِالعَبهَرِ
Every year clouds pour down
With the advent of each year, the rain clouds
Nuʿman's anemones or narcissus.
Herald the nuptial gladiolus or sweet basil
وَمِنَand among الرَزيَّةِmisfortune عاهِرٌa libertine مُتَوَهَّمٌmistakenly reckoned
وَمِنَ الرَزيَّةِ عاهِرٌ مُتَوَهَّمٌ
فيamong الناسِكينَthe devout وَناسِكٌand a devout person فيamong العُهَرِthe libertines
في الناسِكينَ وَناسِكٌ في العُهَرِ
And among misfortunes is a libertine mistakenly reckoned
Among the devout are imagined wantons
among the devout, and a devout man among libertines.
And among the debauched, seeming ascetics
وَمَحاسِنُand the beauties of الدُنِّياthe world الأَنيسُcompanions وَإِنَّماyet only
وَمَحاسِنُ الدُنِّيا الأَنيسُ وَإِنَّما
أَشباحُthe forms of سادَتِهِمtheir leaders أَهِلَّةُcrescent moons of أَشهُرِmonths
أَشباحُ سادَتِهِم أَهِلَّةُ أَشهُرِ
And the world's delights are companions; yet
The sweet charms of this world are only
the forms of their leaders are only monthly crescent moons.
Apparitions whose time is limited to a few months
وَإِذاand if أَرَدتُمyou desire لِلبَنينَfor sons كَرامَةًdignity
وَإِذا أَرَدتُم لِلبَنينَ كَرامَةً
فَالحَزمُthen prudence أَجمَعُin its entirety تَركُهُمleaving them فيin الأَظهُرِthe loins
فَالحَزمُ أَجمَعُ تَركُهُم في الأَظهُرِ
And if you desire dignity for your sons,
If you wish honor for your sons
then prudence, in its entirety, is to leave them in the loins.
The best is to leave them obscure
وَالرَأيُand sound judgment أَنthat تَدَعواyou leave الصَوارِمَthe sharp swords كُلَّهاall of them
وَالرَأيُ أَن تَدَعوا الصَوارِمَ كُلَّها
بِقُرىin the villages of المَشارِفِal-Masharif وَالرِماحَand the spears بِسَمهَرِin Samhar
بِقُرى المَشارِفِ وَالرِماحَ بِسَمهَرِ
And sound judgment is to leave all the sharp swords
My view is that you should mobilize all the swords
in the villages of al-Masharif, and the spears in Samhar.
In the border towns and the lances in Samhar
Sol 6.1