لاno عِلمَknowledge ليfor me بِمَwith what يُختَمُis ended العُمرُthe lifespan
لا عِلمَ لي بِمَ يُختَمُ العُمرُ
شَجَرُtrees الحَياةِof life لَهُfor it الرَدىdeath ثُمرُfruit
شَجَرُ الحَياةِ لَهُ الرَدى ثُمرُ
I do not know how life will end.
Life's trees bear death as their fruit.
تُغنيكَspare you ساعاتٌhours مُواشِكَةٌfast-approaching
تُغنيكَ ساعاتٌ مُواشِكَةٌ
عَمّاfrom what تَقولُsay البيضُthe bright swords وَالسُمرُand the dusky spears
عَمّا تَقولُ البيضُ وَالسُمرُ
Fast-approaching hours will spare you
what bright swords and dusky spears have to say.
وَالإِنسُand humankind تَهوىyou desire قُربَهاtheir nearness أَنساًfor companionship
وَالإِنسُ تَهوى قُربَها أَنساً
وَكَأَنَّهاand as though they were الآسادُthe lions وَالنُمرُand the leopards
وَكَأَنَّها الآسادُ وَالنُمرُ
And you crave humankind's company for comfort,
yet they are like lions and leopards.
حَجَّبتَyou veiled عَقلَكَyour reason عَنfrom مُحاوَرَةٍdiscourse
حَجَّبتَ عَقلَكَ عَن مُحاوَرَةٍ
بِالخَمرِwith wine وَهيَand it is لِمِثلِهِfor the likes of it خُمرُveils
بِالخَمرِ وَهيَ لِمِثلِهِ خُمرُ
You have barred your reason from discourse
with wine, which veils minds like yours.
مَنwhoever سَرَّهُpleases him بُدنٌstoutness يَعيشُhe lives بِهِwith it
مَن سَرَّهُ بُدنٌ يَعيشُ بِهِ
فَسُرورِيَthen my delight التَلويحُwasting وَالضُمرُand leanness
فَسُرورِيَ التَلويحُ وَالضُمرُ
Whoever delights in the stoutness he lives with—
my delight is wasting and leanness.
لَيلٌnight يَجُنُّenshrouds وَفيand in حَنادِسِهِits deepest darkness
لَيلٌ يَجُنُّ وَفي حَنادِسِهِ
قَمَرٌa moon تَجاوَلَwheeled about تَحتَهُbeneath it قُمرُturtle doves
قَمَرٌ تَجاوَلَ تَحتَهُ قُمرُ
Night falls, and in its deepest gloom
is a moon beneath which turtle doves wheel.
وَالسودُand the dark ones فيin الهَبواتِthe dust clouds يَكشِفُهاdispel them
وَالسودُ في الهَبواتِ يَكشِفُها
خُضرُgreen المُتونِbacks صُدورُهاtheir breasts حُمرُred
خُضرُ المُتونِ صُدورُها حُمرُ
And the dark shapes amid the dust clouds are dispelled
by green-backed swords whose breasts are red.
وَالناسُand people فيin تيهٍbewildered wandering بِلاwithout أَمَرٍa landmark
وَالناسُ في تيهٍ بِلا أَمَرٍ
وَاللَهُand God يُفصَلُis decided عِندَهُwith Him الأَمرُthe matter
وَاللَهُ يُفصَلُ عِندَهُ الأَمرُ
And people wander bewildered, without a landmark;
with God the matter is decided.
وَتَكَشَّفُand reveal الغَمراتُthe overwhelming trials عَنabout رَجُلٍa man
وَتَكَشَّفُ الغَمراتُ عَن رَجُلٍ
وَهوَand he is الجَهولُthe ignorant one بِشَأنِهِof his own condition الغُمرُthe inexperienced one
وَهوَ الجَهولُ بِشَأنِهِ الغُمرُ
And engulfing trials reveal a man
who is ignorant of his own condition, unseasoned.
آلَيتُI have sworn ماnot فيin جيلِناour generation أَحَدٌanyone
آلَيتُ ما في جيلِنا أَحَدٌ
يُختارُis chosen لاnot زَيدٌZayd وَلاnor عَمروAmr
يُختارُ لا زَيدٌ وَلا عَمرو
I have sworn: in our generation there is no one
fit to be chosen—not Zayd, nor Amr.
عُمناwe swam عَلىin search of دُرٍّpearls فَأَعوزَناbut they eluded us
عُمنا عَلى دُرٍّ فَأَعوزَنا
إِنَّindeed الجَواهِرَthe gems دونَهاbefore them الغَمرُthe deep water
إِنَّ الجَواهِرَ دونَها الغَمرُ
We swam in search of pearls, but they eluded us;
for deep waters bar the way to the gems.
وَأَرىand I see المَعاشِرَcommunities فيin غَرائِزِهِمtheir innate natures
وَأَرى المَعاشِرَ في غَرائِزِهِم
سوءُevil الطِباعِof dispositions الخَتلُdeceit وَالقَمرُand gambling
سوءُ الطِباعِ الخَتلُ وَالقَمرُ
And I see in people's inborn natures
evil dispositions, deceit, and gambling.
نارٌfire فَمَيتُهُمُso their dead الرَمادُthe ashes هَباscattered dust
نارٌ فَمَيتُهُمُ الرَمادُ هَبا
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَحياؤُهُمtheir living جَمرُglowing coals
وَكَأَنَّما أَحياؤُهُم جَمرُ
They are fire: their dead are ashes, scattered dust,
while their living seem like glowing coals.
وَتَشوقُنيand awakens my longing فيin الجِنحِnight's gloom زامِرَةٌa piping bird
وَتَشوقُني في الجِنحِ زامِرَةٌ
ماnot دينُهاher way لَعِبٌplay وَلاnor زَمرُflute-playing
ما دينُها لَعِبٌ وَلا زَمرُ
And a piping bird in night's gloom awakens my longing,
whose way is neither play nor flute-playing.
أَينَwhere الَّذينَthose who كَلامُهُمtheir speech أَبَداًalways
أَينَ الَّذينَ كَلامُهُم أَبَداً
قَطرُrain الجَهامِfrom rainless clouds وَجودُهُمand their generosity هَمرُa downpour
قَطرُ الجَهامِ وَجودُهُم هَمرُ
Where are those whose speech is always
rain from a rainless cloud, whose generosity is a downpour?
إِنif يَغمِروكَthey overwhelm you بِنائِلٍwith a gift وَنَدىًand bounty
إِن يَغمِروكَ بِنائِلٍ وَنَدىً
مِنهُمfrom them فَماthen there is no بِصُدورِهِمin their breasts غِمرُrancor
مِنهُم فَما بِصُدورِهِم غِمرُ
If they overwhelm you with gifts and bounty
from them, their breasts harbor no rancor.
لَيسَthere is not اِمرُؤٌa man فيin العَصرِthe age أَعلَمُهُwhom I know
لَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ في العَصرِ أَعلَمُهُ
إِلّاexcept وَباطِنُand the inward part أَمرِهِof his affair إِمرُa dreadful thing
إِلّا وَباطِنُ أَمرِهِ إِمرُ
There is no man I know in this age
whose hidden nature is not a dreadful thing.
أَمّاas for اللَئيمُthe base man فَعِندَهُthen he has حُلَلٌfine robes
أَمّا اللَئيمُ فَعِندَهُ حُلَلٌ
وَغَداand has become الكَريمُthe noble man وَثَوبُهُand his garment طِمرُa rag
وَغَدا الكَريمُ وَثَوبُهُ طِمرُ
As for the base man, he has fine robes;
while the noble man has come to wear a rag.
طَمَرَleapt الجَهولُthe ignoramus إِلىto مَراتِبِهِhis ranks
طَمَرَ الجَهولُ إِلى مَراتِبِهِ
ثُمَّthen اِنثَنىturned back وَحِباؤُهُand his reward طَمرُabundant
ثُمَّ اِنثَنى وَحِباؤُهُ طَمرُ
The ignoramus leapt up to his ranks,
then turned back, his reward abundant.
Sol 6.1