إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle مَضىhas passed نَفَسٌa breath فَإِحسَبنَهُthen reckon it
إِذا ما مَضى نَفَسٌ فَإِحسَبنَهُ
كَالخَيطِlike a thread مِنfrom ثَوبِthe garment of عُمرٍa lifetime نَهَجthreadbare
كَالخَيطِ مِن ثَوبِ عُمرٍ نَهَج
Whenever a breath passes, reckon it
as a thread from life's threadbare garment.
وَإِنand if هاجَكَprovokes you الدَهرُTime فَاِصبِرthen be patient لَهُwith it
وَإِن هاجَكَ الدَهرُ فَاِصبِر لَهُ
وَعِشand live ذاpossessing وَقارٍdignity كَأَنas though لَمnot تُهَجyou were provoked
وَعِش ذا وَقارٍ كَأَن لَم تُهَج
And if Time provokes you, bear it patiently,
and live with dignity, as though you had not been provoked.
فَكَمfor many an جَمرَةٍember خَمَدَتdied down فَاِنقَضَتthen perished
فَكَم جَمرَةٍ خَمَدَت فَاِنقَضَت
وَكانَand there was لَهاfor it مُنذُago حينٍa while وَهَجa blaze
وَكانَ لَها مُنذُ حينٍ وَهَج
For many an ember has died down and perished,
though a while before it had blazed.
فَياso, O قائِدَcommander of الجَيشِthe army خَفِّضease up عَلَيكَon yourself
فَيا قائِدَ الجَيشِ خَفِّض عَلَيكَ
فيfor غَيرِother than حَظِّكَyour gain يَعلوrises الرَهَجthe battle-dust
في غَيرِ حَظِّكَ يَعلو الرَهَج
So, commander of the army, spare yourself:
the battle-dust rises for no gain of yours.
زَمانٌTime حَباكَbestowed upon you قَليلَlittle العَطاءِbounty
زَمانٌ حَباكَ قَليلَ العَطاءِ
ماnot زالَceased يُكثِرُincreases أَخذَthe taking of المُهَجlives
ما زالَ يُكثِرُ أَخذَ المُهَج
Time, which bestowed so little upon you,
has never ceased taking lives in plenty.
فَلاso do not تودِdestroy أَنفُسَناour lives حَسبُناenough for us
فَلا تودِ أَنفُسَنا حَسبُنا
قَضاءٌa fate لَهُit has بِأَذاناwith harming us لَهَجan obsession
قَضاءٌ لَهُ بِأَذانا لَهَج
So do not destroy our lives; enough for us
is a fate obsessed with harming us.
أَعِنhelp باكِياًone who weeps لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيin حِزنِهِhis grief
أَعِن باكِياً لَجَّ في حِزنِهِ
وَسَلand ask ضاحِكَthe laughing one among القَومِthe people مِمَّfrom what اِبتَهَجhe rejoiced
وَسَل ضاحِكَ القَومِ مِمَّ اِبتَهَج
Help one who weeps, persisting in his grief,
and ask the laughing one among the people what brought him joy.
وَعالَمُناand our world المُنتَهيat its end كَالصَبيِّlike a child
وَعالَمُنا المُنتَهي كَالصَبيِّ
قيلَit was said لَهُto him فيat اِبتِداءٍthe outset تَهَجّspell
قيلَ لَهُ في اِبتِداءٍ تَهَجّ
And our world, at its end, is like a child
told at the outset, 'Spell!'
Sol 6.1