شَكَوتُI complained مِنof أَهلِthe people of هَذاthis العَصرِage غَدرَهُمُtheir treachery
شَكَوتُ مِن أَهلِ هَذا العَصرِ غَدرَهُمُ
لاdo not تُنكِرَنbe surprised فَعَلىfor upon هَذاthis مَضىwent السَلفُthe predecessors
لا تُنكِرَن فَعَلى هَذا مَضى السَلفُ
I complained of the treachery of the people of this age.
Do not be surprised: their forebears went the same way.
وَماand not اِعتِرافيmy acknowledgment بِعَيبِof the flaw of الجِنسِhumankind مَنقَصَةًa disgrace
وَما اِعتِرافي بِعَيبِ الجِنسِ مَنقَصَةً
وَالعَينُand the wide-eyed يُعرَفُis recognized فيin آنافِهاtheir noses الذَلَفُsnubness
وَالعَينُ يُعرَفُ في آنافِها الذَلَفُ
And admitting our kind's flaw is no disgrace;
even the wide-eyed are known to have snub noses.
وَالإِلفُand the close companion هانَbecame insignificant لَهُto him أَمريmy standing فَقَصَّرَنيso he belittled me
وَالإِلفُ هانَ لَهُ أَمري فَقَصَّرَني
كَماjust as تَهونُis of little account عَلىto ذيone possessing المَنطِقِspeech الأَلِفُthe letter alif
كَما تَهونُ عَلى ذي المَنطِقِ الأَلِفُ
My close companion held me cheap and belittled me,
as the alif is of little account to a speaker.
أَمسىhas become النِفاقُhypocrisy دُروعاًsuits of armor يُستَجَنُّshelter is sought بِهاwith them
أَمسى النِفاقُ دُروعاً يُستَجَنُّ بِها
مِنَfrom الأَذىharm وَيُقَوّيand strengthens سَردَهاtheir interwoven links الحَلِفُoath-taking
مِنَ الأَذى وَيُقَوّي سَردَها الحَلِفُ
Hypocrisy has become suits of armor in which one shelters
from harm, and oaths reinforce their links.
أُفنيI use up زَمانيmy lifetime بِأَنفاسٍin breaths كَماjust as قَطَعَتtraversed
أُفني زَماني بِأَنفاسٍ كَما قَطَعَت
مَداًa distance بَعيداًfar مَواشٍgrazing beasts فيin السُرىnight travel دُلُفُslow-stepping
مَداً بَعيداً مَواشٍ في السُرى دُلُفُ
I use up my lifetime breath by breath, like the crossing
of a great distance by slow-stepping beasts traveling by night.
إِذاwhen تَخَلَّفَتI fell behind أَوor خُلِّفتُI was left behind عَنshort of أَمَلٍa hope
إِذا تَخَلَّفَت أَو خُلِّفتُ عَن أَمَلٍ
سَلّىsoothed هُمومِيَmy worries أَنّيthat I لَيسَthere is not ليfor me خَلَفُoffspring
سَلّى هُمومِيَ أَنّي لَيسَ لي خَلَفُ
When I fall short of a hope, or am held back from it,
the fact that I have no offspring soothes my worries.
تُرجىis desired الحَياةُlife إِذاwhen كانَتit is مُوَدَّعَةًat ease
تُرجى الحَياةُ إِذا كانَت مُوَدَّعَةً
وَقَلَّand scarce is خَيرُthe good of حَياةٍa life حَشوهاits contents كُلَفُburdens
وَقَلَّ خَيرُ حَياةٍ حَشوها كُلَفُ
Life is desired when it is lived at ease;
there is little good in a life filled with burdens.
لَمdid not يَمضpass كَونٌan occurrence مِنَamong الأَكوانِoccurrences فيin زَمَنٍa time
لَم يَمض كَونٌ مِنَ الأَكوانِ في زَمَنٍ
عَلَيَّto me إِلّاexcept بِهِthrough it لِلحَتفِto death أَزدَلِفُI draw nearer
عَلَيَّ إِلّا بِهِ لِلحَتفِ أَزدَلِفُ
No event has ever happened at any time
to me without my drawing nearer to death through it.
فَحَسِّنِso make fair الوَعدَthe promise بِالإيجازِwith promptness تُتبِعُهُyou make follow it
فَحَسِّنِ الوَعدَ بِالإيجازِ تُتبِعُهُ
إِذاwhen مَواعِدُthe promises of قَومٍa people شَأنُهاtheir usual way الخُلُفُnonfulfillment
إِذا مَواعِدُ قَومٍ شَأنُها الخُلُفُ
So grace a promise by following it with prompt fulfillment,
when a people's promises are habitually broken.
إِنّاindeed we اِئتَلَفناwere united لِأَنَّbecause اللَهَGod رَكَّبَناcompounded us
إِنّا اِئتَلَفنا لِأَنَّ اللَهَ رَكَّبَنا
مِنfrom أَربَعٍfour ثُمَّthen صِرناwe came to be بَعدُafterward نَختَلِفُwe differ
مِن أَربَعٍ ثُمَّ صِرنا بَعدُ نَختَلِفُ
We were united because God compounded us
of four elements; then afterward we came to differ.
رَأىthought بَنوthe sons of الحَزمِprudence أَنَّthat العَيشَlife فائِدَةٌa benefit
رَأى بَنو الحَزمِ أَنَّ العَيشَ فائِدَةٌ
حَتّىuntil اِستَبانواthey saw clearly فَقالواthen they said حَبَّذاhow welcome التَلَفُdeath
حَتّى اِستَبانوا فَقالوا حَبَّذا التَلَفُ
Men of sound judgment thought life a benefit,
until they saw clearly and said, 'How welcome is death!'
وَقَلَّماand seldom تَسكُنُdwell الأَضغانُgrudges فيin خَلَدٍa heart
وَقَلَّما تَسكُنُ الأَضغانُ في خَلَدٍ
إِلّاexcept وَفيand on وَجهِthe face of مَنthe one who يَسعىgoes about بِهاwith them كَلَفُskin blotches
إِلّا وَفي وَجهِ مَن يَسعى بِها كَلَفُ
And seldom do grudges settle in a heart
without dark blotches on the face of the one who carries them.
Sol 6.1