تَمَنَّيتُI wished أَنّيthat I مِنone of هِضابِthe hills of يَلَملَمِYalamlam
تَمَنَّيتُ أَنّي مِن هِضابِ يَلَملَمِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَتانيcame to me الرُزءُcalamity لَمdid not أَتَلَملَمِshrink back
إِذا ما أَتاني الرُزءُ لَم أَتَلَملَمِ
I wished I were one of Yalamlam’s hills;
when calamity came upon me, I would not flinch.
فَميmy mouth أَخَذَتtook مِنهُfrom it اللَياليthe nights وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
فَمي أَخَذَت مِنهُ اللَيالي وَإِنَّني
لَأَشرَبُindeed I drink مِنهُfrom it فيin إِناءٍa vessel مُثَلَّمِchipped at the rim
لَأَشرَبُ مِنهُ في إِناءٍ مُثَلَّمِ
The nights have robbed my mouth, and I
indeed drink from it as from a chipped vessel.
وَأَودىand did away بِظَلمِwith the luster of الثَغرِthe teeth صُبحٌdawn وَحِندِسٌand pitch-dark night
وَأَودى بِظَلمِ الثَغرِ صُبحٌ وَحِندِسٌ
مَتىwhenever يَنظُراthe two look فيinto نَيِّرِthe light of العَينِthe eye يُظلِمِit darkens
مَتى يَنظُرا في نَيِّرِ العَينِ يُظلِمِ
Dawn and pitch-dark night have destroyed my teeth’s luster;
whenever they look into the eye’s light, it darkens.
فَذاهِبُناso our departed كَالتُربِlike dust لَيسَis not بِناطِقٍable to speak
فَذاهِبُنا كَالتُربِ لَيسَ بِناطِقٍ
وَغابِرُناand our survivor مِثلُlike الأَسيرِthe captive المُكَلَّمِwounded
وَغابِرُنا مِثلُ الأَسيرِ المُكَلَّمِ
So our departed are like dust, unable to speak;
and those who remain are like a wounded captive.
يُحَبِّبُmakes dear دُنياناour world إِلَيناto us قَطينُهاits inhabitants
يُحَبِّبُ دُنيانا إِلَينا قَطينُها
فَمَنso whoever يَنَأَwithdraws عَنهُمfrom them يَسلُceases to long عَنهاfor it وَيَسلَمِand is safe
فَمَن يَنَأَ عَنهُم يَسلُ عَنها وَيَسلَمِ
Our world’s inhabitants endear it to us;
whoever withdraws from them ceases to long for it and is safe.
مَتىwhenever تَنفَرِدyou live apart لاnot تَغبِطِyou covet المالَwealth مُثرِياًbeing rich
مَتى تَنفَرِد لا تَغبِطِ المالَ مُثرِياً
وَتَستَغنِand become self-sufficient لاnot تَجهَلact rashly وَلاand not تَتَحَلَّمِfeign forbearance
وَتَستَغنِ لا تَجهَل وَلا تَتَحَلَّمِ
When you live apart, you covet no wealth, being rich;
and become self-sufficient, neither acting rashly nor feigning forbearance.
وَمِنand among شَأنِthe traits of هَذاthis الخَلقِhumankind غِشٌّdeceit وَظِنَّةٌand suspicion
وَمِن شَأنِ هَذا الخَلقِ غِشٌّ وَظِنَّةٌ
وَمَنand whoever يَتَقَرَّبdraws close مِنهُمُto them يَتَظَلَّمِcomplains of injustice
وَمَن يَتَقَرَّب مِنهُمُ يَتَظَلَّمِ
And deceit and suspicion are part of human nature;
whoever draws close to them complains of injustice.
فَإِنso if يَسأَلِasks الباقيthe survivor الثَرىthe soil عَنabout مَعاشِرٍcommunities
فَإِن يَسأَلِ الباقي الثَرى عَن مَعاشِرٍ
أَلَمَّتsettled بِهِin it يُخبَرis informed وَلاand does not يَتَكَلَّمِspeak
أَلَمَّت بِهِ يُخبَر وَلا يَتَكَلَّمِ
So if the survivor asks the soil about communities
that have settled in it, he is answered, though it does not speak.
وَكانَand was حُلولُthe dwelling of الروحِthe soul فيin الجِسمِthe body نَكبَةًa calamity
وَكانَ حُلولُ الروحِ في الجِسمِ نَكبَةً
عَلىon خَيرِthe best مَعياtrackless ground أَوor عَلىon شَرِّthe worst مَعلَمِmarked ground
عَلى خَيرِ مَعيا أَو عَلى شَرِّ مَعلَمِ
And the soul’s dwelling in the body was a calamity,
whether on the best trackless ground or the worst marked ground.
فَهَلso has كَفَّheld back وَقتٌa time لَمdid not يَكُنbe لِعُطارِدٍfor Mercury
فَهَل كَفَّ وَقتٌ لَم يَكُن لِعُطارِدٍ
شَباthe sharp edge of ظُفُرٍa nail فيon الأَربِعاءِWednesday مُقَلَّمِclipped
شَبا ظُفُرٍ في الأَربِعاءِ مُقَلَّمِ
So has time ever held back when Mercury did not have
even the sharp edge of a nail clipped on Wednesday?
هِيَit الدارُthe dwelling يَثويهاhe inhabits it الفَتىthe young man ثُمَّthen يَغتَديsets out in the morning
هِيَ الدارُ يَثويها الفَتى ثُمَّ يَغتَدي
وَيَترُكُهاand leaves it لِلوارِثِto the heir المُتَسَلِّمِtaking possession
وَيَترُكُها لِلوارِثِ المُتَسَلِّمِ
It is the dwelling a young man inhabits, then leaves in the morning,
and leaves it to the heir who takes possession.
Sol 6.1