لاno خَيرَgood فيin الدُنياthis world وَإِنand even if أَلهىdiverted الفَتىthe youth
لا خَيرَ في الدُنيا وَإِن أَلهى الفَتى
فيهاin it مَثانٍsecond lute strings أُيَّدَتwere reinforced بِمَثالِثِwith third lute strings
فيها مَثانٍ أُيَّدَت بِمَثالِثِ
There is no good in this world, though the young man be beguiled
There is no good in this world, though the youth is beguiled
there by second strings reinforced with thirds.
there by second lute strings reinforced with third strings.
شَرُّthe evil of الحَياةِlife بَسيطَةٌan expanse of earth مَذمومَةٌblameworthy
شَرُّ الحَياةِ بَسيطَةٌ مَذمومَةٌ
عَمَدَتdeliberately aimed لَهاat it بِالسوءِwith harm كَفُّthe hand of الغالِثِthe corrupter
عَمَدَت لَها بِالسوءِ كَفُّ الغالِثِ
The worst of life is one stretched out—basīṭ—blameworthy,
Life’s evil is a blameworthy expanse of earth,
against which the spoiler’s hand deliberately works its harm.
which the corrupter’s hand has deliberately sought to harm;
وَسَلامَةٌand safety كَسَلامَةِlike the soundness of الجُزءِthe metrical foot الَّذيthat
وَسَلامَةٌ كَسَلامَةِ الجُزءِ الَّذي
بِالضَربِin the metrical ending لُزَّwas wedged مِنَof الطَويلِthe Ṭawīl meter الثالِثِthe third
بِالضَربِ لُزَّ مِنَ الطَويلِ الثالِثِ
And well-being is like the soundness of the part which
and safety like the soundness of the metrical foot that
was crushed by blows from the third tall one—al-Ṭawīl’s third ḍarb.
was wedged into the Ṭawīl meter’s third ending.
Sol 6.1