مَطِيَّتِيَmy mount الوَقتُtime الَّذيwhich ماnot اِمتَطَيتُهُI mounted it
مَطِيَّتِيَ الوَقتُ الَّذي ما اِمتَطَيتُهُ
بِوِدّيof my own will وَلَكِنَّbut المُهَيمِنَthe All-Overseeing أَمطانيset me upon it
بِوِدّي وَلَكِنَّ المُهَيمِنَ أَمطاني
Time is my mount, though I did not mount it
of my own will; but the All-Overseeing set me upon it.
وَماand not أَحَدٌanyone مُعطِيَّa giver to me وَاللَهُwhile God حارِميwithholds from me
وَما أَحَدٌ مُعطِيَّ وَاللَهُ حارِمي
وَلاnor حارِميone withholding from me شَيئاًanything إِذاif هُوَHe أَعطانيhas given me
وَلا حارِمي شَيئاً إِذا هُوَ أَعطاني
No one can give to me while God withholds from me,
nor withhold a thing from me if He has given it to me.
هُماthey two الفَتَيانِthe two youths اِستَولَياgained dominion بِتَعاقُبٍby alternation
هُما الفَتَيانِ اِستَولَيا بِتَعاقُبٍ
وَماand not لَهُماfor the two of them لُبٌّreason فَكَيفَso how يَشُطّانِcan they both act unjustly
وَما لَهُما لُبٌّ فَكَيفَ يَشُطّانِ
They are the two youths, holding sway by turns;
they have no reason, so how can they act unjustly?
إِذاwhen مَضَياthey both pass لَمnot يَرجِعاdo they both return وَتَلاهُماand followed them both
إِذا مَضَيا لَم يَرجِعا وَتَلاهُما
نَظيرانِtwo counterparts بِالمُستَودَعاتِto entrusted things يُلِطّانِthey both cling
نَظيرانِ بِالمُستَودَعاتِ يُلِطّانِ
When they pass, they never return, and after them come
two counterparts, clinging to entrusted things.
وَكُلَّand every غَنِيٍّwealthy man يَسلُبانِthey both strip مِنَof الغِنىwealth
وَكُلَّ غَنِيٍّ يَسلُبانِ مِنَ الغِنى
وَكُلَّand every كَمِيٍّarmored warrior عَنfrom جَوادٍa steed يَحُطّانِthey both bring down
وَكُلَّ كَمِيٍّ عَن جَوادٍ يَحُطّانِ
They strip every rich man of his wealth,
and bring every armored champion down from his steed.
وَكَمand how often نَزَلاthey both alighted فيin مَهمَهٍa trackless waste وَتَحَمَّلاand they both departed
وَكَم نَزَلا في مَهمَهٍ وَتَحَمَّلا
بِغَيرِwithout حَسيسٍa sound عَنfrom جِبالٍmountains وَغيطانِand lowlands
بِغَيرِ حَسيسٍ عَن جِبالٍ وَغيطانِ
How often they have alighted in a trackless waste and departed
soundlessly from mountains and lowlands.
وَماand not حَمَلاhave they both carried رَحلَينِtwo saddles طَوراًever فَيُؤنِساthus make themselves heard
وَما حَمَلا رَحلَينِ طَوراً فَيُؤنِسا
إِذاwhen حَفَزَdrives onward الوَشكُhaste الرِحالَthe saddles يَئِطّانِthey both creak
إِذا حَفَزَ الوَشكُ الرِحالَ يَئِطّانِ
They have never borne two saddles, to make themselves heard
creaking when haste drives the saddles onward.
وَيَبتِرَيانِand they both pare away العَظمَbone وَالنَحضَand flesh ذائِباًmelting away
وَيَبتِرَيانِ العَظمَ وَالنَحضَ ذائِباً
لِيَنتَقِياهُto pick it clean وَالأَديمَand the hide يَعِطّانِthey both tear
لِيَنتَقِياهُ وَالأَديمَ يَعِطّانِ
They pare away bone and melting flesh,
to pick it clean, and they tear the hide.
وَقَدand indeed خَطَراthey both strutted فَحلَينِas two stallions لَوif زالَwere removed عَنهُماfrom them both
وَقَد خَطَرا فَحلَينِ لَو زالَ عَنهُما
غِطاءٌa covering لَكاناthe two would be بِالوَعيدِwith threats يَغِطّانِthey both bellow
غِطاءٌ لَكانا بِالوَعيدِ يَغِطّانِ
They have strutted as two stallions; if from them
a covering were lifted, they would bellow threats.
وَماand not بَرِحاhave the two ceased وَالصَمتُwhile silence مِنamong شيمَتَيهِماtheir respective traits
وَما بَرِحا وَالصَمتُ مِن شيمَتَيهِما
يَقُصّانِthey both recount فيناamong us عِبرَةًa lesson أَوor يَخُطّانِthey both inscribe
يَقُصّانِ فينا عِبرَةً أَو يَخُطّانِ
They have never ceased—though silence is their nature—
recounting a lesson among us, or writing it down.
وَقَدand indeed شَهَراthey both unsheathed سَيفَينِtwo swords فيin كُلِّevery مَعشَرٍcompany
وَقَد شَهَرا سَيفَينِ في كُلِّ مَعشَرٍ
يَقُدّانِthey both cut lengthwise ماwhatever هَمّاthey both intend بِهِagainst it أَوor يَقُطّانِthey both cut crosswise
يَقُدّانِ ما هَمّا بِهِ أَو يَقُطّانِ
They have unsheathed two swords in every company,
slitting lengthwise whatever they aim at, or cutting it across.
لَغَيرُكَsurely, someone other than you بِالقُرطانِfor clover fodder أَولىmore fit مِنَthan اِنto يَرىbe seen
لَغَيرُكَ بِالقُرطانِ أَولى مِنَ اِن يَرى
وَشَنَفانِand two upper-ear ornaments فيin الأُذُنَينِthe two ears مِنهُof his وَقُرطانِand two earrings
وَشَنَفانِ في الأُذُنَينِ مِنهُ وَقُرطانِ
Someone other than you is fitter for fodder than to be seen
with two upper-ear jewels and two pendants in his ears.
تُريدُyou desire مَقاماًan abode دائِماًpermanent وَمَسَرَّةٌand happiness
تُريدُ مَقاماً دائِماً وَمَسَرَّةٌ
بِدارِin an abode of هُمومٍsorrows لَمnot تَكُنwas it دارَan abode for قُطّانِsettled inhabitants
بِدارِ هُمومٍ لَم تَكُن دارَ قُطّانِ
You desire a lasting abode and happiness
in a house of sorrows that was never a home for settlers.
وَماand not زالَceased شَرطٌa condition يُفسِدُinvalidates البَيعَthe sale واحِدٌa single
وَما زالَ شَرطٌ يُفسِدُ البَيعَ واحِدٌ
فَماthen what بالُهُis its state لَمّاwhen تَظاهَرَjoined forces شَرطانِtwo conditions
فَما بالُهُ لَمّا تَظاهَرَ شَرطانِ
One condition has always invalidated a sale;
what, then, becomes of it when two conditions join forces?
لَقَدindeed خَدَعَتنيshe deceived me أُمُّUmm (Mother of) دَفرٍDafr (stench; the world's epithet) وَأَصبَحَتand she became
لَقَد خَدَعَتني أُمُّ دَفرٍ وَأَصبَحَت
مُؤَيِّدَةًempowered مِنfrom أُمِّUmm (Mother of) لَيلىLayla (in wine's epithet) بِسُلطانِwith authority
مُؤَيِّدَةً مِن أُمِّ لَيلى بِسُلطانِ
Umm Dafr has deceived me, and now stands
strengthened by Umm Layla's power.
إِذاif أَخَذَتtakes قِسطاًa share مِنَof العَقلِreason هَذِهِthis one
إِذا أَخَذَت قِسطاً مِنَ العَقلِ هَذِهِ
فَتِلكَthen that one لَهاhas فيin ضِلَّةِthe delusion of المَرءِa person قِسطانِtwo shares
فَتِلكَ لَها في ضِلَّةِ المَرءِ قِسطانِ
If this one takes a share of reason,
that one has two shares in a person's delusion.
دَعاوىclaims أُناسٍof people توجِبُarouse الشَكَّdoubt فيهِمُabout them
دَعاوى أُناسٍ توجِبُ الشَكَّ فيهِمُ
وَأَخطَأَنيand missed me غَيثُthe rain of الحِجىreason وَتَخَطّانيand passed me by
وَأَخطَأَني غَيثُ الحِجى وَتَخَطّاني
People's claims arouse suspicion of them;
and the rain of reason has missed me and passed me by.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَعشىAʿsha هوذَةَHawdha اِهتاجَbecame stirred يَدَّعيclaiming
أَلَم تَرَ أَعشى هوذَةَ اِهتاجَ يَدَّعي
مَعونَتَهُthe aid given him عِندَat المَقالِutterance بِشَيطانِthrough a demon
مَعونَتَهُ عِندَ المَقالِ بِشَيطانِ
Have you not seen Aʿsha of Hawdha, roused to claim
that a demon aided him in his utterance?
يُرادُis intended بِناfor us المَجدُglory الرَفيعُlofty بِزَعمِناas we claim
يُرادُ بِنا المَجدُ الرَفيعُ بِزَعمِنا
وَنَختارُand we choose لَبثاًa stay فيin وَبيلَةِunwholesome أَوطانِhomelands
وَنَختارُ لَبثاً في وَبيلَةِ أَوطانِ
We are meant for lofty glory, so we claim,
yet choose to linger in unwholesome homelands.
كَأَنَّاas though we غُروبٌbuckets مُكرَهاتٌforced عَلىtoward العُلىthe heights
كَأَنَّا غُروبٌ مُكرَهاتٌ عَلى العُلى
تُمَدُّare drawn إِلىto أَعلىthe top of الرَكِيِّthe well بِأَشطانِby ropes
تُمَدُّ إِلى أَعلى الرَكِيِّ بِأَشطانِ
As though we were buckets forced toward the heights,
hauled to the wellhead by ropes.
وَماand not العَيشُlife إِلّاexcept لُجَّةٌa deep sea ذاتُpossessing غَمرَةٍengulfing depths
وَما العَيشُ إِلّا لُجَّةٌ ذاتُ غَمرَةٍ
لَهاit has مَولِدُthe birth of الإِنسانِthe human being وَالمَوتُand death شَطّانِtwo shores
لَها مَولِدُ الإِنسانِ وَالمَوتُ شَطّانِ
Life is nothing but a deep sea of engulfing waters;
human birth and death are its two shores.
فَأَحسِنhow lovely, then بِدُنياكَyour world المُسيئَةِthe ill-treating إِذwhen بَدَتshe appeared
فَأَحسِن بِدُنياكَ المُسيئَةِ إِذ بَدَت
عَلَيهاupon her وِشاحٌa sash مِنof نُجومٍstars وَسِمطانِand two necklaces
عَلَيها وِشاحٌ مِن نُجومٍ وَسِمطانِ
How lovely, then, your cruel world, when she appears
with a sash of stars upon her, and two necklaces!
وَكَمand many a واسِعِpossessor of spacious الأَعطانِdwelling grounds تَجزَعُis anxious نَفسُهُhis soul
وَكَم واسِعِ الأَعطانِ تَجزَعُ نَفسُهُ
وَرَحبِand broad فُؤادٍof heart آلِفٍaccustomed to ضيقَcrampedness of أَعطانِdwelling grounds
وَرَحبِ فُؤادٍ آلِفٍ ضيقَ أَعطانِ
Many a man with spacious quarters is anxious at heart,
and many a broad-hearted man is used to cramped quarters.
وَمَنand who ليfor me بِجونٍwith black sandgrouse عِندَbeside كُدرٍgray sandgrouse بِقَفرَةٍin a wilderness
وَمَن لي بِجونٍ عِندَ كُدرٍ بِقَفرَةٍ
كَأَنَّهُماas though the two مِنfrom آلِthe house of يَعقوبَJacob سِبطانِtwo tribes
كَأَنَّهُما مِن آلِ يَعقوبَ سِبطانِ
Who can grant me black sandgrouse beside gray ones in a wilderness,
as though they were two tribes of Jacob's house?
يُجَرُّare trailed بِهاthere المِرطانِthe two cloaks مِنof يَمَنِيَّةٍYemeni cloth
يُجَرُّ بِها المِرطانِ مِن يَمَنِيَّةٍ
عَلىupon كُلِّevery غَبراءَdust-gray الأَفاحيصِnesting-scrapes مِرطانِtwo cloaks
عَلى كُلِّ غَبراءَ الأَفاحيصِ مِرطانِ
There two cloaks of Yemeni cloth trail;
each bird with dust-gray nesting-scrapes wears two cloaks.
تَخالُyou would fancy بِهاthere مَسعىًa hatchling مِنَof الصِلِّthe cobra مُسقَطاًdropped
تَخالُ بِها مَسعىً مِنَ الصِلِّ مُسقَطاً
مِنَfrom السوطِthe whip وَالعَينانِand the two eyes فيin الجُنحِthe darkness سِقطانِtwo sparks
مِنَ السوطِ وَالعَينانِ في الجُنحِ سِقطانِ
There you might fancy a cobra's hatchling dropped
from the whip, while the two eyes are sparks in the gloom.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنجَلىbecomes clear خَيطُthe thread of الصَباحِmorning تَبَيَّنَتcome into view
إِذا ما اِنجَلى خَيطُ الصَباحِ تَبَيَّنَت
حِبالُridges of رِمالٍsand ذاتُbearing عُفرٍpale gazelles وَخيطانِand ostrich flocks
حِبالُ رِمالٍ ذاتُ عُفرٍ وَخيطانِ
When morning's thread is revealed, there come into view
ridges of sand with pale gazelles and ostrich flocks.
Sol 6.1