الحَظُّfortune يُقسَمُis apportioned عاشَlived بِشرٌBishr ماnot اِشتَكىcomplained
الحَظُّ يُقسَمُ عاشَ بِشرٌ ما اِشتَكى
نَظَراًsight وَعُمِّرَand was granted long life أَكمَهاًblind from birth بَشّارُBashshar
نَظَراً وَعُمِّرَ أَكمَهاً بَشّارُ
Fortune is apportioned: Bishr lived without complaint
Fate divides fortune, a man lived happy, with no complaints
about his sight, while Bashshar lived long, blind from birth.
Though blind, yet blessed with life, like flowers in spring.
وَهيَand they are الحَوادِثُevents عُوَّذٌnewly calved she-camels وَلَواقِحٌand pregnant she-camels
وَهيَ الحَوادِثُ عُوَّذٌ وَلَواقِحٌ
وَشَوائِلٌand dry she-camels وَحَوائِلٌand nonpregnant she-camels وَعِشارُand she-camels ten months pregnant
وَشَوائِلٌ وَحَوائِلٌ وَعِشارُ
And events are newly calved she-camels and pregnant ones,
Events can protect us or cause us harm,
and dry ones, nonpregnant ones, and those ten months with young.
Bringing problems and solutions in their wing.
كَمhow much شُرنَthey gathered مِنof أَريٍhoney يَكونُis مَقيلُهُits midday resting place
كَم شُرنَ مِن أَريٍ يَكونُ مَقيلُهُ
ثَغراًa mouth يُشارُa gesture is made لَهُtoward it وَلَيسَand is not يُشارُharvested for honey
ثَغراً يُشارُ لَهُ وَلَيسَ يُشارُ
How much honey they have gathered, whose resting place is
Many a palace of bliss becomes a house of grief,
a mouth pointed to, yet not harvested for honey.
Once envied, now pitied, such twistings does fortune bring.
وَالفَقرُand poverty مَوتٌdeath غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat حَليفَهُits companion
وَالفَقرُ مَوتٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ حَليفَهُ
يُرجىis hoped for لَهُfor him بِتَمَوُّلٍthrough acquiring wealth إِنشارُresurrection
يُرجى لَهُ بِتَمَوُّلٍ إِنشارُ
And poverty is death, except that its companion
Poverty is death, though we hope sustenance will come,
may hope for resurrection through acquiring wealth.
Through charity life flows for the perishing.
وَنَرىand we deem مُباشَرَةَdirect contact with التُرابِthe dust مَهانَةًa humiliation
وَنَرى مُباشَرَةَ التُرابِ مَهانَةً
وَإِلَيهِand to it تَرجِعُreturn هَذِهِthese الأَبشارُskins
وَإِلَيهِ تَرجِعُ هَذِهِ الأَبشارُ
And we deem direct contact with the dust a humiliation,
We see labor as lowly, yet to dust we shall return,
yet to it these skins return.
As these bodies to earth their spirits will wing.
قَدindeed ضَنَّwas stingy مَنone who رُزِقَwas granted الغِنىwealth بِزَكاتِهِwith his alms-tax
قَد ضَنَّ مَن رُزِقَ الغِنى بِزَكاتِهِ
وَغَداand he has become فَلاso no فَلحٌsuccess وَلاand no تِعشارُa tithe
وَغَدا فَلا فَلحٌ وَلا تِعشارُ
One granted wealth has begrudged his alms-tax,
One hoards wealth, gives no alms, thus no gain comes his way,
and now there is neither success nor a tithe.
When vines are untended, no fruit will they bring.
لَمdid not يُعطِgive رُبعَa quarter العُشرِa tenth مِنof أَوراقِهِhis silver coins
لَم يُعطِ رُبعَ العُشرِ مِن أَوراقِهِ
فَتُرامَso they might be sought مِنfrom سَقيِthe watering of الحَياthe rain أَعشارُtithes
فَتُرامَ مِن سَقيِ الحَيا أَعشارُ
He has not given a quarter of a tenth of his silver coins,
Gives less than a tenth of his riches away,
so how could tithes be sought from rain-watered crops?
So life's waters dry up, no comfort they bring.
Sol 6.1