أَناI بِاللَياليabout the nights وَالحَوادِهِand the happenings أُخبَرُI am informed
أَنا بِاللَيالي وَالحَوادِهِ أُخبَرُ
سَفَرٌa journey يَجِدُّhastens onward بِناwith us وَجِسرٌand a bridge يُعبَرُis crossed
سَفَرٌ يَجِدُّ بِنا وَجِسرٌ يُعبَرُ
I am well informed about nights and happenings:
By nights and valleys news to me conveyed,
A journey hastens onward with us, and a bridge is crossed.
Of journey soon, and bridge to cross o'er glade.
واجَهتَyou encountered قُبَّرَةًa lark فَخِفتَso you feared تَطَيُّراًsuperstitiously
واجَهتَ قُبَّرَةً فَخِفتَ تَطَيُّراً
ماnot كُلُّevery مَيتٍdead person لاno أَباfather لَكَfor you يُقبَرُis buried
ما كُلُّ مَيتٍ لا أَبا لَكَ يُقبَرُ
You met a lark and feared it as an ill omen.
You faced a tomb and feared what dead may bode,
Not every dead man—may you have no father!—is buried.
Not every buried soul, a harm will goad.
مِنamong أَحسَنِthe best الأَحداثِhappenings وَضعُكَyour laying غابِراًa departed one
مِن أَحسَنِ الأَحداثِ وَضعُكَ غابِراً
فيin التُربِthe soil يَأكُلُهُdevours him تُرابٌdust أَغبَرُgray
في التُربِ يَأكُلُهُ تُرابٌ أَغبَرُ
Among the finest happenings is your laying a departed one
To rest subdued is best for frail façade,
In the soil, where gray dust devours him.
Where dusty earth all vanity pervade.
ماhow أَجهَلَignorant الأُمَمَthe peoples الَّذينَwhom عَرَفتُهُمI have known them
ما أَجهَلَ الأُمَمَ الَّذينَ عَرَفتُهُم
وَلَعَلَّand perhaps سالِفَهُمtheir forebears أَضَلُّmore astray وَأَتبَرُand more ruined
وَلَعَلَّ سالِفَهُم أَضَلُّ وَأَتبَرُ
How ignorant are the peoples I have known!
How ignorant I found the tribes that met,
And perhaps their forebears were more astray and more ruined.
Though past lore fail, and new solutions fret.
يَدعونَthey pray فيat جُمَعاتِهِمtheir Friday gatherings بِسَفاهَةٍfoolishly
يَدعونَ في جُمَعاتِهِم بِسَفاهَةٍ
لِأَميرِهِمfor their ruler فَيَكادُso it nearly يَبكيweeps المِنبَرُthe pulpit
لِأَميرِهِم فَيَكادُ يَبكي المِنبَرُ
They foolishly pray at their Friday gatherings
Inane they hail their lord in gatherings,
For their ruler, so that the pulpit nearly weeps.
His dais nears tear under praises spread.
جِئناwe came عَلىwith كُرهٍreluctance وَنَرحَلُand we depart رُغَّماًagainst our will
جِئنا عَلى كُرهٍ وَنَرحَلُ رُغَّماً
وَلَعَلَّناand perhaps we ماthe time بَينَbetween ذَلِكَthat نُجبَرُare compelled
وَلَعَلَّنا ما بَينَ ذَلِكَ نُجبَرُ
We came unwillingly, and depart against our will.
We're come perforce and leave with soured mood,
And perhaps, in between, we are compelled.
'Twixt this and that, we may find understood.
ماwhatever قيلَhas been said فيof عِظَمِthe greatness المَليكِof the king وَعِزِّهِand his glory
ما قيلَ في عِظَمِ المَليكِ وَعِزِّهِ
فَاللَهُthen God أَعظَمُgreater فيin القِياسِcomparison وَأَكبَرُand grander
فَاللَهُ أَعظَمُ في القِياسِ وَأَكبَرُ
Whatever is said of the king's greatness and glory,
All said of king and glory's height,
God is greater by comparison, and grander.
God's greater still in wisdom and might.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though رُؤياكَyour vision رُؤياa dream نائِمٍa sleeper
وَكَأَنَّما رُؤياكَ رُؤيا نائِمٍ
بِالعَكسِin reverse فيin عُقبىthe eventual outcome الزَمانِof time تُعَبَّرُis interpreted
بِالعَكسِ في عُقبى الزَمانِ تُعَبَّرُ
And it is as though your vision were a sleeper's dream,
Your vision's but a dream seen sleeping,
Interpreted in reverse in the fullness of time.
Interpreted reverse in time far sweeping.
فَإِذاso if بَكَيتَyou wept بِهاin it فَتِلكَthen that مَسَرَّةٌjoy
فَإِذا بَكَيتَ بِها فَتِلكَ مَسَرَّةٌ
وَإِذاand if ضَحِكتَyou laughed فَذاكَthen that عَينٌan eye تَعبُرُweeps
وَإِذا ضَحِكتَ فَذاكَ عَينٌ تَعبُرُ
So if you weep in it, that is joy;
If it draws tears, a joy you're reaping,
And if you laugh, that is an eye that weeps.
If laughter, an eye relief from weeping.
سُرَّwas gladdened الفَتىthe young man مِنfrom جَهلِهِhis ignorance بِزَمانِهِof his times
سُرَّ الفَتى مِن جَهلِهِ بِزَمانِهِ
وَهوَwhile he is الأَسيرُthe captive لِيَومِfor a day قَتلٍof killing يُصبَرُis kept bound
وَهوَ الأَسيرُ لِيَومِ قَتلٍ يُصبَرُ
The young man is gladdened by ignorance of his times,
Man's bliss is ignorance of his age,
Though he is a captive kept bound for a day of execution.
A pawn to slay, with patience for cage.
لَعِبَتtoyed بِهِwith him أَيّامُهُhis days فَكَأَنَّهُso he is like
لَعِبَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ
حَرفٌa letter يُلَيَّنُis softened فيin الكَلامِspeech وَيُنبَرُand is emphatically pronounced
حَرفٌ يُلَيَّنُ في الكَلامِ وَيُنبَرُ
His days have toyed with him, so he is like
His days all played with him a game,
A letter softened in speech and sharply pronounced.
Moulded word softened without shame.
عَجَزَwere powerless الأَطِبَّةُthe physicians عَنagainst جُروحِwounds نَوائِبٍof calamities
عَجَزَ الأَطِبَّةُ عَن جُروحِ نَوائِبٍ
لَيسَتare not بِغَيرِby other than قَضاءِthe decree رَبِّكَof your Lord تُسبَرُare probed
لَيسَت بِغَيرِ قَضاءِ رَبِّكَ تُسبَرُ
Physicians are powerless against the wounds of calamities
No remedies for wounds of fate applied,
That cannot be probed except by your Lord's decree.
Except the writ of Lord, may they subside.
وَالمَينُand falsehood أَغلَبُmore prevalent فيamong المَعاشِرِcommunities كَمhow many أَخٍa brother
وَالمَينُ أَغلَبُ في المَعاشِرِ كَم أَخٍ
لِلدَفرِto stench وَهوَyet he is إِذاwhen يُسَمّىis named العَنبَرُambergris
لِلدَفرِ وَهوَ إِذا يُسَمّى العَنبَرُ
And falsehood prevails among people: how many a brother
In life, the cursed oft most espied,
To stench—yet when named, he is ambergris!
While the noble mocked, his glory denied.
شَرُفَrose in honor اللَئيمُthe base man وَكَمand how many شَريفٍa noble man رَأسُهُhis head
شَرُفَ اللَئيمُ وَكَم شَريفٍ رَأسُهُ
هَدَرٌwithout redress يُقَطُّis lopped off كَماjust as يُقَطُّis trimmed المِزبَرُthe reed pen
هَدَرٌ يُقَطُّ كَما يُقَطُّ المِزبَرُ
The base man has risen high, while many a noble man's head
Many a villain risen, many a chief
Is lopped off without redress, as a reed pen is trimmed.
Fallen, his head now as garbage grief.
سَلask أُمَّUmm (mother of) غَيلانَGhaylan الصَموتَthe silent one عَنِabout اِبنِهاher son
سَل أُمَّ غَيلانَ الصَموتَ عَنِ اِبنِها
وَبَناتِand the daughters of أَوبَرَAwbar ماnot أَبوهاtheir father أَوبَرُAwbar (the hairier one)
وَبَناتِ أَوبَرَ ما أَبوها أَوبَرُ
Ask silent Umm Ghaylan about her son,
Ask silent Ghaylan of her son,
And the daughters of Awbar—their father is not Awbar.
And daughters of Obar, what he has done.
وَالشَرُّand evil يَجلِبُهُbrings it العَلاءُhigh station وَكَمand how often شَكاcomplained
وَالشَرُّ يَجلِبُهُ العَلاءُ وَكَم شَكا
نَبَأًnews عَلِيٌّAli ماnot شَكاهُcomplained of it قَنبَرُQanbar
نَبَأً عَلِيٌّ ما شَكاهُ قَنبَرُ
And high station brings evil; how often complaints arose
Evil, nobles draw, and how many cried,
From Ali over news that Qanbar did not complain of!
Not what Qanbar endured, did Ali confide.
Sol 6.1