شَكَوتُI complained مِنof أَهلِthe people of هَذاthis العَصرِage غَدرَهُمُtheir treachery
شَكَوتُ مِن أَهلِ هَذا العَصرِ غَدرَهُمُ
لاdo not تُنكِرَنfind it strange فَعَلىfor upon هَذاthis مَضىwent السَلفُthe forebears
لا تُنكِرَن فَعَلى هَذا مَضى السَلفُ
I complained of the treachery of the people of this age.
Do not find it strange, for the forebears went this same way.
وَماand not اِعتِرافيmy admission بِعَيبِof the flaw of الجِنسِhumankind مَنقَصَةًa disgrace
وَما اِعتِرافي بِعَيبِ الجِنسِ مَنقَصَةً
وَالعَينُand the wide-eyed يُعرَفُis recognized فيin آنافِهاtheir noses الذَلَفُsnubness
وَالعَينُ يُعرَفُ في آنافِها الذَلَفُ
And my admission of humankind's flaw is no disgrace;
And snubness is seen in the noses of the wide-eyed.
وَالإِلفُand the companion هانَwas of little account لَهُto him أَمريmy standing فَقَصَّرَنيso he belittled me
وَالإِلفُ هانَ لَهُ أَمري فَقَصَّرَني
كَماjust as تَهونُis of little account عَلىto ذيone endowed with المَنطِقِspeech الأَلِفُthe letter alif
كَما تَهونُ عَلى ذي المَنطِقِ الأَلِفُ
And my companion thought little of my standing, so he belittled me,
As the letter alif is of little account to a speaker.
أَمسىhas become النِفاقُhypocrisy دُروعاًcoats of armor يُستَجَنُّshelter is sought بِهاwith them
أَمسى النِفاقُ دُروعاً يُستَجَنُّ بِها
مِنَfrom الأَذىharm وَيُقَوّيand strengthens سَردَهاtheir links الحَلِفُoath-taking
مِنَ الأَذى وَيُقَوّي سَردَها الحَلِفُ
Hypocrisy has become coats of armor used for shelter
From harm, and oath-taking strengthens their links.
أُفنيI wear away زَمانيmy time بِأَنفاسٍwith breaths كَماjust as قَطَعَتtraversed
أُفني زَماني بِأَنفاسٍ كَما قَطَعَت
مَداًa distance بَعيداًlong مَواشٍwalking beasts فيin السُرىnight travel دُلُفُplodding
مَداً بَعيداً مَواشٍ في السُرى دُلُفُ
I wear away my time with breaths, like the traversing of
A long distance by beasts plodding through the night.
إِذاif تَخَلَّفَتI fell behind أَوor خُلِّفتُI was kept back عَنfrom أَمَلٍa hope
إِذا تَخَلَّفَت أَو خُلِّفتُ عَن أَمَلٍ
سَلّىsoothed هُمومِيَmy cares أَنّيthat I لَيسَthere is not ليfor me خَلَفُoffspring
سَلّى هُمومِيَ أَنّي لَيسَ لي خَلَفُ
If I fall short of a hope, or am kept from it,
Knowing I have no offspring soothes my cares.
تُرجىis hoped for الحَياةُlife إِذاwhen كانَتit is مُوَدَّعَةًfree of care
تُرجى الحَياةُ إِذا كانَت مُوَدَّعَةً
وَقَلَّand scant is خَيرُthe good of حَياةٍa life حَشوهاits filling كُلَفُburdens
وَقَلَّ خَيرُ حَياةٍ حَشوها كُلَفُ
Life is desired when it is free of care,
And there is little good in a life filled with burdens.
لَمdid not يَمضpass كَونٌan event مِنَamong الأَكوانِevents فيin زَمَنٍtime
لَم يَمض كَونٌ مِنَ الأَكوانِ في زَمَنٍ
عَلَيَّover me إِلّاexcept بِهِthrough it لِلحَتفِtoward death أَزدَلِفُI draw near
عَلَيَّ إِلّا بِهِ لِلحَتفِ أَزدَلِفُ
No event among all the events of time has passed
Over me without my drawing nearer to death through it.
فَحَسِّنِso improve الوَعدَthe promise بِالإيجازِwith swift fulfillment تُتبِعُهُyou follow it with
فَحَسِّنِ الوَعدَ بِالإيجازِ تُتبِعُهُ
إِذاwhen مَواعِدُthe promises of قَومٍa people شَأنُهاtheir habit الخُلُفُpromise-breaking
إِذا مَواعِدُ قَومٍ شَأنُها الخُلُفُ
So make your promise good by following it with swift fulfillment,
When a people's promises are habitually broken.
إِنّاindeed we اِئتَلَفناcame together لِأَنَّbecause اللَهَGod رَكَّبَناcomposed us
إِنّا اِئتَلَفنا لِأَنَّ اللَهَ رَكَّبَنا
مِنfrom أَربَعٍfour ثُمَّthen صِرناwe came to be بَعدُafterward نَختَلِفُwe differ
مِن أَربَعٍ ثُمَّ صِرنا بَعدُ نَختَلِفُ
We came together because God composed us
From four constituents; then afterward we came to differ.
رَأىthought بَنوthe sons of الحَزمِprudence أَنَّthat العَيشَlife فائِدَةٌa benefit
رَأى بَنو الحَزمِ أَنَّ العَيشَ فائِدَةٌ
حَتّىuntil اِستَبانواthey saw clearly فَقالواso they said حَبَّذاhow welcome! التَلَفُdeath
حَتّى اِستَبانوا فَقالوا حَبَّذا التَلَفُ
The sons of prudence thought that life was a benefit,
Until they saw clearly and said, 'How welcome is death!'
وَقَلَّماand rarely تَسكُنُdwell الأَضغانُgrudges فيin خَلَدٍa heart
وَقَلَّما تَسكُنُ الأَضغانُ في خَلَدٍ
إِلّاexcept وَفيand on وَجهِthe face of مَنone who يَسعىgoes about بِهاwith them كَلَفُdark blotches
إِلّا وَفي وَجهِ مَن يَسعى بِها كَلَفُ
And rarely do grudges lodge in a heart
Without dark blotches on the face of whoever carries them about.
Sol 6.1