أَهابُI fear مَنِيَّتيmy death وَأُحِبُّand I love سِتريmy concealment
أَهابُ مَنِيَّتي وَأُحِبُّ سِتري
وَخَوفُand the fear of الشَيخِthe old man مِنof هَرَمٍdecrepitude وَهَترِand dotage
وَخَوفُ الشَيخِ مِن هَرَمٍ وَهَترِ
I fear my death and cherish my concealment;
and an old man's fear is of decrepitude and dotage.
وَلَوand even if كُنتُI were الفنيقَthe prized breeding camel وَمِثلَand like رَضوىRadwa
وَلَو كُنتُ الفنيقَ وَمِثلَ رَضوى
سَناميmy hump هَدَّتِwould crush الأَيّامُthe days كِتريmy hump
سَنامي هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ كِتري
Even were I a prized breeding camel, and as high as Radwa
were my hump, the days would crush it.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَنيseen me صَرَمتُI severed حِبالَthe cords of عَزميmy resolve
أَلَم تَرَني صَرَمتُ حِبالَ عَزمي
كَماjust as صَرَمَsevered الخَليطُthe companions حِبالَthe bonds of فَترِFatr
كَما صَرَمَ الخَليطُ حِبالَ فَترِ
Have you not seen me sever the cords of my resolve,
as the companions severed Fatr's bonds?
هِيَthey are الأَيّامُthe days أَعيُنُهاtheir eyes رَوانٍgazing
هِيَ الأَيّامُ أَعيُنُها رَوانٍ
إِلىat الإِنسانِhumankind مِنamong حَولِcross-eyed ones وَشُترِand ones with everted lids
إِلى الإِنسانِ مِن حَولِ وَشُترِ
Such are the days: their eyes gaze
at humankind, some cross-eyed and some with everted lids.
وَماand not يَأتيكَcomes to you ماwhat تَهوىyou desire بِضَربٍthrough blows
وَما يَأتيكَ ما تَهوى بِضَربٍ
وَطَعنٍand spear-thrusts فيinto صُدورِthe breasts of الخَيلِthe horses نَترُforceful
وَطَعنٍ في صُدورِ الخَيلِ نَترُ
What you desire does not come to you through blows
and forceful spear-thrusts into horses' breasts.
وَماand not عَتَّرَتquivered رِماحُthe spears of الدَهرِTime إِلّاexcept
وَما عَتَّرَت رِماحُ الدَهرِ إِلّا
لَعَترِto slaughter سِوايَothers than me دائِبَةًtirelessly وَعَتريand to slaughter me
لَعَترِ سِوايَ دائِبَةً وَعَتري
And Time's spears have quivered only
to slaughter others and me, tirelessly.
كَأَنّيas though I were الأَضبَطُal-Adbat السَعديُّal-Sa'di سَعديmy Sa'd
كَأَنّي الأَضبَطُ السَعديُّ سَعدي
حِماميmy death يَستَجيشُmusters armies بِكُلِّon every قُترِside
حِمامي يَستَجيشُ بِكُلِّ قُترِ
As though I were al-Adbat al-Sa'di, my Sa'd
is my death, mustering armies on every side.
سَأَلحَقُI shall join رَهطَthe clan of شَدّادِShaddad بنِson of عادٍ'Ad
سَأَلحَقُ رَهطَ شَدّادِ بنِ عادٍ
وَقائِلَand the spokesman of وَفدِهِمtheir delegation قَيلَQayl بنَson of عِترِ'Itr
وَقائِلَ وَفدِهِم قَيلَ بنَ عِترِ
I shall join the clan of Shaddad son of 'Ad,
and their delegation's spokesman, Qayl son of 'Itr.
وَكَيفَand how أَرومُI seek تَقويمَto set right اللَياليthe nights
وَكَيفَ أَرومُ تَقويمَ اللَيالي
وَقَدwhen already بُنِيَتthey were built عَلىupon خَتلٍdeceit وَخَترِand treachery
وَقَد بُنِيَت عَلى خَتلٍ وَخَترِ
And how can I seek to set the nights aright,
when they are founded on deceit and treachery?
أُؤَمَّلُI am given hope of جَنَّةًa garden رَحُبَتgrew spacious وَراحَتand spread wide
أُؤَمَّلُ جَنَّةً رَحُبَت وَراحَت
وَتَعجَزُand falls short قُدرَتيmy power عَنof نَيلِattaining فِترِa thumb-to-forefinger span
وَتَعجَزُ قُدرَتي عَن نَيلِ فِترِ
I am given hope of a garden, broad and spacious,
yet my power cannot gain a thumb-to-forefinger span.
وَكَمand how many وَتَرَتstrung لِيَagainst me النَّكَباتُcalamities قَوساًa bow
وَكَم وَتَرَت لِيَ النَّكَباتُ قَوساً
كَأَنَّas though الدَهرَTime يَطلُبُنيpursues me بِوَترِfor a blood-debt
كَأَنَّ الدَهرَ يَطلُبُني بِوَترِ
How many a bow have calamities strung against me,
as though Time pursued me for a blood-debt.
أَرىI see الساعاتِthe hours أَمكَرَthe craftiest ساعِياتٍcreeping creatures
أَرى الساعاتِ أَمكَرَ ساعِياتٍ
فَمِنsome among them رَبّاتِpossessors of أَذنابٍtails وَبُترِand tailless ones
فَمِن رَبّاتِ أَذنابٍ وَبُترِ
I see the hours as the craftiest creeping creatures:
some with tails, and some tailless.
وَكَمand how many مِنof فارِسٍa horseman عَيَّيتwas powerless قَناةٌa spear
وَكَم مِن فارِسٍ عَيَّيت قَناةٌ
بِمَصرَعِهِto bring him down وَصادَتهُand they caught him بِقِترِwith venom
بِمَصرَعِهِ وَصادَتهُ بِقِترِ
And how many a horseman a spear was powerless
to fell, yet the hours caught him with venom!
Sol 6.1