أَسيتُI grieved إِذاwhen غابَتِvanished الأَحجالُthe white leg-markings وَالغُرَرُand the forehead blazes
أَسيتُ إِذا غابَتِ الأَحجالُ وَالغُرَرُ
وَإِنَّماand only الناسُpeople فيin أَيّامِهِمtheir days عُرَرُblemishes
وَإِنَّما الناسُ في أَيّامِهِم عُرَرُ
I grieved when the white leg-markings and forehead blazes vanished;
I despair when the encampments and lovely maidens depart,
And people in their own time are nothing but blemishes.
For people in their days are but frail.
وَعُذتُand I sought refuge بِاللَهِin God مِنfrom عامٍa year أَخيbrother to سَنَةٍfamine
وَعُذتُ بِاللَهِ مِن عامٍ أَخي سَنَةٍ
نُجومُهُits stars فيin دُخانٍsmoke ثائِرٍbillowing شَرَُرsparks
نُجومُهُ في دُخانٍ ثائِرٍ شَرَُر
And I sought refuge in God from a year, brother to famine,
I seek refuge in God from a year, my brother, worse than last,
Whose stars are sparks amid billowing smoke.
Its stars arising in smoke that sparks and smolders.
كَأَنَّماas though بُرُّهُits wheat دُرٌّpearls لِعِزَّتِهِbecause of its scarcity
كَأَنَّما بُرُّهُ دُرٌّ لِعِزَّتِهِ
وَكَيفَand how تُؤكَلُare eaten عِندَin the hands of المُعدِمِthe destitute الدُرَرُpearls
وَكَيفَ تُؤكَلُ عِندَ المُعدِمِ الدُرَرُ
Its wheat seems like pearls, so scarce it is;
Its prosperity is pearls in honor,
And how can the destitute eat pearls?
Yet how can pearls be consumed in destitution?
وَطَرَّةُand the fringe الرَوضِof the meadow يُدميmakes bleed الرِجلَthe foot مَوطِئُهاits ground underfoot
وَطَرَّةُ الرَوضِ يُدمي الرِجلَ مَوطِئُها
يُنسيكَmakes you forget ماwhat جَنَتِinflicted الأَصداغُthe temple-locks وَالطُرَرُand the forelocks
يُنسيكَ ما جَنَتِ الأَصداغُ وَالطُرَرُ
And the meadow's fringe, whose footing bloodies the foot,
Dewdrops on meadows wound the feet that tread them.
Makes you forget what temple-locks and forelocks have wrought.
You forget the fantasies dreams and visions stirred.
أَدرِرmake flow يَمينَكَyour right hand بِالجَدوىwith bounty إِذاwhen قَدَرَتit is able
أَدرِر يَمينَكَ بِالجَدوى إِذا قَدَرَت
إِنَّindeed المَناياdeaths لَعَمرِيَby my life مَنهَجٌa road دَرَرُstraight
إِنَّ المَنايا لَعَمرِيَ مَنهَجٌ دَرَرُ
Let your right hand flow with bounty when it can;
Let your hand flow with bounty when you are able,
Indeed, death, by my life, is a straight, open road.
For death's sure path, I swear, sows only seeds.
وِقابُthe hollows أَسماعِناof our ears جاءَتcame بِمَنفعَةٍwith benefit
وِقابُ أَسماعِنا جاءَت بِمَنفعَةٍ
وَماand not أَتَتناcame to us بِشَيءٍwith anything يُحمَدُthat is praised السُرَرُthe navels
وَما أَتَتنا بِشَيءٍ يُحمَدُ السُرَرُ
The hollows of our ears have brought benefit,
Our ears came round to benefit:
And the navels have brought us nothing praiseworthy.
They brought us nothing for which joy is famed.
سَرّاءُhappiness دَهرِكَof your age لَمnot تَكمُلbe complete لَدىfor أَحدٍanyone
سَرّاءُ دَهرِكَ لَم تَكمُل لَدى أَحدٍ
فَلَيتَso would that طِفلَكَyour infant لَمnot تُقطَعwere cut لَهُfor him سُرَرُumbilical cords
فَلَيتَ طِفلَكَ لَم تُقطَع لَهُ سُرَرُ
The happiness of your age has never been complete for anyone;
The bliss of your world was incomplete for anyone.
So would that your infant's umbilical cord had never been cut.
Would that as a child your crib were never strewn.
أَسَرَّكَdoes it please you? الآنَnow أَنto تُلقىbe cast عَلىupon قَلَقٍrestlessness
أَسَرَّكَ الآنَ أَن تُلقى عَلى قَلَقٍ
مِثلَlike الأَسَرِّthe sore-breasted camel حَماهُdeprived it of نَومَهُits sleep السُرَرُchest sores
مِثلَ الأَسَرِّ حَماهُ نَومَهُ السُرَرُ
Does it please you now to be cast into restlessness,
It saddens you now to meet disquiet
Like a sore-breasted camel whose sores deny it sleep?
Like sorrow, guarded in its sleep by bliss.
لَمnot نَهجُرِwe forsook الماءَwater إِلّاexcept بَعدَafter تَجرِبَةٍa trial
لَم نَهجُرِ الماءَ إِلّا بَعدَ تَجرِبَةٍ
لَقَدindeed شَرِبناwe drank فَلَمyet not تَذهَبwent away بِهاwith it الحِرَرُburning thirsts
لَقَد شَرِبنا فَلَم تَذهَب بِها الحِرَرُ
We forsook water only after putting it to the test;
We shunned not water until after trying it—
We certainly drank, yet that did not dispel our burning thirst.
We drank, yet still the heat remained unquenched.
سَرارَةُthe heart الوَهدِof the hollow يَلقىfinds الجَنبُthe flank مَضجَعَهاits resting place
سَرارَةُ الوَهدِ يَلقى الجَنبُ مَضجَعَها
خَيرٌbetter مِنَthan التِبرِraw gold مَنسوجاًwoven بِهِwith it السُرُرُthe couches
خَيرٌ مِنَ التِبرِ مَنسوجاً بِهِ السُرُرُ
The heart of a hollow, where one's flank finds a resting place,
The soft sands where the gazelle finds repose
Is better than gold woven into couches.
Are better than a mattress richly furnished.
ماnot قُرَّةُdelight العَينِof the eye ذاتُpossessing الوِردِwater to drink مَعوِزَةٌscarce
ما قُرَّةُ العَينِ ذاتُ الوِردِ مَعوِزَةٌ
وَغُيِّبَتand were hidden عَنfrom بَواكيweeping الأَعيُنِthe eyes القُرَرُdelights
وَغُيِّبَت عَن بَواكي الأَعيُنِ القُرَرُ
The water-fed 'eye's delight' plant is not scarce,
Solace of the eye is not in flowers
Yet delights have been withheld from weeping eyes.
That disappear from tearful eyes' lament.
فيناamong us التَحاسُدُmutual envy مَعروفٌwell known فَهَلbut has حَسِدَتenvied
فينا التَحاسُدُ مَعروفٌ فَهَل حَسِدَت
مُجتَرَّةُa cud-chewing one الإِبلِof the camels أُخرىanother ماnot لَهاit has جِرَرُcuds
مُجتَرَّةُ الإِبلِ أُخرى ما لَها جِرَرُ
Mutual envy is well known among us; but has envy ever been felt
Among us envy is well known. Did she
By a cud-chewing camel toward another that has no cud?
Who trails behind envy the others' litters?
ماnot شِرَّةٌa fit of malice مِنfrom خَليلِthe intimate النَفسِof the soul واحِدَةٌsingle
ما شِرَّةٌ مِن خَليلِ النَفسِ واحِدَةٌ
لاno بَلrather تُوافيكَcome upon you مِنfrom تِلقائِهِhis side شِرَرُfits of malice
لا بَل تُوافيكَ مِن تِلقائِهِ شِرَرُ
Not just one fit of malice comes from the soul's intimate;
No friendship thrives with the carnal soul,
No—many fits of malice come upon you from him.
But enmity comes to you of its own accord.
نَهاكَforbade you ناهيكَyour admonisher عَنfrom بَيعٍa sale عَلىbased on غَرَرٍuncertainty
نَهاكَ ناهيكَ عَن بَيعٍ عَلى غَرَرٍ
وَأَنتَand you كُلُّكَall of you فيماin what بانَbecame clear ليto me غَرَرُuncertainty
وَأَنتَ كُلُّكَ فيما بانَ لي غَرَرُ
Your admonisher forbade you a sale involving uncertainty,
You forbid and yet you are immersed
Yet you are wholly uncertainty, as I see it.
In what has plainly been revealed as fraud.
أَمّاas for عُقَيلٌʿUqayl فَماthen there are no عَنfrom ظُلمِهاits injustice عُقُلٌhobbles
أَمّا عُقَيلٌ فَما عَن ظُلمِها عُقُلٌ
تِلكَthose الصَريراتُthe ringing coins فيهِمِamong them ضاعَتwere lost الصُرَرُthe purses
تِلكَ الصَريراتُ فيهِمِ ضاعَت الصُرَرُ
As for ʿUqayl, no hobbles restrain it from injustice;
As for Uqayl, no mind restrains their tyranny—
Those ringing coins—among them the purses were lost.
Those hissing snakes in them have lost all track.
مَرُّthe passing اللَياليof nights إِذاwhen اِستَولىtook control عَلىover مَرَسٍa rope
مَرُّ اللَيالي إِذا اِستَولى عَلى مَرَسٍ
تَقَضَّبَتsnapped مِنهُfrom it بِالمُستَمسَكِat the gripping point المِرَرُthe strands
تَقَضَّبَت مِنهُ بِالمُستَمسَكِ المِرَرُ
When the passing nights take hold of a rope,
When night prevails over a tender sprig,
Its strands snap at the point where one holds fast.
It withers, sucked by clinging cankerworms.
وَالشَرُّand evil فيamong الإِنسِhumankind مَبثوثٌspread وَغَيرِهِمُand others besides them
وَالشَرُّ في الإِنسِ مَبثوثٌ وَغَيرِهِمُ
وَالنَفعُand benefit مُذsince كانَit existed مَمزوجٌmixed بِهِwith it الضَرَرُharm
وَالنَفعُ مُذ كانَ مَمزوجٌ بِهِ الضَرَرُ
And evil is scattered among humans and others besides them,
Evil in men is sown, and elsewhere too,
And benefit has been mingled with harm since it first existed.
While benefit, since it began, with harm is mixed.
تَشاكَلواthey resembled one another فيin سَجِيّاةٍcharacter مُذَمَّمَةٍblameworthy
تَشاكَلوا في سَجِيّاةٍ مُذَمَّمَةٍ
وَأَشبَهَتand resembled لَبواتِthe lionesses الغابَةِof the forest الهِرَرُthe cats
وَأَشبَهَت لَبواتِ الغابَةِ الهِرَرُ
They resemble one another in blameworthy character,
They resemble each other in odious, loathsome traits,
And cats resemble the lionesses of the forest.
And the howls of beasts echo from their dens.
تَناقُضٌcontradiction فيamong بَنيthe children الدُنياof the world كَدَهرِهِمُlike their time
تَناقُضٌ في بَني الدُنيا كَدَهرِهِمُ
يَمضيpasses المَقيظُsummer heat وَتَأتيand come بَعدَهُafter it القِرَرُcold spells
يَمضي المَقيظُ وَتَأتي بَعدَهُ القِرَرُ
There is contradiction in the world's children, as in their time:
Contradiction lives in worldly men like their fate—
Summer heat passes, and cold spells follow it.
The watchful wakeful passes, and then drowsiness prevails.
لِلَّهِto God belongs دُرُّthe bounty شَبابٍof youth سارَdeparted ظاعِنُهُits departing traveler
لِلَّهِ دُرُّ شَبابٍ سارَ ظاعِنُهُ
لَوif only رَدَّهُbrought it back مِنfrom دُموعِthe tears الآسِفِof the grieving one الدَرَرُthe copious flow
لَو رَدَّهُ مِن دُموعِ الآسِفِ الدَرَرُ
How splendid was youth—its traveler has departed!
By God, the pearly shine of youth once glided by,
If only the copious flow of a grieving one's tears could bring it back!
As though its flowing tears could bring it back again.
Sol 6.1