عَجِبتُI marvelled لِمَلبوسِat clothing الحَريرِsilk وَإِنَّماand yet only
عَجِبتُ لِمَلبوسِ الحَريرِ وَإِنَّما
بَدَتappeared كَبُنَيّاتِlike little daughters of النَقيعِthe stagnant pool غَوازِلُهits spinners
بَدَت كَبُنَيّاتِ النَقيعِ غَوازِلُه
I marvelled at silk clothing, yet
I am amazed at the silk garment, yet
its spinners appeared merely like little daughters of the stagnant pool.
Its fringes seem like the flirtations of young gazelles
وَلَلشَّهدِand for the honeycomb يَجنيgathers أَريَهُits honey مُتَرَنَّمٌa humming creature
وَلَلشَّهدِ يَجني أَريَهُ مُتَرَنَّمٌ
كَذِبانِlike the flies of غَيثٍrain لَمnot تُضَيَّعwere wasted جَوازِلُهits plentiful gifts
كَذِبانِ غَيثٍ لَم تُضَيَّع جَوازِلُه
And a humming creature gathers the honeycomb's honey,
And the honey its collector gathers while humming
like flies of rain whose rich bounty was not wasted.
Like the lies of rain whose trails were not lost
كَأَنّيas though I بِهَذاwith this البَدرِfull moon قَدalready زالَhas vanished نورُهُits light
كَأَنّي بِهَذا البَدرِ قَد زالَ نورُهُ
وَقَدand already دَرَسَتwere effaced آثارُهُits traces وَمَنازِلُهand its stations
وَقَد دَرَسَت آثارُهُ وَمَنازِلُه
It is as though I see this full moon with its light already gone,
As if this full moon, its light has faded
and its traces and stations already effaced.
And its vestiges and abodes have been erased
أَكانَwas it? بِحُكمٍby a decree مِنfrom إِلهِكَyour God ناشِئاًarising
أَكانَ بِحُكمٍ مِن إِلهِكَ ناشِئاً
يُعاطيshares with الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades سِرَّهُits secret فَتُغازِلُهand she flirts with it
يُعاطي الثُرَيّا سِرَّهُ فَتُغازِلُه
Did it arise by a decree from your God,
Was it by decree of your God, arising
sharing its secret with the Pleiades as she flirts with it?
To whisper its secret, so it flirts with it
يَسيرُit travels بِتَقديرِby the decree of المَليكِthe Sovereign لِغايَةٍtoward an end
يَسيرُ بِتَقديرِ المَليكِ لِغايَةٍ
فَلاso not هُوَit آتيهاreaching it وَلاnor السَيرُthe journey هازِلُهwearing it thin
فَلا هُوَ آتيها وَلا السَيرُ هازِلُه
It travels by the Sovereign's decree toward an end,
It travels by the destiny of the King to an end
yet it does not reach it, nor does its journey wear it thin.
But neither does it reach it, nor does its journey cease
أَلاbehold هَلhave? رَأَتseen هَذيthese الفَراقِدُthe Farqad stars رُمِيَناour shooting
أَلا هَل رَأَت هَذي الفَراقِدُ رُمِيَنا
فَراقِدَwild calves فيamong وَحشٍwild beasts رَعىtended الوَحشَthe wild beasts آزِلُهtheir gaunt wolf
فَراقِدَ في وَحشٍ رَعى الوَحشَ آزِلُه
Behold, have these Farqad stars seen our shooting
Do not these sleeping in solitude see us
wild calves among beasts tended by their gaunt wolf?
Sleeping in desolation, the desert their comrade?
فَإِنso if كانَis حَسّاساًsentient مِنَamong الشُهُبِthe bright stars كَوكَبٌa star
فَإِن كانَ حَسّاساً مِنَ الشُهُبِ كَوكَبٌ
فَماthen not ريعَwas startled مِنby قَبرٍa grave تَبَوَّأَsettled نازِلُهits occupant
فَما ريعَ مِن قَبرٍ تَبَوَّأَ نازِلُه
If a star among the bright stars has feeling,
If it senses old age like a planet,
it has not been startled by a grave where its occupant has settled.
No burial ground does its lodging frequent
مَتّىwhenever يَتَوَلّىassumes rule over الأَرضَthe earth نِجمٌa star فَإِنَّهُthen indeed it
مَتّى يَتَوَلّى الأَرضَ نِجمٌ فَإِنَّهُ
يَدومُendures زَماناًfor a time ثُمَّthen رَبُّكَyour Lord عازِلُهdeposes it
يَدومُ زَماناً ثُمَّ رَبُّكَ عازِلُه
Whenever a star assumes rule over the earth, it
When will a star take charge of the earth? For it
endures for a time; then your Lord deposes it.
Endures a time, then your Lord deposes it
هُماthe two of them فَتَياthe two youths of دَهرٍTime يَمُرّانِboth pass بِالفَتىby the young man
هُما فَتَيا دَهرٍ يَمُرّانِ بِالفَتى
فَلَوand even if عُدَّwere counted هَضبٌrocky hills غَيَّرَتهُwould change them زَلازِلُهits earthquakes
فَلَو عُدَّ هَضبٌ غَيَّرَتهُ زَلازِلُه
They are Time's two youths, who pass by a young man—
They are two young men of fate passing the youth
and even if rocky hills were counted, Time's earthquakes would change them—
Had he been firm mountains, its quakes would shake him
كَحِلفَيlike two allies مُغارٍa raid كُلَّevery يَومٍday وَلَيلَةٍand night
كَحِلفَي مُغارٍ كُلَّ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ
عَلىupon الآلِthe kin أَوor فيamong المالِthe livestock تَرغوbellow بَوازِلُهits full-grown camels
عَلى الآلِ أَو في المالِ تَرغو بَوازِلُه
like two allies in a raid, every day and night,
Like the oaths of a cave, each day and night
upon kin or livestock, with its full-grown camels bellowing.
To family or wealth its calamities aspire
Sol 6.1