إِذاif كُفَّis restrained صِلٌّa venomous snake أُفعُوانٌa serpent فَماthen nothing لَهُbelongs to it
إِذا كُفَّ صِلٌّ أُفعُوانٌ فَما لَهُ
سِوىexcept بَيتِهِits den يَقتاتُit feeds ماas long as عَمَرَit inhabits التُرباthe earth
سِوى بَيتِهِ يَقتاتُ ما عَمَرَ التُربا
If a venomous serpent is restrained, it has
only its den to live on for as long as it inhabits the earth.
وَلَوand if ذَهَبَتwere taken away عَيناthe two eyes of هِزَبرٍa lion مُساوِرٍcharging
وَلَو ذَهَبَت عَينا هِزَبرٍ مُساوِرٍ
لَماit would not راعَfrighten ضَأناًsheep فيin المَراتِعِthe pastures أَوor سِرباa flock
لَما راعَ ضَأناً في المَراتِعِ أَو سِربا
And if the eyes of a charging lion were taken away,
it would frighten neither sheep in the pastures nor a flock.
أَوor اِلتُمِعَتwere snatched away أَنوارُthe lights of sight of عَمرٍʿAmr وَعامِرٍand ʿĀmir
أَو اِلتُمِعَت أَنوارُ عَمرٍ وَعامِرٍ
لَماthey would not حَمَلاthe two carry رُمحاًa spear وَلاnor شَهِداthe two witness حَرباwar
لَما حَمَلا رُمحاً وَلا شَهِدا حَربا
Or if the light of ʿAmr’s and ʿĀmir’s eyes were snatched away,
the two would carry no spear and witness no war.
يَقولونَthey say هَلّاwhy do you not تَشهَدُattend الجُمَعَthe Friday gatherings الَّتيwhich
يَقولونَ هَلّا تَشهَدُ الجُمَعَ الَّتي
رَجوناwe hoped بِهاthrough them عَفواًpardon مِنَfrom اللَهِGod أَوor قُرباnearness
رَجونا بِها عَفواً مِنَ اللَهِ أَو قُربا
They say, “Why do you not attend the Friday gatherings
through which we hope for God’s pardon or nearness?”
وهَلand is there لِيَfor me خَيرٌany good فيin الحُضورِattendance وَإِنَّماwhen I only
وهَل لِيَ خَيرٌ في الحُضورِ وَإِنَّما
أُزاحِمُI jostle مِنamong أَخيارِهِمtheir finest إِبلاًcamels جُرباmangy
أُزاحِمُ مِن أَخيارِهِم إِبلاً جُربا
What good is attendance to me, when I only
jostle mangy camels among their supposed finest?
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed شاهَدتُI have seen عُجماًnon-Arabs كَثيرَةًmany
لَعَمري لَقَد شاهَدتُ عُجماً كَثيرَةً
وَعُرباًand Arabs فَلاso neither عُجُماًnon-Arabs حَمَدتُhave I praised وَلاnor عُرباArabs
وَعُرباً فَلا عُجُماً حَمَدتُ وَلا عُربا
By my life, I have seen many non-Arabs
and Arabs; I have praised neither non-Arabs nor Arabs.
وَلِلمَوتِand death has كَأسٌa cup تَكرَهُhates النَفسُthe soul شُربَهاdrinking it
وَلِلمَوتِ كَأسٌ تَكرَهُ النَفسُ شُربَها
وَلابُدَّand inevitably يَوماًone day أَنthat نَكونَwe become لَهاof it شَرباdrinkers
وَلابُدَّ يَوماً أَن نَكونَ لَها شَربا
Death has a cup the soul hates to drink,
yet one day we must drink from it.
مِنَamong السَعدِgood fortune فيin دُنياكَyour worldly life أَنthat يَهلَكَshould die الفَتىthe young man
مِنَ السَعدِ في دُنياكَ أَن يَهلَكَ الفَتى
بِهَيجاءَin fierce battle يَغشىfaces أَهلُهاits fighters الطَعنَthrusts وَالضَرباand blows
بِهَيجاءَ يَغشى أَهلُها الطَعنَ وَالضَربا
Among life’s good fortunes is for a young man to die
in battle, where its fighters face thrusts and blows.
فَإِنَّfor indeed قَبيحاًshameful بِالمُسَوَّدِfor a chief ضِجعَةٌa lying down
فَإِنَّ قَبيحاً بِالمُسَوَّدِ ضِجعَةٌ
عَلىon فَرشِهِhis bed يَشكوhe complains إِلىto النَفَرِthe people around him الكَرباanguish
عَلى فَرشِهِ يَشكو إِلى النَفَرِ الكَربا
For it is shameful for a chief to lie
on his bed, complaining of anguish to those around him.
وَليand for me شَرقٌan east بِالحَتفِwith death ماnot هُوَit is مُغرَبٌa west
وَلي شَرقٌ بِالحَتفِ ما هُوَ مُغرَبٌ
أَيَمَّمتُwhether I head شَرقاًeast فيalong المَسالِكِthe roads أَمor غرباwest
أَيَمَّمتُ شَرقاً في المَسالِكِ أَم غربا
For me, death has an east with no west,
whether I head east along the roads or west.
تَقَنَّصَit hunted down فيin الإيوانِthe Iwan أَملاكَthe kings of فارِسٍPersia
تَقَنَّصَ في الإيوانِ أَملاكَ فارِسٍ
وَكَمand how often جازَit crossed بَحراًa sea دونَon the way to قَيصَرَCaesar أَوor دَرباa road
وَكَم جازَ بَحراً دونَ قَيصَرَ أَو دَربا
It hunted down the kings of Persia in the Iwan,
and how often it crossed a sea or road to reach Caesar.
Sol 6