إِذاif قيلَit is said غالَdestroyed الدَهرُTime شَيئاًsomething فَإِنَّماthen only
إِذا قيلَ غالَ الدَهرُ شَيئاً فَإِنَّما
يُرادُis meant إِلَهُthe God الدَهرِof Time وَالدَهرُand Time خادِمُa servant
يُرادُ إِلَهُ الدَهرِ وَالدَهرُ خادِمُ
If it is said that Time has destroyed something, it is only
If time is blamed for anything, it is the Lord of time that is meant
The God of Time that is meant; Time is a servant.
And time itself is but a servant and an attendant
وَمَولِدُand the birth هَذيthis الشَمسِthe sun أَعياكَhas baffled you حَدُّهُits date
وَمَولِدُ هَذي الشَمسِ أَعياكَ حَدُّهُ
وَخَبَّرَand declared لُبٌّreason أَنَّهُthat it is مُتَقادِمُancient
وَخَبَّرَ لُبٌّ أَنَّهُ مُتَقادِمُ
And the date of this sun's birth has eluded you,
The origin of this sun tires your mind to grasp
And reason has declared that it is ancient.
And the heart knows it to be eternal
وَأَيسَرُand the slightest كَونٍevent تَحتَهُbeneath it كُلُّevery عالمٍَworld
وَأَيسَرُ كَونٍ تَحتَهُ كُلُّ عالمٍَ
وَلاand not تُدرِكُovertake الأَكوانَthe events جُردٌsleek horses صَلادِمُsturdy
وَلا تُدرِكُ الأَكوانَ جُردٌ صَلادِمُ
And every world lies beneath even the slightest event;
The easiest of all beings beneath which every world subsists
Nor can sleek, sturdy steeds overtake events.
And no bare, hard sword can reach the epochs
إِذاwhen هِيَthey مَرَّتpassed لَمdid not تَعُدreturn وَوَراءَهاand behind them
إِذا هِيَ مَرَّت لَم تَعُد وَوَراءَها
نَظائِرُcounterparts وَالأَوقاتُand times ماضٍpast وَقادِمُand coming
نَظائِرُ وَالأَوقاتُ ماضٍ وَقادِمُ
Once they pass, they do not return; and behind them
When they pass, they do not return, and behind them
Are others like them; time is past and yet to come.
Are similar epochs, past and future
فَماso not آبَreturned مِنهاof them بَعدَماafter غابَvanished غائِبٌa departed one
فَما آبَ مِنها بَعدَما غابَ غائِبٌ
وَلاand not يَعدَمُlacks الحينَthe moment المُجَدَّدَrenewed عادِمُone deprived
وَلا يَعدَمُ الحينَ المُجَدَّدَ عادِمُ
So none of them, once gone, has ever returned,
Nothing that is gone with their passing is lost
Nor does the deprived lack a renewed moment.
Nor is the renewed moment ever lacking
كَأَنَّكَas though you أَودَعتَyou placed التَماثيلَthe statues أَنفُساًsouls
كَأَنَّكَ أَودَعتَ التَماثيلَ أَنفُساً
وَأَنتَand you عَلىfor التَفريطِnegligence فيin ذاكَthat نادِمُregretful
وَأَنتَ عَلى التَفريطِ في ذاكَ نادِمُ
As though you had placed souls in statues,
It is as if you had given souls to statues
And you regret your negligence in that.
And now regret having wasted them
وَماand not آدَمٌAdam فيin مَذهَبِthe view العَقلِof reason واحِداًone
وَما آدَمٌ في مَذهَبِ العَقلِ واحِداً
وَلَكِنَّهُand yet he عِندَaccording to القِياسِinference أَوادِمُmany Adams
وَلَكِنَّهُ عِندَ القِياسِ أَوادِمُ
And Adam, in reason's view, is not a single one,
Adam is not one in the way of reason
But by inference he is many Adams.
Rather, by analogy, he is perishable
تَخالَفَتِdiverged الأَغراضُaims ناسٍone who forgets وَذاكِرٌand one who remembers
تَخالَفَتِ الأَغراضُ ناسٍ وَذاكِرٌ
وَسالٍand one no longer yearning وَمُشتاقٌand one who longs وَبانٍand a builder وَهادِمُand a destroyer
وَسالٍ وَمُشتاقٌ وَبانٍ وَهادِمُ
Aims differ: one forgets, another remembers,
The aims have differed of people and of one remembering
One has ceased to yearn, another longs; one builds, another destroys.
And one asking, and one longing, and one destroying
Sol 6.1