غُضَّlower الجُفونَthe eyelids إِذاwhen جَلَسsit (continued)
غُضَّ الجُفونَ إِذا جَلَس
تَyou (verb ending) عَلىupon الصَعيدِthe ground وَلاand do not تَأَمَّلgaze intently
تَ عَلى الصَعيدِ وَلا تَأَمَّل
Lower your eyelids when you sit
Shut your eyes when sitting
upon the ground, and do not stare.
On the ground, do not contemplate
وَالبَيتُand home أَولىmore fitting بِالكَريfor the honorable man (continued)
وَالبَيتُ أَولى بِالكَري
مِcompletes ‘honorable man’ مِنَthan الطَريقِthe road وَإِنand even if تَجَمَّلhe behaves with dignity
مِ مِنَ الطَريقِ وَإِن تَجَمَّل
And home better suits the honorable man
Home is more deserving of honor
than the road, even if he behaves with dignity.
Than the road, even if adorned
وَالذِكرُand remembrance يَترُكُهُhe leaves it الفَتىthe young man
وَالذِكرُ يَترُكُهُ الفَتى
لِلقاطِنينَto those who remain إِذاwhen تَحَمَّلhe departs
لِلقاطِنينَ إِذا تَحَمَّل
And a young man leaves his remembrance
Memories are left by the youth
to those who remain when he departs.
For the settled, when he shoulders a burden
وَالمَرءُand a person تُعجِبُهُpleases him الحَياlife (continued)
وَالمَرءُ تُعجِبُهُ الحَيا
ةُcompletes ‘life’ وَعَيشُهُand his living سُمٌّpoison يُثمَلis brewed
ةُ وَعَيشُهُ سُمٌّ يُثمَل
And a person is delighted by life,
And man is pleased by life
yet his living is a brew of poison.
And living it is deadly poison
مَنwho ذاthat one الَّذيwho سَمَحَgranted الزَماtime (continued)
مَن ذا الَّذي سَمَحَ الزَما
نُcompletes ‘time’ لَهُto him بِإِدراكِwith attaining المُؤَمَّلwhat is hoped for
نُ لَهُ بِإِدراكِ المُؤَمَّل
Who is it that time has favored
Who is it that time allowed
with attaining what he hoped for?
To attain what is hoped for
فيهِin it تَوافىgathered together المُرمِلوthe destitute (continued)
فيهِ تَوافى المُرمِلو
نَcompletes ‘the destitute’ وَقَلَّand were few أَصحابُpossessors of المُرَمَّلwealth
نَ وَقَلَّ أَصحابُ المُرَمَّل
In it the destitute gather,
In it the sleepless meet
and few are those who possess wealth.
And few are the owners of blankets
حِيَلٌruses تُمَنُّare bestowed عَلىupon الأَناhumankind (continued)
حِيَلٌ تُمَنُّ عَلى الأَنا
مِcompletes ‘humankind’ فَأَدمُعُso the tears العُقَلاءِof the wise هُمَّلstreaming
مِ فَأَدمُعُ العُقَلاءِ هُمَّل
Ruses are bestowed upon humankind,
Ruses that grant wishes to the sleepless
so the tears of the wise stream down.
So the tears of the wise flow
كَمhow often غَرَّdeceived صاحِبَةَa woman possessing الجَماbeauty (continued)
كَم غَرَّ صاحِبَةَ الجَما
لِcompletes ‘beauty’ مُنَجَّمٌan astrologer بِحِسابِby reckoning جُمَّلletters’ numerical values
لِ مُنَجَّمٌ بِحِسابِ جُمَّل
How often has a beautiful woman been deceived
How often an astrologer with phony calculations
by an astrologer reckoning letters’ numerical values!
Deceives the owner of beauty
Sol 6.1