يَأتيcomes عَلىupon الخَلقِcreation إِصباحٌmorning وَإِمساءُand evening
يَأتي عَلى الخَلقِ إِصباحٌ وَإِمساءُ
وَكُلُّناand all of us لِصُروفِof the vicissitudes الدَهرِtime نَسّاءُvery forgetful
وَكُلُّنا لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ نَسّاءُ
Morning and evening come upon creation,
Mornings and evenings come upon mankind,
And we are all forgetful of time's vicissitudes.
And we are all subject to the turns of fate.
وَكَمand how many مَضىpassed away هَجَرِيٌّa man of Hajar أَوor مُشاكِلُهُhis like
وَكَم مَضى هَجَرِيٌّ أَو مُشاكِلُهُ
مِنَamong المَقاوِلِthe chieftains سَرّواthey gladdened الناسَthe people أَمor ساءواthey grieved
مِنَ المَقاوِلِ سَرّوا الناسَ أَم ساءوا
And how many a Hajarite, or his like, has passed away,
How many a departed loved one or hardships
Among the chieftains, whether they gladdened people or grieved them.
Have people kept secret or openly lamented?
تَتوىperish المُلوكُthe kings وَمِصرٌand Egypt فيamid تَغَيُّرِهِمtheir changes
تَتوى المُلوكُ وَمِصرٌ في تَغَيُّرِهِم
مِصرٌEgypt عَلىin العَهدِthe former state وَالأَحساءُand al-Ahsa أَحساءُal-Ahsa
مِصرٌ عَلى العَهدِ وَالأَحساءُ أَحساءُ
Kings perish; Egypt, as they come and go,
Kings pass away and Egypt remains the same,
Remains Egypt as of old, and al-Ahsa remains al-Ahsa.
Loyal to its ways, constant as the constellation Ursa Major.
خَسِستِyou are base ياO أُمَّناour mother الدُنياthe world فَأُفِّso, fie! لَناon us
خَسِستِ يا أُمَّنا الدُنيا فَأُفِّ لَنا
بَنوsons of الخَسيسَةِأَوباشٌthe base woman; rabble أَخِسّاءُignoble
بَنو الخَسيسَةِأَوباشٌ أَخِسّاءُ
You are base, O world, our mother—so fie on us!
You have failed us, oh base world, so give us,
The base woman's sons are ignoble rabble.
Worthless sons of a worthless mother, consolation.
وَقَدand indeed نَطَقتِyou have spoken بِأَصنافِwith kinds of العِظاتِadmonitions لَناto us
وَقَد نَطَقتِ بِأَصنافِ العِظاتِ لَنا
وَأَنتِand you فيماas يَظِنُّsuppose القَومُthe people خَرساءُmute
وَأَنتِ فيما يَظِنُّ القَومُ خَرساءُ
And you have spoken to us with varied admonitions,
You have spoken to us in every form of wisdom,
Though people suppose you mute.
Yet to others you seem mute.
وَمنand who لِصَخرfor Sakhr بنِson of عَمرٍوAmr أَنَّthat جُثَّتَهُhis body
وَمن لِصَخر بنِ عَمرٍو أَنَّ جُثَّتَهُ
صَخرٌrock وَخَنساءَهُand his Khansa فيin السِربِthe herd خَنساءُa snub-nosed antelope
صَخرٌ وَخَنساءَهُ في السِربِ خَنساءُ
And who can assure Sakhr ibn Amr that his body
The tomb of Sakhr ibn ‘Amr remains a rock
Is rock, and his Khansa a snub-nosed antelope in the herd?
While his beloved rests softly in her grave.
يَموجُsurges بَحرُكِyour sea وَالأَهواءُand passions غالِبَةٌoverpowering
يَموجُ بَحرُكِ وَالأَهواءُ غالِبَةٌ
لِراكِبَيهِover its voyagers فَهَلso is there لِلسُفنِfor the ships إِرساءُanchoring
لِراكِبَيهِ فَهَل لِلسُفنِ إِرساءُ
Your sea surges, and passions overpower
Your sea rages and the winds prevail
Its voyagers—can the ships be anchored?
Against those who sail it. Can ships find safe harbor?
إِذاif تَعَطَّفتِyou showed tenderness يَوماًone day كُنتِyou were قاسِيَةًcruel
إِذا تَعَطَّفتِ يَوماً كُنتِ قاسِيَةً
وَإِنand if نَظَرتِyou looked بِعَينٍwith an eye فَهيَthen it is شَوساءُfiercely askance
وَإِن نَظَرتِ بِعَينٍ فَهيَ شَوساءُ
If one day you show tenderness, you prove cruel;
If you show mercy one day, you are cruel the next,
And if you cast an eye, it looks fiercely askance.
And if you glance with one eye, it is askance.
إِنسٌhumans عَلىon الأَرضِthe earth تُدميmake bleed هامَهاtheir heads إِحَنٌgrudges
إِنسٌ عَلى الأَرضِ تُدمي هامَها إِحَنٌ
مِنهاfrom them إِذاwhen دَمِيَتthey bled لِلوَحشِfor wild beasts أَنساءُdraughts of watered milk
مِنها إِذا دَمِيَت لِلوَحشِ أَنساءُ
Humans on earth—their heads are bloodied by grudges;
Men roam the earth bowing their heads.
From them, once bloodied, come draughts of watered milk for wild beasts.
When humbled, even wild beasts can be tamed.
فَلاso let not تَغُرَّنكَdeceive you شُمٌّlofty peaks مِنof جِبالِهِمُtheir mountains
فَلا تَغُرَّنكَ شُمٌّ مِن جِبالِهِمُ
وَعِزَّةٌand might فيin زَمانِthe time of المُلكِkingship قَعساءُunassailable
وَعِزَّةٌ في زَمانِ المُلكِ قَعساءُ
So let no lofty peaks of their mountains deceive you,
Let not their stately mountains deceive you.
Nor unassailable might in the days of kingship.
In the days of kings’ rule, power is soon laid low.
نالواthey gained قَليلاًa little مِنَof اللَذّاتِthe pleasures وَاِرتَحَلواand they departed
نالوا قَليلاً مِنَ اللَذّاتِ وَاِرتَحَلوا
بِرَغمِهِمagainst their will فَإِذاthen behold النِعماءُbliss بَأساءُmisery
بِرَغمِهِم فَإِذا النِعماءُ بَأساءُ
They gained a little pleasure and departed,
They enjoyed little of life’s pleasures and departed,
Against their will—and behold, bliss is misery.
Despite themselves – and lo, joy turns to sorrow.
Sol 6.1