حَوائِجُthe needs of نَفسيmy soul كَالغَوانيlike beautiful women قَصائِرٌkept secluded
حَوائِجُ نَفسي كَالغَواني قَصائِرٌ
وَحاجاتُand the needs of غَيريothers besides me كَالنِساءِlike women الرَدائِدsent back after divorce
وَحاجاتُ غَيري كَالنِساءِ الرَدائِد
My soul's needs are confined, like fair maidens;
while others' needs are like women sent home divorced.
إِذاwhen أَغضَبَenrages الخَيلَthe horses الشَكيمُthe bit فَماthen no لَهاthey have
إِذا أَغضَبَ الخَيلَ الشَكيمُ فَما لَها
عَلَيهِover it اِقتِدارٌpower غَيرَexcept أَزمِbiting الحَدائِدِthe iron bits
عَلَيهِ اِقتِدارٌ غَيرَ أَزمِ الحَدائِدِ
When the bit enrages the horses, they have no
power against it except to bite the iron.
وَماand not يَسبَحُswims الإِنسانُa human being فيin لُجِّthe depths of غَمرَةٍan engulfing flood
وَما يَسبَحُ الإِنسانُ في لُجِّ غَمرَةٍ
مِنَof العِزِّglory إِلّاexcept بَعدَafter خَوضِwading through الشَدائِدِhardships
مِنَ العِزِّ إِلّا بَعدَ خَوضِ الشَدائِدِ
No man swims in the depths of a flood
of glory until he has waded through hardships.
وَماand not كَفَّceased عَقليmy mind أَنto يُؤَمِّلَhope for بائِداًsomething perishable
وَما كَفَّ عَقلي أَن يُؤَمِّلَ بائِداً
مِنَof الأَمرِaffairs إِنّيindeed I am بائِدٌperishable وَاِبنُand the son of بائِدِone who perishes
مِنَ الأَمرِ إِنّي بائِدٌ وَاِبنُ بائِدِ
My mind has not ceased to hope for something fleeting
in worldly affairs: I am mortal, a mortal's son.
أَحيدُI swerve فَتُشوينيso they graze me السِهامِthe arrows وَلَوbut if رَمَتshot
أَحيدُ فَتُشويني السِهامِ وَلَو رَمَت
قِسيُّthe bows of حِماميmy death لَمwould not تَجِدُنيfind me بِحائِدِas one who swerves
قِسيُّ حِمامي لَم تَجِدُني بِحائِدِ
I swerve, and arrows only graze me; but if
the bows of my death shot, they would not find me swerving.
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot شامَscanned for rain الغَمائِمَthe clouds شائِميmy cloud-watcher
لَعَمرُكَ ما شامَ الغَمائِمَ شائِمي
وَلاnor طَلَبَsought الرَوضَthe meadow السَحابيَّrain-fed رائِدِmy pasture-scout
وَلا طَلَبَ الرَوضَ السَحابيَّ رائِدِ
By your life, my watcher has not scanned the clouds,
nor has my scout sought the rain-fed meadow.
تُذادُare driven away عَنِfrom الحَوضِthe watering pool الغَرائِبُstrange camels ضِنَّةًout of stinginess
تُذادُ عَنِ الحَوضِ الغَرائِبُ ضِنَّةً
وَحَوضُbut the pool of الرَدىdeath ماno دونَهُbefore it كَفُّthe hand of ذائِدِone who drives away
وَحَوضُ الرَدى ما دونَهُ كَفُّ ذائِدِ
Strange camels are driven from the watering pool out of stinginess;
but no warder's hand bars the pool of death.
وَكَيفَand how أُرَجّيcan I hope for مِنfrom زَمانٍtime زِيادَةًan increase
وَكَيفَ أُرَجّي مِن زَمانٍ زِيادَةً
وَقَدand already حَذَفَhas cut away الأَصليَّthe essential part حَذفَthe cutting away of الزَوائِدِthe additions
وَقَد حَذَفَ الأَصليَّ حَذفَ الزَوائِدِ
And how can I hope for an increase from time,
when it has cut away the essential as it cuts away the superfluous?
أَواكَpitied you ضَنٍan ailing man فَاِهرَبso flee مِنَfrom الأُنسِhuman company طالَماlong
أَواكَ ضَنٍ فَاِهرَب مِنَ الأُنسِ طالَما
تَتَبَرَّمَyou grow weary مُضَناًwhile ailing مِنof حَديثِthe talk of العَوائِدِwomen visiting the sick
تَتَبَرَّمَ مُضَناً مِن حَديثِ العَوائِدِ
An ailing man pitied you; flee company—you have long
wearied, sick, of the talk of women visiting you.
وَقَدand sometimes يُخلَفُis disappointed الظَنَّin expectation المُعيدُone who repeats إِصابَةًbeing right
وَقَد يُخلَفُ الظَنَّ المُعيدُ إِصابَةً
كَماjust as أَعوَنَgrew middle-aged الدَجّالُthe Dajjal فيamong آلِthe family of صائِدِṢāʾid
كَما أَعوَنَ الدَجّالُ في آلِ صائِدِ
Even one repeatedly right may be disappointed in his surmise,
as the Dajjal grew middle-aged in the family of Ṣāʾid.
وَماand no أَعجَبَتنيpleased me لِاِبنِof a son of آدَمَAdam شيمَةٌcharacter trait
وَما أَعجَبَتني لِاِبنِ آدَمَ شيمَةٌ
عَلىin كُلِّevery حالٍcondition مِنamong مَسودٍone ruled وَسائِدِand a ruler
عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ مِن مَسودٍ وَسائِدِ
No trait in a son of Adam has pleased me,
in any condition, whether subject or ruler.
وَتُسَليكَand diverts you عَنfrom نَيلِattaining الفَوائِدِgains ساعَةٌan hour
وَتُسَليكَ عَن نَيلِ الفَوائِدِ ساعَةٌ
ثَنَتturned وَصفَthe description of حَيٍّa living person بَعدَهاafter it كاسِمِlike the designation of فائِدِone dead
ثَنَت وَصفَ حَيٍّ بَعدَها كاسِمِ فائِدِ
An hour will distract you from the pursuit of gains—
one that turns a living man's designation thereafter into that of one dead.
وَماand not يَبلُغُattain الأَحياءُthe living عَزّاًhonor بِكَثرَةٍthrough numbers
وَما يَبلُغُ الأَحياءُ عَزّاً بِكَثرَةٍ
وَهَلand do لِحَصىfor the pebbles of المَعزاءِstony ground قَدرُthe worth of الفَرائِدِchoice pearls
وَهَل لِحَصى المَعزاءِ قَدرُ الفَرائِدِ
The living attain no honor merely through numbers;
do pebbles on stony ground have the worth of choice pearls?
لَهُit has العَدَدُthe number الوافيample وَلَكِنbut دَنَتdrew near لَهُto it
لَهُ العَدَدُ الوافي وَلَكِن دَنَت لَهُ
فَماand did not أَخَذَتهُtake it ناظِماتُthe women who string القَلائِدِnecklaces
فَما أَخَذَتهُ ناظِماتُ القَلائِدِ
Their numbers are ample, yet, on drawing near to them,
the women who string necklaces do not take them.
تُقَسَّمُare apportioned أَطواقُthe collars of المَناياdeath وَلَمand have not تَزَلceased
تُقَسَّمُ أَطواقُ المَنايا وَلَم تَزَل
تَبُتُّsevering سُلوكاًthreads مِنfrom عُقودِthe necklaces of الخَرائِدِmaidens
تَبُتُّ سُلوكاً مِن عُقودِ الخَرائِدِ
Death's collars are apportioned, and have never ceased
to sever threads from the necklaces of maidens.
وَخالَفَand differed ناسٌsome people فيin السَجاياdispositions لِيُشهِرواto gain renown
وَخالَفَ ناسٌ في السَجايا لِيُشهِروا
كَماjust as جُعِلَwas made التَصريعُrhyming both half-lines خَتمَthe close of القَصائِدِodes
كَما جُعِلَ التَصريعُ خَتمَ القَصائِدِ
Some people differ in their ways to gain renown,
just as both half-lines were made to rhyme at the close of odes.
Sol 6.1