لاdo not تَفرَحَنَّrejoice (emphatic) بِفَألٍat a good omen إِنif سَمِعتَyou hear بِهِof it
لا تَفرَحَنَّ بِفَألٍ إِن سَمِعتَ بِهِ
وَلاand do not تَطَيَّرsee an ill omen إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ناعِبٌa crow نَعَباcaws
وَلا تَطَيَّر إِذا ما ناعِبٌ نَعَبا
Never rejoice at a good omen if you hear of it,
Do not rejoice at good omens you hear about,
nor see an ill omen when a crow caws.
Nor fret when a wailing woman wails.
فَالخَطبُfor the plight أَفظَعُmore dreadful مِنthan سَرّاءَgood fortune تَأمُلُهاyou hope for it
فَالخَطبُ أَفظَعُ مِن سَرّاءَ تَأمُلُها
وَالأَمرُand the matter أَيسَرُeasier مِنthan أَنthat تُضمِرَyou harbor inwardly الرُعُباterror
وَالأَمرُ أَيسَرُ مِن أَن تُضمِرَ الرُعُبا
For the plight is grimmer than the good fortune you hope for,
Calamities are more dreadful to contemplate
yet the matter is too slight for you to harbor terror.
Than ease to nurture fearfulness.
إِذاif تَفَكَّرتَyou reflect فِكراًa thought لاnot يُمازِجُهُmingles with it
إِذا تَفَكَّرتَ فِكراً لا يُمازِجُهُ
فَسادُcorruption عَقلٍof reason صَحيحٍsound هانَbecame easy ماwhat صَعُباwas difficult
فَسادُ عَقلٍ صَحيحٍ هانَ ما صَعُبا
If you reflect with thought untainted
When you reflect rationally, undisturbed
by corruption of sound reason, what was hard grows easy.
By an unsound mind, the difficult seems slight.
فَاللُبُّfor the intellect إِنif صَحَّis sound أَعطىgrants النَفسَthe soul فَترَتَهاits respite
فَاللُبُّ إِن صَحَّ أَعطى النَفسَ فَترَتَها
حَتّىuntil تَموتَit dies وَسَمّىand calls جِدَّهاits earnest striving لَعِباplay
حَتّى تَموتَ وَسَمّى جِدَّها لَعِبا
For reason, if sound, grants the soul its respite
If the heart be healthy, it grants respite to the soul
until it dies, and calls its earnest striving play.
Until you die, making its striving but play.
وَماand ... are not الغَوانيthe beauties الغَواديgoing out in the morning فيin مَلاعِبِهاtheir playgrounds
وَما الغَواني الغَوادي في مَلاعِبِها
إِلّاexcept خَيالاتُphantoms وَقتٍof a moment أَشبَهَتresembled لُعَباdolls
إِلّا خَيالاتُ وَقتٍ أَشبَهَت لُعَبا
And the beauties roaming their playgrounds in the morning
The delusions of vain women in their playing
are but phantoms of a moment, resembling dolls.
Are naught but fancies of a time that played at play.
زِيادَةُadded bulk الجِسمِof the body عَنَّتwearied جِسمَthe body حامِلِهِof its bearer
زِيادَةُ الجِسمِ عَنَّت جِسمَ حامِلِهِ
إِلىto التُرابِthe dust وَزادَتand increased حافِراًa grave-digger تَعَباtoil
إِلى التُرابِ وَزادَت حافِراً تَعَبا
The body's added bulk wearies the body of the one who carries it
The body's excess burdens its bearer
to the dust, and adds to a grave-digger's toil.
Down to dust, increasing the digging of a grave.
Sol 6.1