ماnot حُرِّكَتwas moved قَدَمٌa foot وَلاand not بُسِطَتwas outstretched يَدٌa hand
ما حُرِّكَت قَدَمٌ وَلا بُسِطَت يَدٌ
إِلّاexcept لَهاfor it سَبَبٌa cause مِنَfrom المِقدارِdestiny
إِلّا لَها سَبَبٌ مِنَ المِقدارِ
No foot was moved, nor any hand outstretched,
No foot was moved, no hand outstretched
Without a cause assigned to it by fate.
Except by destiny's command.
خَطبٌan ordeal تَساوىstood equal فيهِin it آلُthe house of مُحَرِّقٍMuharriq
خَطبٌ تَساوى فيهِ آلُ مُحَرِّقٍ
وَمُلوكُand the kings of ساسانٍSasan وَرَهطُand the band of قُدارِQudar
وَمُلوكُ ساسانٍ وَرَهطُ قُدارِ
An ordeal shared equally by the house of Muharriq
Speeches are equal where the sons of Muharriq
And the kings of Sasan and Qudar's band.
And the Kings of Persia and the horde of Qudar,
يَدريknows الفَتىthe young man كَمhow many عاشَhe has lived مِنof أَيّامِهِhis days
يَدري الفَتى كَم عاشَ مِن أَيّامِهِ
يَوماًa day وَماand not هُوَhe كَمhow many يَعيشُhe will live بِداريat all aware
يَوماً وَما هُوَ كَم يَعيشُ بِداري
A young man knows how many of his days he has lived,
Are concerned. A young man may know how many days
But how many days he will live, he does not know.
Of his life he has lived, and how many remain for him
وَتَجوزُand may extend مَعرِفَتيmy knowledge بِمَسقِطِof the falling-place هامَتيof my head
وَتَجوزُ مَعرِفَتي بِمَسقِطِ هامَتي
فيat الوِردِarrival بِالقَبرِto the grave فيat الإِصدارِdeparture
في الوِردِ بِالقَبرِ في الإِصدارِ
And my knowledge may extend from where my head first fell
In his abode. But my knowledge of where my fortune lies
On arrival, to the grave at departure.
Is as obscure as the grave, as the heart's mysteries.
دارانِtwo abodes أَمّاas for هَذِهِthis one فَمُسيئَةٌthen it is unkind
دارانِ أَمّا هَذِهِ فَمُسيئَةٌ
جِدّاًexceedingly وَلاand no خَبَرٌnews لِتِلكَof that الدارِabode
جِدّاً وَلا خَبَرٌ لِتِلكَ الدارِ
Two abodes: as for this one, it is unkind,
Two abodes: as for this one, it is hateful,
Exceedingly; and of that abode there is no news.
Utterly; of that other world no reports have reached us.
ماnot جاءَhas come مِنهاfrom it وافِدٌa visitor مُتَسَرِّعٌhastening
ما جاءَ مِنها وافِدٌ مُتَسَرِّعٌ
فَنَقولُso we might say لِلنَّبإِat the tidings الجَديدِnew بَدارِhasten!
فَنَقولُ لِلنَّبإِ الجَديدِ بَدارِ
No visitor has come from it in haste,
No courier has come to us from it, in frantic haste,
So that we might cry at fresh tidings, 'Hasten!'
That we might ask him of the strange, new dwelling place.
وَالمُلكُand dominion ثُبِّتَwas established لِلقَديمِfor the Eternal وَأُبرِزَتand was brought forth
وَالمُلكُ ثُبِّتَ لِلقَديمِ وَأُبرِزَت
بِلقيسُBilqis عارِيَةًnaked بِغَيرِwithout صِدارِa bodice
بِلقيسُ عارِيَةً بِغَيرِ صِدارِ
And dominion was established for the Eternal, and brought forth was
Empires are confirmed for those long settled there,
Bilqis, naked, without a bodice.
And Laila is exposed, without her veil.
وَلَرُبَّand indeed many أَجسادٍbodies جَديراتِworthy الثَرىthe dust
وَلَرُبَّ أَجسادٍ جَديراتِ الثَرى
بِالصَونِof preservation عادَتbecame فيin طَلاءِthe coating of جِدارِa wall
بِالصَونِ عادَت في طَلاءِ جِدارِ
And many bodies whose dust was worthy
Many are the bodies, worthy of the dust,
Of preservation ended up in a wall's coating.
That have returned to dust, plastered on a wall.
جَسَدٌa body تَوىperished إِنif تَفتَرِقdisperse أَجزاؤُهُits parts
جَسَدٌ تَوى إِن تَفتَرِق أَجزاؤُهُ
لَمnot تَنأَstray far عَنfrom فَلَكٍa sphere عَلَيهِon it مُدارِmade to revolve
لَم تَنأَ عَن فَلَكٍ عَلَيهِ مُدارِ
A body perished; if its parts disperse,
A body, if its parts once separate,
They stray not from a sphere upon which it is borne round.
Cannot avoid its destiny's decree.
وَإِذاand if بُدورُfull moons المالِwealth هِبتَyou feared مَحاقَهاtheir waning into darkness
وَإِذا بُدورُ المالِ هِبتَ مَحاقَها
فَهِلالٌthen a crescent مَجدِكَyour glory غَيرُnot ذيpossessing إِبدارِwaxing full
فَهِلالٌ مَجدِكَ غَيرُ ذي إِبدارِ
And if you fear the waning of wealth's full moons,
And when the rounds of wealth left it bare,
Then your glory is a crescent that never waxes full.
Did not your Fortune show unchanging constancy?
Sol 6.1