ياO شُهبُbright stars إِنَّكِindeed you فيin السَماءِthe sky قَديمَةٌancient
يا شُهبُ إِنَّكِ في السَماءِ قَديمَةٌ
وَأَشَرتِand you signaled لِلحُكَماءِto the sages كُلَّevery مُشارِindication
وَأَشَرتِ لِلحُكَماءِ كُلَّ مُشارِ
O bright stars, you are indeed ancient in the sky,
O shooting stars, you are ancient in the sky
And you have given the sages every sign.
And have pointed the way for all the wise
أَخبَرتِyou told عَنof مَوتٍdeath يَكونُoccurs مُنَجِّماًpiecemeal
أَخبَرتِ عَن مَوتٍ يَكونُ مُنَجِّماً
أَفَتُخبِرينَwill you then tell? بِحادِثِof the event of الإِنشارِresurrection
أَفَتُخبِرينَ بِحادِثِ الإِنشارِ
You have foretold death that comes piecemeal;
You foretold a death that would be fateful
Will you then foretell the event of resurrection?
Can you tell me now of the present demise?
مَنwho لِلمُمَلَّكِfor the crowned ruler تُبَّعٍTubbaʿ أَوor قَيصَرٍCaesar
مَن لِلمُمَلَّكِ تُبَّعٍ أَو قَيصَرٍ
أَوor كانَwas مِثلَlike مَليكِكِyour king العِشّارِthe tithe-collector
أَو كانَ مِثلَ مَليكِكِ العِشّارِ
Who can save the crowned Tubbaʿ or Caesar,
Who now for the kingdoms of Caesar or Kisra
Or one who was like your tithe-collecting king?
Or even your own diminutive Tubba
وَالدَهرُand Time مُفتَنُّinventive in الغَوائِلِcalamities مُهلِكٌdestroying
وَالدَهرُ مُفتَنُّ الغَوائِلِ مُهلِكٌ
رَبَّthe master of الحُسامِthe sword وَحامِلَand the bearer of المِئشارِthe saw
رَبَّ الحُسامِ وَحامِلَ المِئشارِ
And Time, inventive in its calamities, destroys
Time brings calamities and destroys all
The sword’s master and the bearer of the saw.
Lord of the swords and bearer of spears
صَمَماًdeafness حَشاstuffed أُذنَthe ear of الكُمَيتِal-Kumayt وَدِرهِميand two dirhams of
صَمَماً حَشا أُذنَ الكُمَيتِ وَدِرهِمي
كَمَهٍcongenital blindness أَحَلَّlodged بِناظِرَيin the two eyes of بَشّارِBashshar
كَمَهٍ أَحَلَّ بِناظِرَي بَشّارِ
It stuffed al-Kumayt’s ear with deafness, and two dirhams
Deaf to the warnings and coins of Kumeyt and Dirhem
Of congenital blindness it lodged in both Bashshar’s eyes.
Blind to the foresight and tidings of Bashshar
وَالناسُand the people فيin ضِدِّthe opposite of الهُدىright guidance مُتَشَيِّعٌa Shiʿi partisan
وَالناسُ في ضِدِّ الهُدى مُتَشَيِّعٌ
لَزِمَclung to الغُلوُّextremism وَناصِبيٌّand a Nasibi شاريa Kharijite
لَزِمَ الغُلوُّ وَناصِبيٌّ شاري
And people stand against guidance: a Shiʿi partisan
People follow misguidance, sectarian paths
Clinging to extremism, and a Nasibi Kharijite.
Zealots and partisans mired in strife
بِخلَgrew miserly الأَنامِhumankind فَهَلso, do تَرىyou see مِنany قائِلٍone who says
بِخلَ الأَنامِ فَهَل تَرى مِن قائِلٍ
أَفنىconsumed عِشاريmy ten-month-pregnant she-camels الكُوَمِthe high-humped ones حُسنُgoodness of عِشارِfellowship
أَفنى عِشاري الكُوَمِ حُسنُ عِشارِ
Humankind has grown miserly; so can you find anyone who says:
People hoard wealth, so who still says
“Good fellowship has consumed my high-humped, ten-month-pregnant she-camels”?
Tax ruined the fine yields of the crop
وَكَأَنَّand as though تَعشيرَtenfold cawing الغُرابِthe raven’s مُحَدِّثٌone who tells
وَكَأَنَّ تَعشيرَ الغُرابِ مُحَدِّثٌ
أَنَّthat الخَليطَthe companions يَحولُّsojourns فيin تِعشارِTiʿshar
أَنَّ الخَليطَ يَحولُّ في تِعشارِ
And the raven’s tenfold cawing seems to announce
As if the cawing of crows portends
That the companions sojourn in Tiʿshar.
The mixed harvest will bring a tenth tax
وَالعُمرُand lifespan مَقسومٌapportioned عَلىamong الأَكوانِbeings بِالجُin the frac-
وَالعُمرُ مَقسومٌ عَلى الأَكوانِ بِالجُ
زءِ-tion الأَقَلِّthe smallest وَلَيسَand is not بِالأَعشارِin tenths
زءِ الأَقَلِّ وَلَيسَ بِالأَعشارِ
And life is apportioned among beings in the
Life's portion for all is the least share
Smallest fraction, and not in tenths.
Not the tenth, but less than a tenth it is.
Sol 6.1