ياO سابِحاًa galloping steed يَصهَلُneighs فيin غِرَّةٍheedlessness
يا سابِحاً يَصهَلُ في غِرَّةٍ
أَينَwhere وَجيهُWajih الخَيلِthe steeds وَالذائِدُand al-Dha'id
أَينَ وَجيهُ الخَيلِ وَالذائِدُ
O galloping steed, neighing in heedlessness,
O swimmer who dives boldly into the deep
where are the steeds Wajih and al-Dha'id?
Where is the brave horseman and warrior?
آدىgave aid لَهُto him فيin الدَهرِthe course of time ماwhat يَبتَغيhe seeks
آدى لَهُ في الدَهرِ ما يَبتَغي
ثُمَّthen أَتاهُcame to him قَدَرٌa fate آثِدُunyielding
ثُمَّ أَتاهُ قَدَرٌ آثِدُ
What he sought in life came to his aid,
Fate gave him in life what he sought
then an unyielding fate came upon him.
Then came upon him a firm decree
هَلcan ...? يَأمَنَfeel safe الحوتُthe Fish مِنَamong الشُهُبِthe bright stars أَنthat
هَل يَأمَنَ الحوتُ مِنَ الشُهُبِ أَن
يَأخُذَهُhe catches it فيin الكِفَّةِthe net الصائِدُthe fisher
يَأخُذَهُ في الكِفَّةِ الصائِدُ
Can the Fish among the stars be safe from
Can the whale feel safe from the spears
the fisher catching it in his net?
That the hunter will seize him in his net?
أَوor حِمَلٌa ram نُزِّهَwas raised aloft فيin الجَوِّthe sky أَنthat
أَو حِمَلٌ نُزِّهَ في الجَوِّ أَن
يَغتالَهُhe slays it by stealth بِالمَديَّةِwith the knife الكائِدُthe schemer
يَغتالَهُ بِالمَديَّةِ الكائِدُ
Or a Ram, raised aloft in the sky, be safe from
Or the camel feel secure in the sky
a schemer slaying it by stealth with a knife?
That the lurking foe won't make him his prey?
إِنif كانَthere is لِلمَرّيخِfor Mars عَقلٌreason فَماthen what
إِن كانَ لِلمَرّيخِ عَقلٌ فَما
يَستُرُconceals عَنهُfrom it أَنَّهُthat it بائِدُis doomed to perish
يَستُرُ عَنهُ أَنَّهُ بائِدُ
If Mars has reason, what
If Mars had any wit he would know
can hide from it that it will perish?
That in the end he is bound to fade
يوصيleaves instructions الفَتىthe young man بِالأَمرِconcerning the matter مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
يوصي الفَتى بِالأَمرِ مِن بَعدِهِ
كَأَنَّهُas though he مِنfrom بَينِهِhis departure عائِدُreturning
كَأَنَّهُ مِن بَينِهِ عائِدُ
A young man leaves instructions for affairs after he is gone,
The youth takes the advice of elders
as though he would return from his departure.
As though it came from one of his own
يَكذِبُنيlies to me الرائِدُthe scout فيin زَعمِهِhis claim
يَكذِبُني الرائِدُ في زَعمِهِ
وَمُهلَكٌand doomed إِنif كَذَبَlied الرائِدُthe scout
وَمُهلَكٌ إِن كَذَبَ الرائِدُ
The scout lies to me in his claim,
The guide deceives me by his claim
and I am doomed if the scout lies.
And ruin comes if the guide's untrue
وَالخَيرُand goodness لاnot يُكَفَّرُis denied its due فَلِيُحسِنِso let him do good المُسthe Mus- (start of 'Muslim')
وَالخَيرُ لا يُكَفَّرُ فَلِيُحسِنِ المُس
لِمُ-lim (rest of 'Muslim') وَالصابِئُand the Sabian وَالهائِدُand the Jew
لِمُ وَالصابِئُ وَالهائِدُ
And good deeds are not denied their due; let good be done by the
Goodness is never lost so let the Muslim
Muslim, the Sabian, and the Jew.
The Sabian and the lapsed do what is right
فَوائِدُbenefits الأَيّامِthe days مَحبوبَةٌbeloved
فَوائِدُ الأَيّامِ مَحبوبَةٌ
وَفاقِدٌand bereft of لَذَّتَهاtheir delight الفائِدُthe one who dies
وَفاقِدٌ لَذَّتَها الفائِدُ
The benefits of the days are beloved,
The gifts of days are joys to be cherished
yet the one who dies is bereft of their delight.
He who lacks them is deprived of delight
فَزَجِّso get through دُنياكَyour worldly life فَماfor not يَخلِدُlives forever الthe
فَزَجِّ دُنياكَ فَما يَخلِدُ ال
ناقِصُone with less فيin العَيشِlife وَلاnor الزائِدُthe one with more
ناقِصُ في العَيشِ وَلا الزائِدُ
So get through your worldly life; none lives forever, neither the
Cast off your worldly goods for nothing lasts
one with less in life nor the one with more.
Neither faulty possessions nor surplus store
وَإِنَّand indeed مِنهاجَthe path الرَدىdeath يَستَويstand equal
وَإِنَّ مِنهاجَ الرَدى يَستَوي
فيهِon it مَسوَدُthe one ruled القَومِthe people وَالسائِدُand the ruler
فيهِ مَسوَدُ القَومِ وَالسائِدُ
And indeed, upon the road to death stand equal
On the path of destruction no distinction
the one ruled among the people and the ruler.
Between the mighty and the common folk
وَإِنَّماand indeed يَلقىmeets شُجاعُthe brave one الوَغىbattle
وَإِنَّما يَلقى شُجاعُ الوَغى
كَماjust as يُلاقيmeets النافِرُthe fleeing one الحائِدُthe one who turns aside
كَما يُلاقي النافِرُ الحائِدُ
And the brave man in battle meets death,
Only the courageous dare the chaos of war
just as the fleeing, evasive man meets it.
As the warrior faces the coward's retreat
تُقصَفُis shattered بِالقُدرَةِby power رَضوىRadwa كَماjust as
تُقصَفُ بِالقُدرَةِ رَضوى كَما
يُقصَفُis snapped هَذاthis الغُصنُthe branch المائِدُswaying
يُقصَفُ هَذا الغُصنُ المائِدُ
Mount Radwa is shattered by power, just as
Desires are pruned by destiny's shears
this swaying branch is snapped.
As this branch I lop off is pruned of excess
وَلَوand if دَرىknew الموؤودُthe one buried alive ماwhat عِندَناwe have
وَلَو دَرى الموؤودُ ما عِندَنا
مِنof نَبَإٍnews ماnot عُتِبَwas reproached الوائِدُthe one who buries alive
مِن نَبَإٍ ما عُتِبَ الوائِدُ
And had the one buried alive known what we have
If the deceased but knew what news we hold
of news, the one who buried him alive would not have been blamed.
No reproached would be aimed at the dead
قَدindeed شُيِّدَwas built القَصرُthe palace لِسُكّانِهِfor its inhabitants
قَد شُيِّدَ القَصرُ لِسُكّانِهِ
وَغَيرُand other than مَنthe one who يَسكُنُهُdwells in it الشائِدُthe builder
وَغَيرُ مَن يَسكُنُهُ الشائِدُ
The palace has been built for its inhabitants,
The mansion is built for those who dwell there
and its builder is not the one who dwells in it.
Not for one who comes to tear it down
Sol 6.1