مُريديO you who desire بَقائيmy survival طالَماmany a time لَقِيَencountered الفَتىthe young man
مُريدي بَقائي طالَما لَقِيَ الفَتى
عَناءًhardship بِطولِthrough the length of العَيشِlife وَاللَهُand God يَعلَمُknows
عَناءً بِطولِ العَيشِ وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ
O you who wish me to live on, many a time has a young man met
Hardship through long life—and God knows.
إِذاif كانَis بَسطُprolongation العُمرِlifespan لَيسَis not بِكاسِبٍyielding
إِذا كانَ بَسطُ العُمرِ لَيسَ بِكاسِبٍ
سِوىexcept شِقوَةٍmisery فَالمَوتُthen death خَيرٌbetter وَأَسلَمُand safer
سِوى شِقوَةٍ فَالمَوتُ خَيرٌ وَأَسلَمُ
If prolonging life yields nothing
But misery, then death is better and safer.
أَفادَacquired غَوِيٌّa misguided man غَيَّهُhis error عَنfrom شُيوخِهِhis teachers
أَفادَ غَوِيٌّ غَيَّهُ عَن شُيوخِهِ
فَهُمso they دَرَجاتٌsteps لِلضَلالِto misguidance وَسُلَّمُand a ladder
فَهُم دَرَجاتٌ لِلضَلالِ وَسُلَّمُ
A misguided man acquired his error from his teachers;
Thus they are steps to misguidance, and a ladder.
وَأَهلَكَهُand destroyed him جَهلانِtwo kinds of ignorance بادٍinitial مُرَكَّبٌingrained
وَأَهلَكَهُ جَهلانِ بادٍ مُرَكَّبٌ
قَديماًlong ago وَتالٍand a later one بَعدَهُafter it يُتَعَلَّمُis learned
قَديماً وَتالٍ بَعدَهُ يُتَعَلَّمُ
Two kinds of ignorance destroyed him: an initial one, ingrained
Long ago, and a later one, learned after it.
تَفَكَّرتُI reflected وَاِستَثبَتُّand made certain أَنَّthat سُكوتَهُhis silence
تَفَكَّرتُ وَاِستَثبَتُّ أَنَّ سُكوتَهُ
هُدىًguidance وَتُقىًand piety فَليَغدُso let him go forth لاnot يَتكَلَّمُspeak
هُدىً وَتُقىً فَليَغدُ لا يَتكَلَّمُ
I reflected and made certain that his silence
Is guidance and piety; so let him go forth without speaking.
أَرىI deem النَبتَplants أَولىmore likely أَنto يُحِسَّfeel بِحَطمِهِits being crushed
أَرى النَبتَ أَولى أَن يُحِسَّ بِحَطمِهِ
إِذاif زَعَمواthey claim أَنَّthat الصُخورَrocks تَأَلَّمُfeel pain
إِذا زَعَموا أَنَّ الصُخورَ تَأَلَّمُ
I deem plants likelier to feel when they are crushed,
If they claim that rocks feel pain.
وَأَشهَدُand I bear witness أَنَّthat الدَهرَtime كَالحُلمِlike a dream زائِلٌfleeting
وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ كَالحُلمِ زائِلٌ
وَأَنَّand that أَديمَthe skin البَدرِthe full moon يَبلىwears out وَيَحلَمُand becomes worm-eaten
وَأَنَّ أَديمَ البَدرِ يَبلى وَيَحلَمُ
And I bear witness that time is fleeting, like a dream,
And that the full moon's skin wears out and becomes worm-eaten.
وَجَدتُI found يَدَthe hand الوَهّابِthe lavish giver تُطوىis folded away وَعَينَهُand his eye
وَجَدتُ يَدَ الوَهّابِ تُطوى وَعَينَهُ
تُكَفُis blinded وَأَظفارَand the claws اللُيوثِlions تُقَلَّمُare clipped
تُكَفُ وَأَظفارَ اللُيوثِ تُقَلَّمُ
I found the lavish giver's hand folded away, and his eye
Blinded, and lions' claws clipped.
Sol 6.1