يُبايِنُdiffers from شَكلٌa being غَيرَهُanother besides it فيin حَياتِهِits life
يُبايِنُ شَكلٌ غَيرَهُ في حَياتِهِ
فَإِنbut if هَلَكاboth perish لَمnot تُلفِyou find بَينَهُماbetween the two of them فَرقاa difference
فَإِن هَلَكا لَم تُلفِ بَينَهُما فَرقا
One being differs from another while alive;
One's form differs from another's in life
but if both perish, you find no difference between them.
Yet if both perish, no difference lies between the two
وَمَنand whoever يَفتَقِدexamines حالَthe state of الزَمانِthe age وَأَهلِهand its people
وَمَن يَفتَقِد حالَ الزَمانِ وَأَهلِه
يَذُمُّcondemns بِهِمbecause of them غَرباًthe west مِنَof الأَرضِthe earth أَوor شَرقاthe east
يَذُمُّ بِهِم غَرباً مِنَ الأَرضِ أَو شَرقا
Whoever examines the state of the age and its people
And he who is disconnected from his time and its people
condemns, because of them, earth's west or east.
Finds fault with them whether in the west or east of the world
يَجِدfinds قَولَهُمtheir speech مَيناًfalsehood وَوِدَّهُمُand their affection قِلىًhatred
يَجِد قَولَهُم مَيناً وَوِدَّهُمُ قِلىً
وَخَيرَهُمand their goodness شَرّاًevil وَصَنعَتَهُمand their workmanship خُرقاineptitude
وَخَيرَهُم شَرّاً وَصَنعَتَهُم خُرقا
He finds their speech falsehood and their affection hatred,
He finds their words weak and their love little
their goodness evil, and their workmanship ineptitude,
Their good evil and their deeds ragged
وَبِشرَهُمُand their cheerful welcome خَدَعاًdeceit وَفَقرَهُمand their poverty غِنىًwealth
وَبِشرَهُمُ خَدَعاً وَفَقرَهُم غِنىً
وَعِلَمَهُمand their knowledge جَهلاًignorance وَحِكمَتَهُمand their wisdom زَرقاfraud
وَعِلَمَهُم جَهلاً وَحِكمَتَهُم زَرقا
their cheerful welcome deceit, and their poverty wealth,
And their glad tidings deception and their poverty riches
their knowledge ignorance, and their wisdom fraud.
Their knowledge ignorance and their wisdom motley
أَحَيَّO clan كِلابٍof Kilab كَمhow many رَعىgrazed النَبتَthe pasture قَبلَكُمbefore you
أَحَيَّ كِلابٍ كَم رَعى النَبتَ قَبلَكُم
فَريقٌa company وَشامواand they watched for فيin حَنادِسِهِمtheir pitch-black nights بَرقاlightning
فَريقٌ وَشاموا في حَنادِسِهِم بَرقا
O clan of Kilab, how many grazed the pasture before you—
O dogs, how many plants have you shepherded before them
companies that watched for lightning in their pitch-black nights!
A band who in their dens saw lightning
وَصابواand they showered bounty عَلىupon عافٍa supplicant وَآبواand they returned إِلىto رِضىًcontentment
وَصابوا عَلى عافٍ وَآبوا إِلى رِضىً
وَجابواand they traversed إِلىto عَلياءَa height نازِحَةٍdistant خَرقاa vast wilderness
وَجابوا إِلى عَلياءَ نازِحَةٍ خَرقا
They showered bounty on a supplicant and returned content;
And endured in plenty and turned to consent
they crossed a vast wilderness to a distant height,
And resorted to lofty ruins
وَلَيلاًand a night طَلىcoated قاراًpitch بِقارٍwith pitch وَأُكمُهُand its hills
وَلَيلاً طَلى قاراً بِقارٍ وَأُكمُهُ
مُراقِبَةٌwatching مِنamong شُهبِهِits shooting stars حَدَقاًeyes زُرقاblue
مُراقِبَةٌ مِن شُهبِهِ حَدَقاً زُرقا
and a night that coated pitch with pitch, while its hills
And the night extended darkness unto darkness
watched blue eyes among its shooting stars.
While it watched with its blue, twinkling stars
إِذاwhen نَشَأَتarose فيهِin it الغَمامَةُthe cloud خِلتَهاyou thought it
إِذا نَشَأَت فيهِ الغَمامَةُ خِلتَها
بِإيماضِهاby its flashing زِنجِيَّةًa Zanj woman فَصَدَتopened عِرقاa vein
بِإيماضِها زِنجِيَّةً فَصَدَت عِرقا
When a cloud arose in it, you would think it,
When a cloud rises in it, it vanishes
by its flashing, a Zanj woman who had opened a vein.
With its passing like a black maid, it sweats
وَمَرّواand they passed بِمَقصودِthrough the place sought by الحِمامِdeath فَغادَرواand so they left behind
وَمَرّوا بِمَقصودِ الحِمامِ فَغادَروا
خَوالِدَenduring rocks ضَمَّتgathered فيهِthere أَفرُخَهاtheir chicks الوُرقاthe gray doves
خَوالِدَ ضَمَّت فيهِ أَفرُخَها الوُرقا
They passed through death's chosen place and left behind
And they passed by the goal of the dove and left
enduring rocks, where gray doves gathered their chicks.
Young doves gathered in it, tender leaves
رَأَيناwe have seen شُؤونَthe affairs of الدَهرِtime خَفضاًabasement وَرِفعَةًand exaltation
رَأَينا شُؤونَ الدَهرِ خَفضاً وَرِفعَةً
وَنَحنُwhile we أُسارىcaptives فيamid الحَوادِثِcalamities أَوor غَرقىdrowning
وَنَحنُ أُسارى في الحَوادِثِ أَو غَرقى
We have seen time's affairs: abasement and exaltation,
We have seen the affairs of fate lowered and raised
while we are captives amid calamities, or drowning.
While we are captives to events or drowned
هَوىfell مُعتَلٍّone on high كَالغَيثِlike rain مِنَfrom المُزنِthe rainclouds وَاِعتَلىand rose
هَوى مُعتَلٍّ كَالغَيثِ مِنَ المُزنِ وَاِعتَلى
خَفيضٌa lowly one كَنَقعٍlike dust مِنfrom لَدُنbeside حافِرٍa hoof يَرقىrising
خَفيضٌ كَنَقعٍ مِن لَدُن حافِرٍ يَرقى
One on high fell like rain from the clouds, and there rose
The desire of the invalid falls like rain from the clouds and rises
a lowly one, like dust rising from a hoof.
Depressed like the bray of a hoof stomping
فَلاso do not تَأمَنواfeel safe from شامِيَّةًa Syrian host يَمَنِيَّةًYemeni
فَلا تَأمَنوا شامِيَّةً يَمَنِيَّةً
تُعاديit wages war فَلاand so it does not تُبقيleave standing خِباءًa tent وَلاnor فِرقاa flock
تُعادي فَلا تُبقي خِباءً وَلا فِرقا
So do not feel safe from a Syrian-Yemeni host:
So do not feel secure with a treacherous left or right
it wages war, leaving neither tent nor flock.
That makes enemies and leaves no tent or distinction
يُخَرِّقُpierce دِرعَthe coat of mail of المَرءِa man سُمرُthe brown shafts of رِماحِهاits spears
يُخَرِّقُ دِرعَ المَرءِ سُمرُ رِماحِها
وَإِنeven if كانَhe is مُرّاًbitter فيin مَذاقَتِهِhis taste خَرقاa valiant man
وَإِن كانَ مُرّاً في مَذاقَتِهِ خَرقا
The brown shafts of its spears pierce a man's coat of mail,
It pierces the coat of armor with its spear points
even if he is bitter to taste—a valiant man.
Even if it tastes bitter when swallowed
إِذاwhen طَلَبواthey seek أَقصىthe utmost العُلاglory اِتَّخَذواthey make لَهُfor it
إِذا طَلَبوا أَقصى العُلا اِتَّخَذوا لَهُ
بِصُمِّwith solid العَواليtall spears فيthrough تَرائِبِكُمyour breastbones طُرقاpaths
بِصُمِّ العَوالي في تَرائِبِكُم طُرقا
When they seek the highest glory, they open toward it,
When they seek the heights, they make
with solid spears, paths through your breastbones.
With the summits in your grounds, roads
إِذاif كُنتُمُyou are أَوراقَleaves of أَثلٍtamarisk زَهَواthey send aloft لَكُمagainst you
إِذا كُنتُمُ أَوراقَ أَثلٍ زَهَوا لَكُم
جَرادَlocusts of نِبالٍarrows كَيso that تُبيدَكُمthey annihilate you وَرقاas leaves
جَرادَ نِبالٍ كَي تُبيدَكُم وَرقا
Were you tamarisk leaves, they would send against you
If you are leaves of tamarisk, locusts of arrows come to you
locusts of arrows, to annihilate you as foliage.
To destroy you leaf by leaf
أَطارِقَO night visitor of هَمٍّgrief ضافَwho came as a guest هَلare أَنتَyou عاذِرٌone who excuses
أَطارِقَ هَمٍّ ضافَ هَل أَنتَ عاذِرٌ
مَتّىwhen لَمnot تَجِدyou find بيin me عِندَat مُرتَحَلٍdeparture طِرقاfat
مَتّى لَم تَجِد بي عِندَ مُرتَحَلٍ طِرقا
O night-visiting grief that has come as a guest, will you excuse me
Visitor of worries, did you find me to be excusing
when, at departure, you find no fat left on me?
When you do not find me near a camp, paths
وَأَعوَزَنيand I lack ماءٌwater أُزيلُI remove بِهِwith it الصَدىthirst
وَأَعوَزَني ماءٌ أُزيلُ بِهِ الصَدى
فَلاso there is no عَيشَlife إِنif لَمnot أَشرَبَI drink الكَدِرَthe turbid water الطَرقاfouled by beasts
فَلا عَيشَ إِن لَم أَشرَبَ الكَدِرَ الطَرقا
And I lack water with which to quench thirst;
And thirst has made me incapable, with which I remove sedation
there is no life unless I drink the turbid, befouled water.
There is no life if I do not drink the turbid road
هُمُthey are الناسُpeople أَجبالٌmountains شَوامِخُtowering فيat الذُرىthe summits
هُمُ الناسُ أَجبالٌ شَوامِخُ في الذُرى
وَأَودِيَةٌand valleys لاnot تَبلُغُreach الأُكمَthe hillocks وَالبُرقاand the rocky knolls
وَأَودِيَةٌ لا تَبلُغُ الأُكمَ وَالبُرقا
Such are people: mountains with towering peaks,
People are mountains, lofty peaks in the earth
and valleys that cannot reach the hillocks and rocky knolls.
And valleys that do not reach the heights and lightning
فَسَكرانُso a drunkard يُستَرقىis treated with charms وَيَبذُلُand gives بُسلَةًa charmer's fee
فَسَكرانُ يُستَرقى وَيَبذُلُ بُسلَةً
وَآخَرُand another صاحيsober اللُبِّof mind يَغضَبُgrows angry أَنto يُرقىbe treated with charms
وَآخَرُ صاحي اللُبِّ يَغضَبُ أَن يُرقى
So one drunkard is treated with charms and pays a fee,
One drunk creeps and gives away a cloak
while another, sober of mind, grows angry at being charmed.
While another sober minded becomes angry if he climbs
Sol 6.1