أَعوَزَgrew scarce الشَثُّthe shath tanning shrub وَالسَلَمand the acacia
أَعوَزَ الشَثُّ وَالسَلَم
وَأَديميand my hide بِهِon it حَلَمmites
وَأَديمي بِهِ حَلَم
Shath and acacia have grown scarce,
The thorn bush and ladder failed
and my hide is infested with mites.
And with them my dream faded
فَهَنيئاًso, fortunate لِمَنfor whoever مَضىpassed away
فَهَنيئاً لِمَن مَضى
قَبلَbefore أَنthat يَجرِيَruns القَلَمthe pen
قَبلَ أَن يَجرِيَ القَلَم
So fortunate is whoever passed away
So lucky is he who passed on
before the pen began to write.
Before the pen could flow
لَمdid not تُصِبstrike جِسمُهُhis body الكُلوthe wounds (first part)
لَم تُصِب جِسمُهُ الكُلو
مُend of 'wounds' وَلاnor دينُهُhis faith كُلِمwas wounded
مُ وَلا دينُهُ كُلِم
No wounds struck his body,
His body was not hit by insults
nor was his faith wounded.
Nor was his religion blasphemed
إِنَّماonly صاحِبُthe possessor of التُقىpiety
إِنَّما صاحِبُ التُقى
تاجِرٌa merchant يَدفَعُpays السَلَمthe advance payment
تاجِرٌ يَدفَعُ السَلَم
The man of piety is only
Indeed the God conscious
a merchant paying in advance.
Is a trader who pays in advance
عَجِبَmarveled الناسُthe people لِلجَنينِat the fetus
عَجِبَ الناسُ لِلجَنينِ
إِذاwhen مَسَّهُtouched it الأَلَمpain
إِذا مَسَّهُ الأَلَم
People marveled at the fetus
People wondered at the fetus
when pain touched it.
If it felt any pain
عَلِمَknew اللَهُGod أَنَّهُthat He
عَلِمَ اللَهُ أَنَّهُ
إِنif يُطِلprolongs عُمرَهُits life ظَلَمacted unjustly
إِن يُطِل عُمرَهُ ظَلَم
God knew that
God knew that if its life lengthened
if He prolonged its life, He would wrong it.
It would be unjust
أَصبَحَbecame الشَيخُthe old man مارِداًrebellious
أَصبَحَ الشَيخُ مارِداً
بَعدَماafter حَجَّperformed the pilgrimage وَاِستَلَمand touched the Black Stone
بَعدَما حَجَّ وَاِستَلَم
The old man became rebellious
The old man turned defiant
after making pilgrimage and touching the Black Stone.
After pilgrimage and farewell
خُطَّwas written أَمرٌa decree لِفاعِلٍfor a doer
خُطَّ أَمرٌ لِفاعِلٍ
إِنif يَجِئdoes غَيرَهُother than it يُلَمis blamed
إِن يَجِئ غَيرَهُ يُلَم
A decree was written for a doer;
A matter is destined for its doer
if he does otherwise, he is blamed
If another does it, he's blamed
مِنby فَتىًa youth يَعرِفُknows الهِلاthe crescent moon (first part)
مِن فَتىً يَعرِفُ الهِلا
لَend of 'crescent moon' غُلاماًas a boy قَدِalready اِحتَلَمhad a wet dream
لَ غُلاماً قَدِ اِحتَلَم
by a youth who knows the crescent moon
A man who knows fervor
as a boy who has had a wet dream,
Not a youth who reached puberty
وَسُهَيلاًand Suhayl (Canopus) مَعَwith المَعاthe people (first part)
وَسُهَيلاً مَعَ المَعا
شِرِend of 'people' فيin كَفِّهِhis palm زَلَمa divining arrow
شِرِ في كَفِّهِ زَلَم
and Suhayl among the people,
With Suhayl in its hands
with a divining arrow in his palm.
Evil has a bridle and halter
خَبَطَstumbled about القَومُthe people فيin الضَلاerror (first part)
خَبَطَ القَومُ في الضَلا
لِend of 'error' فَهَلso, will ...? تُكشَفُbe dispelled الظُلُمthe darkness
لِ فَهَل تُكشَفُ الظُلُم
The people stumbled about in error;
The people groped around in the dark
so will the darkness be dispelled
Will this darkness lift?
فيin بِلادٍlands مُضِلَّةٍbewildering
في بِلادٍ مُضِلَّةٍ
لَيسَthere is not فيin أَرضِهاtheir soil عَلَمa landmark
لَيسَ في أَرضِها عَلَم
in bewildering lands,
In a country that leads astray
with no landmark on their soil?
With no guideposts on its terrain
دونَهاshort of them يَقصُرُfalls short الخَياimagination (first part)
دونَها يَقصُرُ الخَيا
لُend of 'imagination' إِذاwhen طَيفُهُits phantom أَلَمcame visiting
لُ إِذا طَيفُهُ أَلَم
Imagination falls short of them
Before it the best imagination falls short
when its phantom comes to visit.
When its specter casts gloom
Sol 6.1