سَأَلَتshe asked مُنَجِّمَهاher astrologer عَنِabout الطِفلِthe child الَّذيwho
سَأَلَت مُنَجِّمَها عَنِ الطِفلِ الَّذي
فيin المَهدِthe cradle كَمhow long هُوَhe عائِشٌliving مِنof دَهرِهِhis lifetime
في المَهدِ كَم هُوَ عائِشٌ مِن دَهرِهِ
She asked her astrologer about the child who
She asked her astrologer how long her cradled child
Lay in the cradle: how long would he live?
Would live, that she might take a coin for what he told.
فأَجابَهاso he answered her مائَةًa hundred لِيَأخُذَto take دِرهَماًa dirham
فأَجابَها مائَةً لِيَأخُذَ دِرهَماً
وَأَتىand came الحِمامُdeath وَليدَهاher newborn فيin شَهرِهِhis first month
وَأَتى الحِمامُ وَليدَها في شَهرِهِ
He answered her, "A hundred years," to take a dirham;
"A hundred years," he answered, and he took the gold.
And death came for her newborn in his first month.
Death came that very hour and took the newborn child.
قُلِبَwas overturned الزَمانُthe times فَرِبَّso many a خَودٍyoung beauty تَبتَغيseeks
قُلِبَ الزَمانُ فَرِبَّ خَودٍ تَبتَغي
زَوجاًa husband وَتَبذُلُand offers غالِياًsomething costly مِنof مَهرِهِhis dowry
زَوجاً وَتَبذُلُ غالِياً مِن مَهرِهِ
The times have been overturned: many a young beauty seeks
Time turns: the blushing bride seeks for her groom,
A husband, and offers a costly portion of his dowry.
And offers all her precious gifts to win his heart.
إِذاif كانَتis إِمرَأَةُthe wife of الفَتىthe young man فيin طُهرِهاher purity
إِذا كانَت إِمرَأَةُ الفَتى في طُهرِها
فَلَعَلَّهُthen perhaps he لَمdid not يَغشَهاlie with her فيin طُهرِهِhis purity
فَلَعَلَّهُ لَم يَغشَها في طُهرِهِ
If a young man's wife is in her state of purity,
When wives are chaste, their husbands will not start
Then perhaps he did not bed her in purity himself.
Affairs, but cherish them in their seclusion's room.
كَرِهَhated الجَهولُthe ignorant man بَناتِهِhis daughters وَسَليلُهُand his son
كَرِهَ الجَهولُ بَناتِهِ وَسَليلُهُ
أَجنىmore prone to harm لِماwith regard to what يَغتالُهُdestroys him مِنthan صِهرِهِhis son-in-law
أَجنى لِما يَغتالُهُ مِن صِهرِهِ
The ignorant man hates his daughters, yet his son
The foolish sire looks down on his own daughters,
Is likelier than his son-in-law to bring about his ruin.
Yet sings his foreign son-in-law's deserving praise,
أَعدىmost hostile عَدوٍّenemy لِاِبنِto a son of آدَمَAdam خِلتُهُI considered him
أَعدى عَدوٍّ لِاِبنِ آدَمَ خِلتُهُ
وَلَدٌa child يَكونُis خُروجُهhis emergence مِنfrom ظَهرِهِhis loins
وَلَدٌ يَكونُ خُروجُه مِن ظَهرِهِ
The fiercest enemy of a son of Adam, I reckon,
Though he's the family's most malicious foe.
Is a child who issues from his own loins.
A baby growing in its mother's womb betrays
وَسَفاهَةُand the folly of الإِنسانِman مَوهِمَةٌdeluding لَهُto him
وَسَفاهَةُ الإِنسانِ مَوهِمَةٌ لَهُ
بَذَّoutstripping القَوارِحِmature horses فيin الرِهانِthe race بِمُهرِهِwith his colt
بَذَّ القَوارِحِ في الرِهانِ بِمُهرِهِ
And human folly makes him imagine
Man's innate idiocy. He wastes his store
He can outstrip mature horses in a race with his colt.
By betting on the claws and beaks of carrion crows.
وَعِقابُand the punishment of والِدِكَyour father الرَؤوفِthe compassionate تَحَدُّبٌloving care
وَعِقابُ والِدِكَ الرَؤوفِ تَحَدُّبٌ
وَيُشَقُّand is slit أَنفُthe nose of الطِرفِthe noble steed خَشيَّةَfor fear of بُهرِهِits breathlessness
وَيُشَقُّ أَنفُ الطِرفِ خَشيَّةَ بُهرِهِ
And your compassionate father's punishment is loving concern;
A father beats his child for its own good,
And a noble steed's nose is slit for fear of its breathlessness.
Though this may seem a cruel and hard abuse.
أَتُسِرُّdo you conceal شَيبَكَyour gray hair عَنfrom جَليسِكَyour companion ضِلَّةًout of folly
أَتُسِرُّ شَيبَكَ عَن جَليسِكَ ضِلَّةً
وَالشَيبُand gray hair لَيسَis not بِعاجِزٍincapable عَنof جَهرِهِproclaiming itself
وَالشَيبُ لَيسَ بِعاجِزٍ عَن جَهرِهِ
Do you foolishly hide your gray hair from your companion,
To hide your white hair from your friends is ruse;
Though gray hair is quite capable of proclaiming itself?
For age itself need not be gray or subdued.
كَمhow many a سائِلٍbeggar وافىarrived وَدارَكَand your house سائِلٌflowing
كَم سائِلٍ وافى وَدارَكَ سائِلٌ
نَهرَa river الغِنىwealth فيهاin it فَعادَthen he returned بِنَهرِهِwith a rebuff to him
نَهرَ الغِنى فيها فَعادَ بِنَهرِهِ
How many a beggar came, while through your house flowed
Many who come to beg are filled up by your feast,
A river of wealth, yet he returned with a rebuff!
While some bring plenty, and they leave without a taste.
وَالغَمرُand the inexperienced man إِنif لَمdoes not تَهدِهِguide him شَمسُthe sun of الضُحىthe forenoon
وَالغَمرُ إِن لَم تَهدِهِ شَمسُ الضُحى
لَمwill not يَهدِهِguide him جِنحُthe wing of الظَلامِdarkness بِزُهرِهِwith its bright stars
لَم يَهدِهِ جِنحُ الظَلامِ بِزُهرِهِ
And if the inexperienced man is not guided by the morning sun,
The blinding fog won't lift before the sun does rise;
The wing of darkness, with its bright stars, will not guide him.
Dark wings of night will not make way till morning's rays.
فَاِضرِبso strike يَتيمَكَyour orphan طالِباًseeking تَأديبَهُhis discipline
فَاِضرِب يَتيمَكَ طالِباً تَأديبَهُ
ماnot عَدَّcounted ذَلِكَthat راشِدٌa sensible person مِنas part of قَهرِهِoppressing him
ما عَدَّ ذَلِكَ راشِدٌ مِن قَهرِهِ
So strike your orphan, seeking to discipline him;
So beat your orphan well to teach it proper care,
No sensible man has counted that as oppression of him.
For only tough love brings a lost sheep back to the fold.
وَالسَعدُand good fortune يُثنيbrings back المُستَضامَthe downtrodden كَغالِبٍlike a conqueror
وَالسَعدُ يُثني المُستَضامَ كَغالِبٍ
سَهَكَcrushed الجِبالَthe mountains مِنَamong الأَنامِmankind بِفَهرِهِwith his pounding stone
سَهَكَ الجِبالَ مِنَ الأَنامِ بِفَهرِهِ
And good fortune brings the downtrodden back like a conqueror
Luck lifts up those cast down. The mighty lion's roar
Who crushed the mountains among men with his pounding stone.
Can cleave a mountain. But persistent bad luck takes its toll
وَالنَحسُand ill fortune يَعتادُrepeatedly assails البَصيرَthe discerning man وَلُبَّهُand his reason
وَالنَحسُ يَعتادُ البَصيرَ وَلُبَّهُ
حَتّىuntil يُقيمَperforms عِشائَهُhis night prayer فيat ظُهرِهِhis midday hour
حَتّى يُقيمَ عِشائَهُ في ظُهرِهِ
And ill fortune besets the discerning man and his reason,
On the wise man, till he can barely stand its weight.
Until he performs his night prayer at noon.
Don't let your failings keep you from your Lord's estate.
Sol 6.1