سَأَلَتنيshe asked me عَنabout رَهطِclan قَيلٍQayl وَعِترٍand ʿItr
سَأَلَتني عَن رَهطِ قَيلٍ وَعِترٍ
أَينَwhere إِلّاexcept الحَديثُthe tale قَيلٌQayl وَعِترُand ʿItr
أَينَ إِلّا الحَديثُ قَيلٌ وَعِترُ
She asked me about the clan of Qayl and ʿItr.
She asked me of a folk, long passed away
Where are Qayl and ʿItr, save in tales?
Naught but their tale survives until this day
خابَfailed مَنwhoever خَلَّفَleft behind الحَياةَlife هَتيكاًdisgraced
خابَ مَن خَلَّفَ الحَياةَ هَتيكاً
ماno عَلَيهِupon him مِنَof الدِيانَةِpiety سِترُa veil
ما عَلَيهِ مِنَ الدِيانَةِ سِترُ
He has failed who left life behind in disgrace,
Lost is he who wantonly his life misspent
With no veil of piety upon him.
No cloak of faith his misdeeds to repent
وَالفَتىand the young man وَالرَدىand death كَراكِبِlike a voyager لُجٍّa deep sea
وَالفَتى وَالرَدى كَراكِبِ لُجٍّ
إِنَّماonly نَفسُهُhis life مِنَfrom المَوتِdeath فِترُa thumb-to-forefinger span
إِنَّما نَفسُهُ مِنَ المَوتِ فِترُ
And the youth facing death is like a voyager on the deep;
As rider and steed o'er the raging tide
His life is but a finger-span from death.
His soul alone from death seeks to hide
إِنif تَطُلlasts long عيشَةٌa lifetime فَإِنَّthen indeed المَناياthe fates of death
إِن تَطُل عيشَةٌ فَإِنَّ المَنايا
سَوفَwill يُقضىbe exacted لَهاfor them بِمَنupon whoever عاشَlived وِترُvengeance
سَوفَ يُقضى لَها بِمَن عاشَ وِترُ
If a life lasts long, then the fates of death
If life's span stretches, death patiently waits
Will have their vengeance exacted on whoever has lived.
For those survived by youth's unwise mates
مِنamong عُيوبِdrawbacks الكَبيرِthe old man قَولُهُمُtheir saying إِنif
مِن عُيوبِ الكَبيرِ قَولُهُمُ إِن
زَلَّslipped يَوماًone day قَدindeed أَدرَكَovertook الشَيخَthe old man هِترُsenility
زَلَّ يَوماً قَد أَدرَكَ الشَيخَ هِترُ
One drawback of old age is their saying, if
Of elders' faults, the greatest, some say
He slips one day: 'Senility has overtaken the old man.'
His stumbling once, marks his wits' decay
Sol 6.1