لِلرِزقِfor sustenance أَسبابٌmeans تَسَبَّبpursue the means
لِلرِزقِ أَسبابٌ تَسَبَّب
وَالعَيشُand life مَأمولٌhoped for مَحَبَّبbeloved
وَالعَيشُ مَأمولٌ مَحَبَّب
Sustenance has its means—pursue them.
The means of sustenance are preordained
And life is hoped for and held dear.
And livelihood is hoped for and loved
وَصَبابَةُand passionate longing الإِنسانِof humankind بِالدُنfor the world (first part of بالدنيا)
وَصَبابَةُ الإِنسانِ بِالدُن
ياending of الدنيا ('world') أَرَتكَhas shown you دَماًblood تَصَبَّبpoured forth
يا أَرَتكَ دَماً تَصَبَّب
And man's passionate longing for the world
Yet man's youth with worldly pleasures
has shown you blood pouring forth.
Oh, how it has shed blood profusely!
شَرِبَdrank اِمرُؤٌa man مِنof قَهوَةٍwine
شَرِبَ اِمرُؤٌ مِن قَهوَةٍ
شامِيَّةٍSyrian حَتّىuntil تَحَبَّبhe grew affectionate
شامِيَّةٍ حَتّى تَحَبَّب
A man drank some wine
A man drank coffee till he was delighted
from Syria, until he grew affectionate.
While his brother loathed pure gold adorned
وَأَخوهُand his brother يَكرَهُloathes نُغبَةًa sip
وَأَخوهُ يَكرَهُ نُغبَةً
فيin الرَفدِthe drinking cup مِنof ذَهَبٍgold يُضَبَّبis banded
في الرَفدِ مِن ذَهَبٍ يُضَبَّب
While his brother loathes a sip
And death is good though the wise may dislike it
from a cup banded with gold.
Even if he takes preventative measures
وَالمَوتُand death طِبٌّan illness لَيسَdoes not يُبfirst part of يبرئه ('cures it')
وَالمَوتُ طِبٌّ لَيسَ يُب
رِئُهُending of يبرئه ('cures it') الحَكيمُthe physician وَإِنand even if تَطَبَّبhe practices medicine
رِئُهُ الحَكيمُ وَإِن تَطَبَّب
And death is an illness not cured
Oh eye, if the eyelid has closed
by the physician, even if he practices medicine.
And your eyelash has touched what is buried
ياO طِرفُnoble steed إِنif بِتَّyou remain overnight الأَقَthe slender-bellied one (first part of الأقب)
يا طِرفُ إِن بِتَّ الأَقَ
بَّending of الأقب ('slender-bellied') وَصَمَّand grew hard حافِرُكَyour hoof المُقَبَّبthe domed one
بَّ وَصَمَّ حافِرُكَ المُقَبَّب
O steed, even if you remain slender-bellied,
You rolled about in empty imaginings
and your domed hoof is hard,
While you were clear-sighted and of sound judgement
وَجَبَبتَand you outstripped فيin الجَريracing الخُيوthe horses (first part of الخيول)
وَجَبَبتَ في الجَري الخُيو
لَending of الخيول ('horses') وَكُنتَand you were مِنwith وَضحٍwhite markings مُجَبَّبwhite-stockinged
لَ وَكُنتَ مِن وَضحٍ مُجَبَّب
and you outstrip the horses in racing,
So may you be afflicted time and again
and your legs are stockinged in white,
With what has afflicted the patched-up water skin
فَليُدرِكَنَّكَthen it will surely overtake you مَرَّةًonce
فَليُدرِكَنَّكَ مَرَّةً
ماwhat أَدرَكَovertook الخَرِقُthe clumsy one المُرَبَّبthe pampered one
ما أَدرَكَ الخَرِقُ المُرَبَّب
then one day you will surely be overtaken
Silence befits the youth
by what overtook the clumsy, pampered one.
After singing and growing up
وَالصَمتُand silence يَلزَمُهُhe keeps to it الفَتىthe young man
وَالصَمتُ يَلزَمُهُ الفَتى
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat (verbal nominalizer) غَنّىhe sang وَشَبَّبand sang of love
مِن بَعدِ ما غَنّى وَشَبَّب
And the young man keeps to silence
after he has sung and sung of love.
Partial English translation: 16 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1