المَشيداتُthe lofty buildings الَّتيthat رُفِعَتwere raised
المَشيداتُ الَّتي رُفِعَت
أَربَعٌdwelling sites مِنbereft of أَهلِهاtheir inhabitants دُرُسُruined
أَربَعٌ مِن أَهلِها دُرُسُ
The lofty buildings that were raised
The palaces that were erected
are ruined dwellings, bereft of their people.
Four of its inhabitants taught a lesson
قامَarose لِلأَيّامِon behalf of the days فيin أُذُنيmy ear
قامَ لِلأَيّامِ في أُذُني
واعِظٌan admonisher مِنof شَأنِهِhis nature الخَرَسُmuteness
واعِظٌ مِن شَأنِهِ الخَرَسُ
There arose in my ear, on behalf of the days,
A silent preacher arose in my ears
an admonisher whose nature is to be mute.
For the days, though his trait is being dumb
أَخلَقَتwore out جِسمَthe body الفَتىthe young man جُدُدٌnew days
أَخلَقَت جِسمَ الفَتى جُدُدٌ
ذاتُpossessing خُلقٍa temperament لينُهُits gentleness شَرَسُharsh
ذاتُ خُلقٍ لينُهُ شَرَسُ
New days have worn out the young man's body,
The body of the youth is renewed
with a temper whose gentleness is harsh.
By a temperament whose softness is harshness
فَشِتاءٌso winter بَعدَهُafter it وَمَدٌsultry heat
فَشِتاءٌ بَعدَهُ وَمَدٌ
وَمَصيفٌand summer إِثرَهُin its wake قَرَسُbiting cold
وَمَصيفٌ إِثرَهُ قَرَسُ
So winter is followed by sultry heat,
After it a winter and a time
and summer is followed by biting cold.
And after it a summer that is hot
لُبتُI circled حَولَaround الماءِthe water مِنfrom ظَمَإٍthirst
لُبتُ حَولَ الماءِ مِن ظَمَإٍ
إِنَّindeed غَربيmy bucket ماnot لَهُit has مَرَسُa rope
إِنَّ غَربي ما لَهُ مَرَسُ
I circled around the water out of thirst;
I roamed around the water thirstily
indeed, my bucket has no rope.
Indeed my west has no place to alight
كَمhow many أَبَنَّdwelt in الغابَthe thickets مِنof أَسَدٍa lion
كَم أَبَنَّ الغابَ مِن أَسَدٍ
أَيُّwhich لَيثٍlion لَيسَis not يُفتَرَسُpreyed upon
أَيُّ لَيثٍ لَيسَ يُفتَرَسُ
How many a lion has dwelt in the thickets!
How many lions the forests raised
What lion is not preyed upon?
What beast is there that doesn't get preyed on
مُهجَتيmy lifeblood ضِدٌّa foe يُحارِبُنيfights me
مُهجَتي ضِدٌّ يُحارِبُني
أَناI مِنّيfrom myself كَيفَhow أَحتَرِسُguard myself
أَنا مِنّي كَيفَ أَحتَرِسُ
My lifeblood is a foe that fights me;
My disposition is an adversary battling me
how can I guard myself against myself?
How can I be on guard against myself
إِنَّماonly دُنياكَyour world غانِيَةٌa beautiful woman
إِنَّما دُنياكَ غانِيَةٌ
لَمdid not يُهَنِّئbring joy to زَوجَهاher husband العُرُسُthe wedding
لَم يُهَنِّئ زَوجَها العُرُسُ
Your world is nothing but a beautiful woman
Verily your world is a singing girl
whose wedding brought her husband no joy.
Whose wedding was not gladdened by the groom
أُمُّmother شِبلٍa lion cub فَوقَهاupon her لِبَدٌmatted mane
أُمُّ شِبلٍ فَوقَها لِبَدٌ
ظُفرُهاher claw مِنfrom قَتلِناkilling us وَرِسُyellow-stained
ظُفرُها مِن قَتلِنا وَرِسُ
She is a cub's mother, with a matted mane upon her;
Umm Shibl above her is a lion cub
her claw is yellow-stained from killing us.
Whose prey is our killing and stoning
فالِقَهاso meet her بِالزُهدِwith renunciation مُدَّرِعاًarmored
فالِقَها بِالزُهدِ مُدَّرِعاً
فيin يَدَيكَyour two hands السَيفُthe sword وَالتُرُسُand the shield
في يَدَيكَ السَيفُ وَالتُرُسُ
So meet her, armored in renunciation,
Split her with asceticism, armed
with sword and shield in your hands.
In your hands the sword and shield
إِنif دَناdrew near مِنto فارِسٍa horseman أَجَلٌappointed death
إِن دَنا مِن فارِسٍ أَجَلٌ
حارَbecame bewildered لاnot يَجريgallops بِهِwith him الفَرَسُthe horse
حارَ لا يَجري بِهِ الفَرَسُ
If death draws near a horseman,
If the appointed time of a horseman draws near
he is bewildered; the horse will not gallop with him.
Bewildered, the steed does not race with him
كُلُّeveryone مَنwho حانَتcame due مَنيَّتُهُhis death
كُلُّ مَن حانَت مَنيَّتُهُ
لَمdid not يُدافِعdefend دونَهُon his behalf حَرَسُguards
لَم يُدافِع دونَهُ حَرَسُ
For anyone whose hour of death has come,
All whose death time arrived
no guards have warded it off for him.
No guards can defend them
لَيسَdoes not يَبقىremain فَرعُa branch نابِتَةٍa plant
لَيسَ يَبقى فَرعُ نابِتَةٍ
أَصلُهاits root فيin المَوتِdeath مُغتَرِسُrooted
أَصلُها في المَوتِ مُغتَرِسُ
No branch of a plant endures
No branch of a tree remains
whose root is planted in death.
Whose roots are not planted in death
خَبَّرَتنيtold me كُلُّevery ناطِقَةٍspeaking thing
خَبَّرَتني كُلُّ ناطِقَةٍ
ذاكَthat حَتّىeven الزيرُthe lute's treble string وَالجَرَسُand the bell
ذاكَ حَتّى الزيرُ وَالجَرَسُ
Every speaking thing has told me
Every speaker informed me
that—even the lute's treble string and the bell.
Even the bell and the clapper
Sol 6.1