يَوَدُّwishes الفَتىthe young man أَنَّthat الحَياةَlife بَسيطَةٌunending
يَوَدُّ الفَتى أَنَّ الحَياةَ بَسيطَةٌ
وَأَنَّand that شَقاءَmisery of العَيشَliving لَيسَdoes not يَبيدُperish
وَأَنَّ شَقاءَ العَيشَ لَيسَ يَبيدُ
The young man wishes that life were unending,
The young man wishes that life were simple,
And that the misery of living would never cease.
And that the misery of living would cease.
كَذاكَlikewise نَعامُostriches القَفرِthe wilderness يَخشىfears مِنَfrom الرَدىdeath
كَذاكَ نَعامُ القَفرِ يَخشى مِنَ الرَدى
وَقوتاهُand its two foods مَروٌpebbles بِالفَلاin the wilderness وَهَبيدُand colocynth seeds
وَقوتاهُ مَروٌ بِالفَلا وَهَبيدُ
So too the desert ostrich fears death,
So too the ostrich of the desert fears adversity,
And its two foods are pebbles in the wilderness and colocynth seeds.
Its food bitter wormwood and chaff.
وَقَدand may يَخطِئُerr in الرَأيَjudgment اِمرُؤٌِa man وَهُوَand he حازِمٌprudent
وَقَد يَخطِئُ الرَأيَ اِمرُؤٌِ وَهُوَ حازِمٌ
كَماjust as اِختَلَّfaltered فيin وَزنِmeter of القَريضِverse عَبيدُUbayd
كَما اِختَلَّ في وَزنِ القَريضِ عَبيدُ
A man may err in judgment, though he is prudent,
A prudent man may sometimes err in judgment,
Just as Ubayd faltered in the meter of verse.
As Labid erred in the metre of his ode.
مَضىpassed away الواقِفُthe one who stood الكِنديُّthe Kindite وَالسَقطُand Saqt (the dune's edge) غابِرٌremaining
مَضى الواقِفُ الكِنديُّ وَالسَقطُ غابِرٌ
وَصاحَتand cried out دِيارُdwellings of الحَيِّthe tribe أَينَwhere لَبيدُLabid
وَصاحَت دِيارُ الحَيِّ أَينَ لَبيدُ
The Kindite who stood has gone, while Saqt remains,
The soothsayer from Kindah has passed away and gloom prevails,
And the tribe's dwellings cried out, "Where is Labid?"
The dwellings of Hayy cry “Where is Labid?”
تَوَلّىdeparted اِبنُson of حُجرٍHujr لاnot يَعودُreturns لِشَأنِهِto his pursuits
تَوَلّى اِبنُ حُجرٍ لا يَعودُ لِشَأنِهِ
وَطالَتand grew long لَيالٍnights وَالمَعالِمُand the landmarks بيدُwastelands
وَطالَت لَيالٍ وَالمَعالِمُ بيدُ
Ibn Hujr has departed, never to return to his pursuits,
The son of Hujr has turned away, never to resume his task,
And nights have lengthened, and the landmarks are wastelands.
And nights have grown long while the landmarks lie waste.
Sol 6.1