هِيَthey طُرقٌpaths فَمِنthen from ظُهورٍloins; backs وَأَرحاand wombs (beginning of أرحام)
هِيَ طُرقٌ فَمِن ظُهورٍ وَأَرحا
مٍwombs (ending of أرحام) وَدُنياand a world أَتَتcame بِظُلمٍwith darkness وَقَمرِand moonlight
مٍ وَدُنيا أَتَت بِظُلمٍ وَقَمرِ
They are paths—from loins and wombs,
and a world that came with darkness and moonlight.
كُنتُI was طِفلاًa child فيin المَهدِthe cradle وَالآنَand now لاnot أَهdesire (beginning of أهوى)
كُنتُ طِفلاً في المَهدِ وَالآنَ لا أَه
وىdesire (ending of أهوى) رُجوعاًa return إِلَيهِto it فَاِعجَبso marvel لِأَمريat my state
وى رُجوعاً إِلَيهِ فَاِعجَب لِأَمري
I was a child in the cradle; now I do not
wish to return to it—marvel at my state.
وَلَعَلّيand perhaps I كَذاكَlikewise فيin داريmy abode الأُخthe other (beginning of الأخرى)
وَلَعَلّي كَذاكَ في داري الأُخ
رىother (ending of الأخرى) إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِدَّكَرتُI remembered ريَّقَearly freshness عِمريof my life
رى إِذا ما اِدَّكَرتُ ريَّقَ عِمري
And perhaps I shall be likewise in my other abode,
when I recall the early freshness of my life.
طَلَwent for nothing مِنّيfrom me تَحَمُّلٌendurance خِلتُI thought أَنّيthat I
طَلَ مِنّي تَحَمُّلٌ خِلتُ أَنّي
قابِضٌclenching مِنbecause of أَذاتِهِits torment فَوقَover جَمرِembers
قابِضٌ مِن أَذاتِهِ فَوقَ جَمرِ
My endurance went for nothing; I thought I
was clenching my hand over embers from its torment.
كَمhow much أُعانيI endure لِلدَهرِfrom Time بيضاًwhite ones وَسوداًand black ones
كَم أُعاني لِلدَهرِ بيضاً وَسوداً
بَينَamid خُضرٍgreen ones مِنَof السِنينَthe years وَحُمرِand red ones
بَينَ خُضرٍ مِنَ السِنينَ وَحُمرِ
How much white and black I endure from Time,
amid green years and red.
كَيفَhow ليfor me بِالفَلاةِwith the desert تُنضيwears out المَطاياthe mounts
كَيفَ لي بِالفَلاةِ تُنضي المَطايا
بِضَميرٍwith an inward resolve يَكسوclothes جَلابيبَouter garments ضُمُرِlean mounts
بِضَميرٍ يَكسو جَلابيبَ ضُمُرِ
How may I reach the desert that wears out mounts,
with an inward resolve that clothes lean mounts' hides,
بِنَوىwith date stones تَمرِيَmy dates الَّذيwhich غُذِّيَتهُI was fed it
بِنَوى تَمرِيَ الَّذي غُذِّيَتهُ
لِنَواهاbecause of its remoteness الَّتيwhich مِنَfrom البُعدِdistance تَمريwrings; draws forth
لِنَواها الَّتي مِنَ البُعدِ تَمري
with pits from the dates on which I was fed,
for its remoteness, which wrings me from afar?
زَمَرَتpiped رُبدُهاits gray ostriches وَغَنَّتand sang بِهاin it الوُرthe gray doves (beginning of الورق)
زَمَرَت رُبدُها وَغَنَّت بِها الوُر
قُgray doves (ending of الورق) وَلاand no حَوبَsin فيin غِناءٍsinging وَزَمرِand piping
قُ وَلا حَوبَ في غِناءٍ وَزَمرِ
Its gray ostriches piped, and there the gray doves sang;
and there is no sin in singing or piping.
إِلزَمِkeep to الصَمتَsilence إِنif أَرَدتِyou desire نَجاةًdeliverance
إِلزَمِ الصَمتَ إِن أَرَدتِ نَجاةً
لَيسَis not ضَحضاحُshallow water مَنطِقٍof speech مِثلَlike غَمرِdeep water
لَيسَ ضَحضاحُ مَنطِقٍ مِثلَ غَمرِ
Keep to silence if you seek deliverance;
speech's shallows are not like its deep waters.
لَفظَةٌa word قُلتُهاI uttered it وَإِنand though هِيَit هانَتwas trivial
لَفظَةٌ قُلتُها وَإِن هِيَ هانَت
جاوَزَتsurpassed فيamong الأَنامِhumankind حُسوَةَa sip خَمرِof wine
جاوَزَت في الأَنامِ حُسوَةَ خَمرِ
A word I spoke, though it seemed trivial,
did more among people than a sip of wine.
تُنفِدُyou exhaust الوَقتَthe time غَيرَwithout جالِبِbringing نَفَعٍbenefit
تُنفِدُ الوَقتَ غَيرَ جالِبِ نَفَعٍ
خائِضاًwading فيinto حَديثِtalk of زَيدٍZayd وَعَمَرِوand ʿAmr
خائِضاً في حَديثِ زَيدٍ وَعَمَرِو
You squander time, bringing no benefit,
wading into talk of Zayd and ʿAmr.
Sol 6.1