لَقَدindeed دَجّىgrew dark الزَمانُtime فَلاso do not تَدَجّواtrudge along
لَقَد دَجّى الزَمانُ فَلا تَدَجّوا
وَلَجَّand persisted فَلَمso it did not يَدَعleave خَصماًan adversary يَلَجُّpersist
وَلَجَّ فَلَم يَدَع خَصماً يَلَجُّ
Time has indeed grown dark; do not trudge on.
Time has darkened, so do not make it darker,
And it has persisted, leaving no adversary still defiant.
And it has become confused, leaving no opponent confused.
أَرانيI see myself قَدalready نَصَحتُhave advised فَماso what لِنُصحيwith my counsel
أَراني قَد نَصَحتُ فَما لِنُصحي
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle غارَsank deep فيinto أُذُنٍan ear يُمَجُّis spat out
إِذا ما غارَ في أُذُنٍ يُمَجُّ
I see that I have given counsel; what ails my counsel,
Do I see that I have advised, yet my advice is useless,
that whenever it sinks into an ear, it is spat out?
When it pours into an ear that shuts out all counsel?
عَجِبناwe marveled لِلرَكائِبِat the riding camels مُبرَياتٍfitted with nose-rings
عَجِبنا لِلرَكائِبِ مُبرَياتٍ
يَسيلُflows بِهِنَّwith them بَعدَafter الفَجِّthe mountain pass فَجُّa mountain pass
يَسيلُ بِهِنَّ بَعدَ الفَجِّ فَجُّ
We marveled at the nose-ringed riding camels:
Strange are the riding camels, their saddles emptied,
one mountain pass after another streams with them.
Flowing with them after death's rending are more tears.
تُنِصُّhasten إِلىtoward تِهامَةَTihamah مُبتَغاهاtheir goal
تُنِصُّ إِلى تِهامَةَ مُبتَغاها
صَلاحَSalah (Mecca) وَلَيسَand is not فيin النِياتِthe intentions وَجُّWajj
صَلاحَ وَلَيسَ في النِياتِ وَجُّ
They hasten toward Tihamah, their goal
You aim for well-being in Tehama, seeking it,
Salah, with Wajj absent from their intentions.
And good faith, though intentions harbor no ill thoughts.
هِيَit الدُنِّياthe world عَلىin accordance with ماwhat نَحنُwe فيهِin it
هِيَ الدُنِّيا عَلى ما نَحنُ فيهِ
مَعاشٌa livelihood يُمتَرىis milked out وَدَمٌand blood يُثَجُّis poured forth
مَعاشٌ يُمتَرى وَدَمٌ يُثَجُّ
Such is the world, as we find ourselves within it:
Such is this life we're in -
a livelihood milked out, and blood poured forth.
A livelihood bought and blood spilled out.
لَيالِيَin nights ماnot بِمَكَّةَin Mecca مِنany مَقامٍa station
لَيالِيَ ما بِمَكَّةَ مِن مَقامٍ
وَلاnor بَيتٌa House بِأَبطَحِهاin its pebbled valley يَحِجُّis visited on pilgrimage
وَلا بَيتٌ بِأَبطَحِها يَحِجُّ
In nights when there was no station in Mecca,
No dwelling place in Mecca's valley
nor a House in its pebbled valley visited on pilgrimage.
Or house on its plain brings pilgrims rest.
وَماand not فَتِئَتceased وُلاةُthe holders الأَمرِof authority فيهاin it
وَما فَتِئَت وُلاةُ الأَمرِ فيها
علىover الصَفراءِgold تُصرِفُgnash their teeth أَوor تَشِجُّsplit heads
على الصَفراءِ تُصرِفُ أَو تَشِجُّ
And its holders of power have never ceased
Rulers of authority there weary it
gnashing their teeth over gold, or splitting heads.
With yellow gold they dispense or treasures they hoard.
وَقَدand indeed كُذِبَhas been lied to الصَحيحُthe sound man بِلاwithout اِرتِيابٍdoubt
وَقَد كُذِبَ الصَحيحُ بِلا اِرتِيابٍ
فَهَلso has? صَدَقَspoken truth الأَصَمُّal-Asamm (the deaf one) أَوor الأَشَجُّal-Ashajj (the scarred one)
فَهَل صَدَقَ الأَصَمُّ أَو الأَشَجُّ
And the sound man has been lied to, beyond doubt;
The true has been denied, without doubt,
so has al-Asamm or al-Ashajj spoken truth?
So has the deaf or the blind spoken truth?
مَضىhave passed on أَهلُthe people الرَجاءِof hope عَلىalong سَبيلٍa path
مَضى أَهلُ الرَجاءِ عَلى سَبيلٍ
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were العَظائِمُmighty things لَمnot يُرَجّواwere shaken
كَأَنَّهُمُ العَظائِمُ لَم يُرَجّوا
The people of hope have gone along a path,
The hopeful have departed down a road
as though they were mighty things, never shaken.
As though the greatest calamities passed them by.
فَماso what لِلرُمحِis with the spear قَرَّبَهُbrought it near رِجالٌmen
فَما لِلرُمحِ قَرَّبَهُ رِجالٌ
يُنَصَّلُis fitted with a spearhead لِلمَنيَّةِfor death أَوor يُزَجُّis fitted with a butt-spike
يُنَصَّلُ لِلمَنيَّةِ أَو يُزَجُّ
Why, then, is the spear that men have brought forth
Why has the spear been wielded by men
fitted with a spearhead for death, or with a butt-spike?
Who are destined for death or will be routed?
Sol 6.1