الدَهرُtime لَونانِtwo colors أَعياproved elusive ثالِثٌa third لَهُماfor the two
الدَهرُ لَونانِ أَعيا ثالِثٌ لَهُما
وَكَمand how often أَتاكَit came to you بِأَشباهٍwith likenesses وَأَلوانِand colors
وَكَم أَتاكَ بِأَشباهٍ وَأَلوانِ
Time has two colors; a third remains elusive.
Time has two colors, a third perplexes them,
And how often it has brought you likenesses and colors.
And how often it came to you in different forms and hues.
لاnot أَشرَبُI drink الراحَwine أَشريI buy طيبَthe sweetness of نَشوَتِهاits intoxication
لا أَشرَبُ الراحَ أَشري طيبَ نَشوَتِها
بِالعَقلِwith reason أَفضَلِthe best of أَنصاريmy supporters وَأَعوانيand my helpers
بِالعَقلِ أَفضَلِ أَنصاري وَأَعواني
I do not drink wine to buy its sweet intoxication
I do not drink joy sipping its sweet exhilaration,
At the cost of reason, the best of my supporters and helpers.
Reason is the best of my supporters and aides.
لَوif كانَwas يَعرِفُknows دُنياهُhis world مُصاحِبُهاits companion
لَو كانَ يَعرِفُ دُنياهُ مُصاحِبُها
أَرادَهاhe would wish it لِعَدُوٍّfor an enemy دونَrather than إِخوانِbrothers
أَرادَها لِعَدُوٍّ دونَ إِخوانِ
If the world's companion knew his world,
If he who courts this world knew it,
He would wish it for an enemy rather than for brothers.
He would wish it upon an enemy, not brothers.
وَإِنand if كَفَتنيit spares me عَذابَthe punishment of اللَهِGod آخِرَةٌan afterlife
وَإِن كَفَتني عَذابَ اللَهِ آخِرَةٌ
فَماthen not أُحاوِلُI seek مِنهاfrom it فَوزَattainment of رُضوانِdivine favor
فَما أُحاوِلُ مِنها فَوزَ رُضوانِ
And if an afterlife spares me God's punishment,
And if fear of the torment of God in the hereafter prevents me,
Then I do not seek to gain divine favor from it.
I do not strive for the bliss of His pleasure.
وَالرِزقُand sustenance يُقسَمُis allotted ماnot فَتكيmy violence بِمُنتَقِصيdiminishing me
وَالرِزقُ يُقسَمُ ما فَتكي بِمُنتَقِصي
حَظّاًshare وَلاnor النُسكُreligious devotion فيinto المَكروهِmisfortune أَهوانيhas cast me down
حَظّاً وَلا النُسكُ في المَكروهِ أَهواني
And sustenance is allotted; my violence does not diminish
Sustenance is apportioned, so do not blame me for what I lack,
My share, nor has devotion cast me into misfortune.
Nor does devotion in hardship humiliate me.
سيحانُSayhan لِلرومِof the Romans عَذبٌsweet لَيسَis not مَورِدُهُits watering place
سيحانُ لِلرومِ عَذبٌ لَيسَ مَورِدُهُ
مِلحاًsalty كَزَمزَمَlike Zamzam أَوor عَينٍa spring لِسُلوانِof Sulwan
مِلحاً كَزَمزَمَ أَو عَينٍ لِسُلوانِ
Sayhan of the Romans is sweet; its source is not
Sihân's water is sweet, its source not
Salty like Zamzam or a spring of Sulwan.
Brackish like Zamzam's or a Suluwwân spring.
وَالإِنسُand humankind مِثلُlike نِظامِthe arrangement of الشِعرِpoetry كَمmany a رَجُلٍman
وَالإِنسُ مِثلُ نِظامِ الشِعرِ كَم رَجُلٍ
بِالجَيشِwith the army يُفدىis ransomed وَكَمand many a بَيتٍverse بِديوانِwith a poetry collection
بِالجَيشِ يُفدى وَكَم بَيتٍ بِديوانِ
And humankind is like the arrangement of poetry: many a man
People are like the structure of poetry, how many a man
Is ransomed with an army, and many a verse with a book of poems.
Ransomed by the army, how many a poem by the dîwân.
وَأَقصَرُand the briefest of الوَقتِtime كَونٌa coming-to-be ثُمَّthen يَنظِمُهُorders it
وَأَقصَرُ الوَقتِ كَونٌ ثُمَّ يَنظِمُهُ
حُكمُthe decree of القَديمِthe Eternal فَيُفنيهِthen annihilates it بِأَكوانِthrough comings-to-be
حُكمُ القَديمِ فَيُفنيهِ بِأَكوانِ
And time's briefest span is a coming-to-be; then it is ordered
The briefest time is an eon, then decree
By the Eternal's decree, which annihilates it through other comings-to-be.
Of the ancients destroys it with eons.
إِنif جاءَنيcomes to me الخَطبُcalamity يَجنيهِhe inflicts it بِلاwithout سَبَبٍcause
إِن جاءَني الخَطبُ يَجنيهِ بِلا سَبَبٍ
كَيوانُKaywan (Saturn) فَاللَهُthen God أَرجوI hope in رَبَّthe Lord of كَيوانِKaywan (Saturn)
كَيوانُ فَاللَهُ أَرجو رَبَّ كَيوانِ
If calamity comes to me, inflicted without cause
If good fortune comes to me undeserved,
By Kaywan, then I place my hope in God, the Lord of Kaywan.
Like the grace of Keywân, God I hope for the Lord of Keywân.
Sol 6.1