مَتىwhen أَناI فيin هَذاthis التُرابِthe earth مُغَيَّبٌburied
مَتى أَنا في هَذا التُرابِ مُغَيَّبٌ
فَأُصبِحَso I may become لاnot يُجنىwrong is done عَلَيَّagainst me وَلاnor أَجنيI do wrong
فَأُصبِحَ لا يُجنى عَلَيَّ وَلا أَجني
When shall I lie buried in this earth,
When will I be buried in this dust,
And then be neither wronged nor do wrong?
To become immune, unable to harm or be harmed?
أَسيرُI depart عَنِaway from الدُنياthe world وَلَستُand I am not بِعائِدٍreturning
أَسيرُ عَنِ الدُنيا وَلَستُ بِعائِدٍ
إِلَيهاto it وَهَلand does يَرتَدُّreturn قُطنٌcotton إِلىto دَجنِdark clouds
إِلَيها وَهَل يَرتَدُّ قُطنٌ إِلى دَجنِ
I depart from the world and shall not return
I will leave this world, never to return,
To it—and does cotton return to dark clouds?
Can cotton once ginned return to the boll?
وَجَدتُI found بِهاin it أَحرارَهاits freeborn كَعَبيدِهاlike its slaves
وَجَدتُ بِها أَحرارَها كَعَبيدِها
قِباحَfoul السَجاياthe dispositions وَالصَرائِحَand the purebred كَالهُجنِlike the crossbred
قِباحَ السَجايا وَالصَرائِحَ كَالهُجنِ
I found its freeborn like its slaves,
In it I found freemen to be like slaves,
Foul in character, and the purebred like the crossbred.
Ugly traits and steeds are like wild donkeys.
وَيَومَand the day حُصوليmy arrival فيin قَرارِيَmy resting place نِعمَةٌa blessing
وَيَومَ حُصولي في قَرارِيَ نِعمَةٌ
عَلَيَّupon me كَيَوميlike my day لَوif خَرَجتُI came out مِنَfrom السِجنِthe prison
عَلَيَّ كَيَومي لَو خَرَجتُ مِنَ السِجنِ
And the day I reach my resting place is a blessing
The day I settle in my final resting place will be
To me, as would be the day I came out of prison.
Like the day I left prison.
وَإِنَّand indeed زَماناًan age فَجرُهُits dawn مِثلُlike سَيفِهِits sword
وَإِنَّ زَماناً فَجرُهُ مِثلُ سَيفِهِ
هِلالٌa crescent دُجاهُits darkness مِنamong مَخالِبِهِits claws الحُجنِhooked
هِلالٌ دُجاهُ مِن مَخالِبِهِ الحُجنِ
And indeed, time's dawn is like its sword;
Time's dawn is like its sword,
The crescent in its darkness is one of its hooked claws.
A bare crescent whose claws are sheathes.
فَماso not سُقِيَتwas watered دارٌa dwelling فَقُلتُthen I said لَهاto it اِنعَميprosper!
فَما سُقِيَت دارٌ فَقُلتُ لَها اِنعَمي
وَلاnor هَبَّarose إِيماضٌa lightning flash فَقُلتُthen I said لَهُto it هِجَنيstir me!
وَلا هَبَّ إِيماضٌ فَقُلتُ لَهُ هِجَني
So I never told a rain-watered dwelling, 'Prosper!'
I never praised an abode I dwelled in,
Nor, when lightning flashed, did I say to it, 'Stir me!'
Nor did I blame a departure when it was time to leave.
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle وَرَدناwe arrive لِلمَناياof death شَريعَةًa watering place
إِذا ما وَرَدنا لِلمَنايا شَريعَةً
فَهانَthen became trifling عَلَيناto us ماwhat شَرِبناwe drank مِنَof الأَجنِthe foul water
فَهانَ عَلَينا ما شَرِبنا مِنَ الأَجنِ
When we reach death's watering place,
When we are destined for death's realm,
Then the foul water we have drunk will matter little to us.
How trivial the water we drank from cups seems.
Sol 6.1