إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَسَنَّgrew old الشَيخُthe old man أَقصاهُcast him aside أَهلُهُhis family
إِذا ما أَسَنَّ الشَيخُ أَقصاهُ أَهلُهُ
وَجارَand acted unjustly عَلَيهِاtoward him لنَجلُthe son وَالعَبدُand the slave وَالعِرسُand the wife
وَجارَ عَلَيهِا لنَجلُ وَالعَبدُ وَالعِرسُ
When the old man grows aged, his family casts him aside,
and son, slave, and wife treat him unjustly.
وَصارَand became كَبِنتِlike the daughter of المومِwax تَسهَرُkeeps vigil فيin الدَُجىthe darkness
وَصارَ كَبِنتِ المومِ تَسهَرُ في الدَُجى
بُكاهُhis weeping لَهُfor him طَبعٌa natural disposition وَلِمَّتُهُand his locks بِرسُcotton
بُكاهُ لَهُ طَبعٌ وَلِمَّتُهُ بِرسُ
He becomes like wax's daughter, keeping vigil in the darkness;
weeping is natural to him, and his locks are cotton.
وَأَكثَرَand increased قَولاًspeech وَالصَوابُand the right course لِمِثلِهِfor one like him
وَأَكثَرَ قَولاً وَالصَوابُ لِمِثلِهِ
عَلىdespite فَضلِهِhis merit أَنthat لاnot يُحَسُّbe perceived لَهُfrom him جَرَسُa sound
عَلى فَضلِهِ أَن لا يُحَسُّ لَهُ جَرَسُ
He talks at length; yet the right course for one like him,
despite his merit, is that no sound be heard from him.
يُسَبِّحُhe chants praises كَيماso that يَغفِرُmay forgive اللَهُGod ذَنبَهُhis sin
يُسَبِّحُ كَيما يَغفِرُ اللَهُ ذَنبَهُ
رُوَيدَكَtake your time فيin عَهدِthe days of الصِباyouth مُلِىءَwas filled الطِرسُthe writing-sheet
رُوَيدَكَ في عَهدِ الصِبا مُلِىءَ الطِرسُ
He chants praises so that God may forgive his sin.
Easy now—the page was filled in the days of youth.
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe had been مِنَamong فُرسانِthe horsemen of حَربٍwar وَغارَةٍand raiding
وَقَد كانَ مِنَ فُرسانِ حَربٍ وَغارَةٍ
فَلَمyet did not يُغنِavail عَنهُhim السَيفُthe sword وَالرُمحُand the spear وَالتِرسُand the shield
فَلَم يُغنِ عَنهُ السَيفُ وَالرُمحُ وَالتِرسُ
He had been among the horsemen of battle and raids,
yet sword, spear, and shield availed him nothing.
وَأَصبَحَand he became عِندَin the eyes of الغانِياتِthe beautiful women مُبَغَّضاًdetested
وَأَصبَحَ عِندَ الغانِياتِ مُبَغَّضاً
كَأَنَّas though خَزُّهُhis silk خِزيٌdisgrace وَعَنبَرُهُand his ambergris كِرسُcompacted dung
كَأَنَّ خَزُّهُ خِزيٌ وَعَنبَرُهُ كِرسُ
He has become detested by beautiful women,
as though his silk were disgrace and his ambergris dung.
عَجِبتُI marveled لِقَبرٍat a grave فيهِwithin it ضيقٌcrampedness تَزاحَمَتjostled
عَجِبتُ لِقَبرٍ فيهِ ضيقٌ تَزاحَمَت
عَلىfor الكَونِdwelling فيهِin it العُربُthe Arabs وَالرومُand the Romans وَالفُرسُand the Persians
عَلى الكَونِ فيهِ العُربُ وَالرومُ وَالفُرسُ
I marvel at a cramped grave: they jostle
to dwell within it—Arabs, Romans, and Persians.
مَتّىwhenever يَأكُلِit devours الجُثمانَthe corpse يَسكُنهُinhabits it غَيرُهanother in its place
مَتّى يَأكُلِ الجُثمانَ يَسكُنهُ غَيرُه
يَدَthroughout الدَهرِtime حَرَساًan age جاءَcame مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter it حَرسُanother age
يَدَ الدَهرِ حَرَساً جاءَ مِن بَعدِهِ حَرسُ
Whenever it devours a corpse, another inhabits it,
throughout all time, one age following another.
وَكَمand how many دَرَسَتhas effaced هَذيthis البَسيطَةُearth عالَماًa world
وَكَم دَرَسَت هَذي البَسيطَةُ عالَماً
وَعالَمُand the world of جيلٍa generation مِنamong عَوائِدِهِits habits الدَرسُeffacement
وَعالَمُ جيلٍ مِن عَوائِدِهِ الدَرسُ
How many a world has this earth effaced!
And passing away is the wont of each generation's world.
لَقَدindeed فَرَسَتpreyed upon تِلكَthose الأُسودُthe lions طَوائِفاًthrongs
لَقَد فَرَسَت تِلكَ الأُسودُ طَوائِفاً
أَنيساًhumans وَوَحشاًand wild beasts ثُمَّthen أَدرَكَهاovertook them الفَرسُpredation
أَنيساً وَوَحشاً ثُمَّ أَدرَكَها الفَرسُ
Those lions indeed preyed upon throngs,
humans and wild beasts—then they too fell prey.
وَماand not بَرِحَceased الإِنسانُthe human being فيin البُؤسِmisery مُذsince جَرَتflowed
وَما بَرِحَ الإِنسانُ في البُؤسِ مُذ جَرَت
بِهِthrough him الرَوحُthe spirit لاnot مُذsince زالَcame away عَنfrom رَأسِهِhis head الغِرسُthe birth-caul
بِهِ الرَوحُ لا مُذ زالَ عَن رَأسِهِ الغِرسُ
Man has never ceased to suffer since there flowed
through him the spirit—not merely since the caul left his head.
فَلاso do not تَعذُليناreproach us (addressing a woman) كُلُّناall of us اِبنُa son لَئيمَةٍa base woman
فَلا تَعذُلينا كُلُّنا اِبنُ لَئيمَةٍ
وَهَلand can تَعذُبُbe sweet الأَثمارُthe fruits إِنif لُؤمَis base الغَرسُthe planted stock
وَهَل تَعذُبُ الأَثمارُ إِن لُؤمَ الغَرسُ
So do not reproach us: each of us is a base woman's son.
And can fruits be sweet if the stock is base?
طَفَوناwe floated وَنَرسوand we settle الآنَnow لاmay not سُرَّbe gladdened أَسوَديmy dark self
طَفَونا وَنَرسو الآنَ لا سُرَّ أَسوَدي
بِمِلكِby ruling البَراياcreated beings ماwhat is العِراقُIraq وَماand what is النَرسُNars
بِمِلكِ البَرايا ما العِراقُ وَما النَرسُ
We floated; now we settle. May my dark self find no joy
in dominion over creation—what are Iraq and Nars?
فَإِنّيfor I أَرىsee الكافورَcamphor وَالطيبَand perfume كُلَّهُall of it
فَإِنّي أَرى الكافورَ وَالطيبَ كُلَّهُ
يَزولُvanishes بِمَوتٍwith death جاءَcame فيin يَدِهِhis hand وَرسُyellow dye
يَزولُ بِمَوتٍ جاءَ في يَدِهِ وَرسُ
For I see camphor and every perfume
vanish with Death, who comes with yellow dye in his hand.
مَضىpassed away الناسُthe people إِلّاexcept أَنَّناthat we فيamong صُبابَةٍa scant remnant
مَضى الناسُ إِلّا أَنَّنا في صُبابَةٍ
كَآخَرِlike the last of ماwhat تُبقيretain الحِياضُthe basins أَوor الخَرسُthe large jar
كَآخَرِ ما تُبقي الحِياضُ أَو الخَرسُ
People have passed away; we remain only as a scant remnant,
like the last drops that basins or a great jar retain.
وَلَمand did not يَسمَعواthey hear قَولاًa word أَمِنis it from صَمَمٍdeafness بِهِمin them
وَلَم يَسمَعوا قَولاً أَمِن صَمَمٍ بِهِم
وَلَمand did not يَفهَمواthey understand رَجعاًa reply كَأَنَّهُمُas though they خُرسُmute
وَلَم يَفهَموا رَجعاً كَأَنَّهُمُ خُرسُ
And they heard no word—was it because they were deaf?
Nor did they understand a reply, as though they were mute.
Sol 6.1