إِذاwhen صَقَلَتpolishes دُنياكَyour world مِرآةَthe mirror عَقلِهاof its mind
إِذا صَقَلَت دُنياكَ مِرآةَ عَقلِها
أَرتكَit shows you جَزيلَweighty الأَمرِthe matter غَيرَnot جَزيلِweighty
أَرتكَ جَزيلَ الأَمرِ غَيرَ جَزيلِ
When your world polishes the mirror of its mind,
When life polishes the mirror of her mind,
it shows you weighty matters as insignificant.
She shows you not truly precious at all.
فَبُعداًso away with you لَحاكَmay He curse you اللَهُGod ياO شَرَّworst مَنزِلٍabode
فَبُعداً لَحاكَ اللَهُ يا شَرَّ مَنزِلٍ
ثَواهُdwelt in it مِنَof الإِنسانِhumankind شَرُّthe worst نَزيلِlodger
ثَواهُ مِنَ الإِنسانِ شَرُّ نَزيلِ
So away with you! May God curse you, O worst abode,
So evil was your abode, may God keep you far away!
where the worst of human lodgers has dwelt.
The worst lodger of all from mankind.
وَقَدand indeed زالَdeparted عَنهُfrom it ساكِنٌa dweller بَعدَafter ساكِنٍa dweller
وَقَد زالَ عَنهُ ساكِنٌ بَعدَ ساكِنٍ
فَهَلso will هُوَit ماضٍpassing away مَرَّةًever بِمُزيلِby a remover
فَهَل هُوَ ماضٍ مَرَّةً بِمُزيلِ
And dweller after dweller has departed from it;
One by one, all have gone from that place,
so will it ever be made to pass away?
Will it too one day go, left vacant and bare?
عَجِبتُI marveled لِثَوبٍat a robe مِنof ظَلامٍdarkness مُمَزَّقٍtorn
عَجِبتُ لِثَوبٍ مِن ظَلامٍ مُمَزَّقٍ
وَخَيطِand a thread صَباحٍof dawn مِنfrom ذُكاءَDhukāʾ (the sun) غَزيلِspun
وَخَيطِ صَباحٍ مِن ذُكاءَ غَزيلِ
I marveled at a torn robe of darkness,
A robe of shredded darkness amazes me,
and a thread of dawn spun from Dhukāʾ, the sun.
With threads of radiant dawn, gleaming and fair.
وَماand not تَترُكُleave off الأَيّامُthe days وَهيَwhile they are كَثيرَةٌnumerous
وَما تَترُكُ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ
وِلايَةَtenure in office والٍa ruler وَاِنصِرافَand the departure عَزيلِone dismissed from office
وِلايَةَ والٍ وَاِنصِرافَ عَزيلِ
And the days, many though they are, never cease
The days are many and they will not cease,
bringing a ruler to office and sending a deposed one away.
To bring regrets that mourners bitterly wail,
يُضَلِّلنَthey lead astray حَتّىuntil الرَكبَthe caravan يَبعَثُsends off بَزلَهُits mature camels
يُضَلِّلنَ حَتّى الرَكبَ يَبعَثُ بَزلَهُ
لِأَزهَرَfor a gleaming drink مِنfrom صَفوِthe purest part of المُدامِthe wine بَزيلِdrawn off
لِأَزهَرَ مِن صَفوِ المُدامِ بَزيلِ
They mislead until the caravan sends off its mature camels
Misleading even travelers mid-journey,
for a gleaming draught drawn from the purest wine.
With wine more pure than stars when they pale.
وَماand not يَفرِقُdistinguishes التُربُthe soil الَّذيwhich هُوَit آكِلٌa devourer
وَما يَفرِقُ التُربُ الَّذي هُوَ آكِلٌ
لَناof us بَينَbetween جِسمَيthe two bodies of بادِنٍa stout man وَهَزيلِand a lean man
لَنا بَينَ جِسمَي بادِنٍ وَهَزيلِ
And the soil makes no distinction—it devours
And what can dust that eats all things divide
us—between the bodies of a stout man and a lean one.
Between two bodies, one gaunt and one hale?
Sol 6.1