مَنwho ليfor me بِإِمليسيَّةٍwith a fleet she-camel أَعنيI mean بِهاby it
مَن لي بِإِمليسيَّةٍ أَعني بِها
وَجَناءَa sturdy, broad-cheeked she-camel تَقطَعُcrosses فيin الدُجىnight's darkness الإِمليساthe barren plain
وَجَناءَ تَقطَعُ في الدُجى الإِمليسا
Who can find me a fleet she-camel? By that I mean
Who will give me a night of darkness
a sturdy, broad-cheeked camel that crosses the barren plain in night's darkness.
And a thick grove I can wander through
أَطَلَبتُمُdid you seek أَدَباًliterary learning لَدَيَّwith me وَلَمand not أَزَلI cease
أَطَلَبتُمُ أَدَباً لَدَيَّ وَلَم أَزَل
مِنهُbecause of it أُعانيI suffer الحَجرَlegal restraint وَالتَفليساand bankruptcy
مِنهُ أُعاني الحَجرَ وَالتَفليسا
Have you sought literary learning from me, though I have never ceased
You wanted me cultured, yet I still suffer
to suffer through it legal restraint and bankruptcy?
Stones and waterlessness
ماnot كُنتُI was ذاpossessed of يُسرٍwealth فَأَجمَعَهُso I might gather it وَلاnor
ما كُنتُ ذا يُسرٍ فَأَجمَعَهُ وَلا
ذاpossessed of صِحَّةٍhealth فَأُحالِفَso I might befriend التَغليساpredawn travel
ذا صِحَّةٍ فَأُحالِفَ التَغليسا
I had no wealth with which to gather it, nor
I was not blessed with wealth to hoard
health with which to befriend travel in predawn darkness.
Nor health to make false oaths
وَأَرَدتُمونيand you wanted me أَنto أَكونَI be مُدَلِّساًa deceiver
وَأَرَدتُموني أَن أَكونَ مُدَلِّساً
هَيهاتَfar from it غَيريsomeone other than me آثَرَpreferred التَدليساdeceit
هَيهاتَ غَيري آثَرَ التَدليسا
And you wanted me to be a deceiver.
Yet you wanted me to be a fraud
Far from it! Someone else has chosen deceit.
Never! Others chose falsehood over truth
لَيسَis not الأنَامُmankind بِمُنجَحٍgranted success فَإِذاso when دَعاhe calls
لَيسَ الأنَامُ بِمُنجَحٍ فَإِذا دَعا
داعيthe caller to الضَلالِerror فَلاthen let him not يَجِدكُمfind you لِيساbold
داعي الضَلالِ فَلا يَجِدكُم لِيسا
Mankind is granted no success; so when a call comes
People are not successful, so when misguidance calls
from the caller to error, let him not find you bold.
It won't find you there to heed it
إِنif ماتَdies صاحِبُكُمyour companion فَجُدّواthen strive earnestly بَعدَهُafter him
إِن ماتَ صاحِبُكُم فَجُدّوا بَعدَهُ
فيin النُسكِdevotion وَاِتَّخِذواand take الخُشوعَhumility جَليساa companion
في النُسكِ وَاِتَّخِذوا الخُشوعَ جَليسا
If your companion dies, strive earnestly after his death
If a friend has died, then after him
in devotion, and take humility as your companion.
Take to devotion and let worship be your friend
فَاللَهُfor God ماnot اِختارَchose البَقاءَcontinued life وَطولَهُand its length
فَاللَهُ ما اِختارَ البَقاءَ وَطولَهُ
إِلّاexcept لِشَرِّfor the worst of عِبادِهِHis servants إِبليساIblis
إِلّا لِشَرِّ عِبادِهِ إِبليسا
For God did not choose continued life and its long span
God only made life long
except for the worst of His servants, Iblis.
As an evil for Satan's wickedness
وَأَرىand I see الذِئابَthe wolves الطُلُسَdusky يَعجَزُfalls short كَيدُهاtheir cunning
وَأَرى الذِئابَ الطُلُسَ يَعجَزُ كَيدُها
عَنof كيدِthe cunning of شيبٍgray-haired men أَظهَرواthey displayed التَطليساdeceit
عَن كيدِ شيبٍ أَظهَروا التَطليسا
And I see the dusky wolves' cunning fall short
I see wolves, their scheming is useless
of the cunning of gray-haired men who openly practiced deceit
Against the vile scheming of white hair
وَتَخالَسواand snatched from one another الغَرَضَthe desired object الحَرامَforbidden وَقَدthough already رَأواthey had seen
وَتَخالَسوا الغَرَضَ الحَرامَ وَقَد رَأوا
شَعراًhair كَمُلوِيَةِlike the partly withered growth of الرِياضِthe meadows خَليساgrizzled
شَعراً كَمُلوِيَةِ الرِياضِ خَليسا
and snatched the forbidden object from one another, though they had seen
They obtained their base desires, and yet saw
their hair grizzled like the partly withered growth of meadows.
Poetry like the meadow's worthless weeds
Sol 6.1