غَدوتُI began the day بِخيرَةٍin good fortune وَرَخاءِand ease of حالِcircumstance
غَدوتُ بِخيرَةٍ وَرَخاءِ حالِ
وَرُحتُand I ended the day بِحَسرَةٍin grief وَكُسوفِand eclipse of بالِspirit
وَرُحتُ بِحَسرَةٍ وَكُسوفِ بالِ
I began the day in good fortune and easy circumstances,
I awoke in comfort and prosperity,
And ended it in grief, my spirit eclipsed.
Yet departed in sorrow and gloom.
وَأَحرَand how likely بِأَنto تَنالَyou incur السُوءُharm مِمَّنfrom those whom
وَأَحرَ بِأَن تَنالَ السُوءُ مِمَّن
تُصاحِبُyou befriend حُسنَa good ظَنٍّopinion بِاللَياليof the nights
تُصاحِبُ حُسنَ ظَنٍّ بِاللَيالي
And how likely you are to suffer harm from those
I was pained that evil should come
You befriend, thinking well of the nights.
From one whose company I kept in good faith.
غَفِلتُI was heedless عَنِof الزَمانِtime وَقَدalthough already تَراءَتhad appeared
غَفِلتُ عَنِ الزَمانِ وَقَد تَراءَت
نَوائِبُهُits calamities وَحادِثُand the newly arisen صَرفِهاof their reversals لِيto me
نَوائِبُهُ وَحادِثُ صَرفِها لِي
I was heedless of Time, though there had appeared
I was heedless of time
Its calamities and their fresh reversals before me.
As its vicissitudes and events turned against me.
فَماso it did not نَفَعَavail التَحَسُّرregret إِذwhen دَهانيit struck me
فَما نَفَعَ التَحَسُّر إِذ دَهاني
وَقَدand already عَلِقَتhad caught حَبائِلُهُits snares حِباليmy cords
وَقَد عَلِقَت حَبائِلُهُ حِبالي
So regret availed nothing when it struck me,
Regret availed me naught when it seized me,
Its snares already entangled with my cords.
For its ropes had bound my ropes.
تَلاعبُtoy بيwith me حَوادِثُهُits mishaps وقِدماًand long ago
تَلاعبُ بي حَوادِثُهُ وقِدماً
تَلاعَبُtoyed بِالكِرامِwith the noble وَبِالرِجالِand with men
تَلاعَبُ بِالكِرامِ وَبِالرِجالِ
Its mishaps toy with me, and long ago
Its events toyed with me, and with dignity
They toyed with the noble and with men.
And men it toyed step by step.
كَذاكَsuch is الدَهرُTime طَوراًat times سلمُat peace with ناسٍpeople
كَذاكَ الدَهرُ طَوراً سلمُ ناسٍ
وَطَوراًand at times حَربُهُمat war with them يَومَon the day of السِجالِthe back-and-forth contest
وَطَوراً حَربُهُم يَومَ السِجالِ
Such is Time: at times at peace with people,
Thus time is peace for some people at times,
And at times at war with them on the day of contest.
And at times their war on an arena of contention.
فَصَبراًso have patience فيamid النَوائِبِcalamities فَهوَfor it is ذُخرٌa treasure
فَصَبراً في النَوائِبِ فَهوَ ذُخرٌ
تَؤولُyou arrive بِهِthrough it إِلىat خَيرِthe best المآلِoutcome
تَؤولُ بِهِ إِلى خَيرِ المآلِ
So have patience amid calamities, for it is a treasure;
So patience during tribulations is a treasure
Through it you reach the best outcome.
By which you attain the best outcome.
لَعَلَّperhaps اللَهَGod يَصنَعُwill act عَنafter قَريبٍa short while
لَعَلَّ اللَهَ يَصنَعُ عَن قَريبٍ
فَلَيسَfor it does not يُؤودُهُburden Him حَلُّuntying العِقالِthe tether
فَلَيسَ يُؤودُهُ حَلُّ العِقالِ
Perhaps God will act before long,
Perhaps God will soon set things right,
For untying the tether does not burden Him.
For the unraveling of knots is not hard for Him.
فَتخلصُso you escape مِنfrom صُروفِthe reversals of زَمانِa time of سُوءٍevil
فَتخلصُ مِن صُروفِ زَمانِ سُوءٍ
خَلاصَthe release of السَيفِthe sword حودثwas renewed بِالصِقالِby polishing
خَلاصَ السَيفِ حودث بِالصِقالِ
So you escape the reversals of an evil time,
You will then be saved from the turns of an evil time,
As a sword is freed when polished anew.
Like a sword cleansed with polishing.
وَتَنكَشِفُand lift المَكارِهُhardships عَنfrom سُرورٍjoy
وَتَنكَشِفُ المَكارِهُ عَن سُرورٍ
كَماjust as اِنكَشَفَlifted السرارُthe moon's dark phase عَنِfrom الهِلالِthe crescent moon
كَما اِنكَشَفَ السرارُ عَنِ الهِلالِ
And hardships lift to reveal joy,
Troubles will recede, giving way to joy,
As the moon's dark phase lifts to reveal the crescent.
As the new moon's emergence follows darkness.
Sol 6.1