أَعائِرٌis it an irritating mote? باتَspent the night يَمريdraws tears from العَينَthe eye أَمor وَدَقُblood-red spots in the eye
أَعائِرٌ باتَ يَمري العَينَ أَم وَدَقُ
أَمor راجَعَreturned to القَلبَthe heart بَعدَafter النَومَةِthe spell of sleep الأَرَقُsleeplessness
أَم راجَعَ القَلبَ بَعدَ النَومَةِ الأَرَقُ
Is it a mote that drew tears from the eye all night, or blood-red spots,
Sleepless nights pass as my restless eyes wander,
or has sleeplessness returned to the heart after a spell of sleep?
Or does my heart return after a short slumber?
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime الَّذيwhose تَرجوyou hope for هَوادِيَهُits first signs
إِنَّ الزَمانَ الَّذي تَرجو هَوادِيَهُ
يَأتيcomes عَلىupon الحَجَرِthe stone القاسيhard فَيَنفَلِقُand so it splits
يَأتي عَلى الحَجَرِ القاسي فَيَنفَلِقُ
Indeed, time, whose first signs you await with hope,
The time you long for its serenity,
assails the hard stone, and it splits.
Will come to the solid rock and make it rupture.
ماnot الدَهرُtime وَالناسُand people إِلّاbut مِثلُlike وارِدَةٍan oncoming flood
ما الدَهرُ وَالناسُ إِلّا مِثلُ وارِدَةٍ
إِذاwhen مَضىpasses عُنُقٌa surge مِنهاof it أَتىcomes طَبَقُa following surge
إِذا مَضى عُنُقٌ مِنها أَتى طَبَقُ
Time and people are but like an oncoming flood:
People and fate are but a herd of she-camels,
when one surge of it passes, another comes,
When a neck passes, another will follow.
مِنfrom ذيDhu (possessor of) المُرارِal-Murar الَّذيwhose تُلقيpour حَوالِبُهُits tributaries
مِن ذي المُرارِ الَّذي تُلقي حَوالِبُهُ
بَطنَthe valley-bed الكُلابِal-Kulab سَنيحاًflowing crosswise حَيثُwhere يَندَفِقُit gushes forth
بَطنَ الكُلابِ سَنيحاً حَيثُ يَندَفِقُ
from Dhu al-Murar, whose tributaries pour
From the bitter one whose disasters
into the bed of al-Kulab, flowing crosswise where it gushes.
Fall on the dogs' bellies growling as they pour.
Sol 6.1