إِرضَaccept حُكْمَthe decree of الزمانtime ياO أحمدُAhmad ارضَهُaccept it
إِرضَ حُكْمَ الزمان يا أحمدُ ارضَهُ
إِنif تَذُقyou taste ضَيحَهُits diluted milk فقدthen indeed ذقتَyou have tasted مَحضَهits pure milk
إِن تَذُق ضَيحَهُ فقد ذقتَ مَحضَه
Accept time’s decree, Ahmad—accept it.
Accept the decree of fate, O Ahmad, accept it
If you taste its diluted milk, you have already tasted its pure milk.
If you taste its bitterness, you have tasted its essence
أيّwhat خيرgood وأيّand what شرٍevil تَبَيَّنdiscerned (verb continues next line)
أيّ خير وأيّ شرٍ تَبَيَّن
تَyou (verb ending) لديهin its presence فماand not تبينتَyou discerned نَقْضَهْits reversal
تَ لديه فما تبينتَ نَقْضَهْ
What good and what evil have you discerned
What good or evil did you discern in it
in it without discerning its reversal?
That you did not later see its opposite?
كيفَhow يأسَىhe grieves علىover فراقِparting from خليلٍa dear friend
كيفَ يأسَى على فراقِ خليلٍ
مَنone who غداhas come to be بعضُهُpart of him يفارقُparts from بعضَهْanother part of him
مَن غدا بعضُهُ يفارقُ بعضَهْ
How can he grieve over parting from a dear friend—
How can one grieve over parting with a friend
he whose own parts now part from one another?
When part of him shall part from another part?
كلُّall رزقٍsustenance يهونُis of little account عندto ذويthose possessing اللthe (start of 'understanding')
كلُّ رزقٍ يهونُ عند ذوي الل
بِّunderstanding (word ending) إذاif لمnot يُرَزَّأis deprived of المرءُa person عِرضَهhis honor
بِّ إذا لم يُرَزَّأ المرءُ عِرضَه
All sustenance is of little account to those of
All sustenance seems paltry to men of dignity
understanding, if a man is not deprived of his honor.
If one's honor is not sustained along with it
Sol 6.1