جديدُfreshness هذيthese الرزاياthe calamities رَهْنُbound to إِخلاقwearing away
جديدُ هذي الرزايا رَهْنُ إِخلاق
وماand whatever أراقhas shed الأسىsorrow منof عبرةٍa tear راقِceasing to flow
وما أراق الأسى من عبرةٍ راقِ
The freshness of these calamities is hostage to decay;
The freshness of these calamities is bound to fade,
and every tear that grief spills flows limpid.
and every tear that sorrow has shed will cease to flow.
فماso why صدودكَyour turning away عنfrom كاسِthe cup السلوِّsolace إذاwhen
فما صدودكَ عن كاسِ السلوِّ إذا
ماemphatic particle كنتَyou are لابدَّinevitably أنْthat يَسقيكهاhe gives it to you to drink السَّاقيthe cupbearer
ما كنتَ لابدَّ أنْ يَسقيكها السَّاقي
Why, then, turn away from the cup of consolation, when
Why, then, turn away from the cup of solace, when
you cannot escape the cupbearer's giving it to you to drink?
the cupbearer must inevitably give it to you to drink?
لوif ردَّbrought back دمعٌtears لجدناwe would surely give freely بالدموعِwith tears فإنthen if
لو ردَّ دمعٌ لجدنا بالدموعِ فإن
نَفَدْنَthey ran out جُدناwe would give freely بأجفانٍwith eyelids وأحداقand pupils
نَفَدْنَ جُدنا بأجفانٍ وأحداق
If my tears could restore him, we would lavish tears; and if
If tears could bring the departed back, we would lavish tears; and if
they ran dry, we would lavish eyelids and eyes.
they ran out, we would give our eyelids and our pupils.
مَنْwho ليسdoes not يُشفقُfear منof كيدِthe scheming الخطوبِmisfortunes وَمَنْand whom
مَنْ ليس يُشفقُ من كيدِ الخطوبِ وَمَنْ
رأيتَyou have seen أنجاهsaved him منهاfrom them فرطُexcess إِشفاقfear
رأيتَ أنجاه منها فرطُ إِشفاق
Who does not dread the assaults of calamity—and whom
Who does not fear the scheming of misfortunes? And whom
have you seen saved from them by the extremity of his fear?
have you seen saved from them by an excess of fear?
تهويfall جبالُmountains الرزاياthe calamities بينناamong us أبداًforever
تهوي جبالُ الرزايا بيننا أبداً
فنتّقيهاso we shield ourselves from them بأشباحٍwith bodies وأرماقand remnants of life
فنتّقيها بأشباحٍ وأرماق
Mountains of calamity keep crashing down among us,
Mountains of calamity are forever falling among us,
and we fend them off with mere bodies and life's last flickers.
so we shield ourselves from them with bodies and remnants of life.
ماnot باتhas slept خَلْقٌa creature منfrom البلوىaffliction علىin ثقةsecurity
ما بات خَلْقٌ من البلوى على ثقة
لوeven if باتhe slept منهاfrom it علىunder عَهْدٍa pledge وميثاقand a covenant
لو بات منها على عَهْدٍ وميثاق
No creature ever spends a night secure from affliction,
No mortal has slept secure from affliction,
even if he spends it under covenant and solemn pledge.
even with a pledge and covenant from it.
هلquestion particle كانwas رفعيmy raising إلىtoward الأيامthe days مِنْof نظريmy gaze
هل كان رفعي إلى الأيام مِنْ نظري
إلاexcept كماas كانwas إِغضائيmy lowering my eyes وإِطراقيand my bowing my head
إلا كما كان إِغضائي وإِطراقي
Was raising my gaze toward the Days
Was raising my gaze toward the days
anything but lowering my eyes and bowing my head?
any different from lowering my eyes and bowing my head?
إِنif أُفْجَعِI am bereaved اليومَtoday بالعِلْقِof the treasure النفيسِprecious فقدthen indeed
إِن أُفْجَعِ اليومَ بالعِلْقِ النفيسِ فقد
تجاوزَhas spared الدهرُTime ليfor me عنwith regard to خيرِthe best أَعلاقيmy treasures
تجاوزَ الدهرُ لي عن خيرِ أَعلاقي
Though today I am bereft of the precious treasure,
If today I am bereaved of a precious treasure, then
Time has passed over the finest of my treasures, sparing it to me.
Time has spared me the best of my treasures.
آبىI refuse العزاءَconsolation عنfor الماضيthe departed فيجذبنيyet it draws me
آبى العزاءَ عن الماضي فيجذبني
إلىto العزاءِconsolation يقينيmy certainty أنَّكthat you الباقيthe one who remains
إلى العزاءِ يقيني أنَّك الباقي
Consolation fails me for the one departed; yet I am drawn
I refuse consolation for the departed, yet I am drawn
toward consolation by my certainty that he is the one who remains.
to consolation by my certainty that you remain.
إِذاwhen الغيوثthe rains أباO Abu تمامٍTammam استبقتrace one another
إِذا الغيوث أبا تمامٍ استبقت
سبقتهاyou outstrip them بندىًwith bounty للغيثِin relation to the rain سبَّاقever outstripping
سبقتها بندىً للغيثِ سبَّاق
When the rainclouds withhold everything, you race ahead;
When the rains, O Abu Tammam, race one another,
you outstrip them in bounty, ever racing the rain.
you outstrip them with bounty that outpaces the rain.
ياO أكملَmost perfect الناسِpeople فيin خَلْقٍbodily form وفيand in خُلُقٍcharacter
يا أكملَ الناسِ في خَلْقٍ وفي خُلُقٍ
إذاwhen غَدَتْhave become خِلَقٌbodily forms أضدادَopposites أخلاقmoral characters
إذا غَدَتْ خِلَقٌ أضدادَ أخلاق
O most perfect of men in form and character,
O most perfect of people in bodily form and character,
when my threadbare clothes became the opposite of tatters.
when outward forms come to contradict character,
إِسلمْlive unharmed وأَنْفِقْand spend منfrom among الأعمارِlifespans أبعدَهاthe furthest of them
إِسلمْ وأَنْفِقْ من الأعمارِ أبعدَها
منfrom أَنْthat يبينَbecomes apparent عليهupon it إِثْرُa trace إِنفاقexpenditure
من أَنْ يبينَ عليه إِثْرُ إِنفاق
Live unharmed, and spend the longest of lifetimes—
live unharmed, and spend the lifespan least likely
one too vast for any trace of spending to appear upon it.
to show any trace of having been spent.
لوif أنَّthat خلقاًa creature وقاهprotected him المجدglory منfrom حَزَنٍgrief
لو أنَّ خلقاً وقاه المجد من حَزَنٍ
إذنthen وقاكمْwould have protected you لناfor us منfrom مجدكمْyour glory واقa protector
إذن وقاكمْ لنا من مجدكمْ واق
If glory could shield any mortal from sorrow,
If glory could protect a mortal from grief,
a guardian born of your glory would have preserved you for us.
then a guardian from your glory would have kept you safe for us.
Sol 6.1