دَهْرٌtime يُساءُis wronged بهby it الفتىthe young man ويُغاظُand is angered
دَهْرٌ يُساءُ به الفتى ويُغاظُ
لاneither الوعظُadmonition يَردَعُهُrestrains it ولاnor الوعّاظُthe admonishers
لا الوعظُ يَردَعُهُ ولا الوعّاظُ
Time wrongs and angers a young man;
Time does the youth wrong, provoking his ire,
neither admonition nor admonishers restrain it.
No admonition can halt him, nor preachers inspire.
ماnot زالceased يَلحقنيpursues me حريقُthe scorching دخانِهِof its smoke
ما زال يَلحقني حريقُ دخانِهِ
فالآنso now عادreturned عليَّupon me وهوwhile it is شواظa smokeless flame
فالآن عاد عليَّ وهو شواظ
The scorching of its smoke has always pursued me;
The smoke of his fire yet singes my soul,
so now it has returned upon me as a smokeless flame.
Now the flame returns, fiercely stoked.
لهفيmy anguish لضيعةِfor the loss of مُهجةٍa soul ليَbelonging to me فيin الثرىthe dust
لهفي لضيعةِ مُهجةٍ ليَ في الثرى
لمdid not يحمنيprotect me تضييعَهاlosing her الحُفَّاظthe guardians
لم يحمني تضييعَها الحُفَّاظ
Alas for the loss of a soul of mine in the dust!
I yearn for an abode, left wasted in the dirt,
The guardians did not shield me from her loss.
Its loss did not protect the safekeepers.
فاضتْshe died لدنْwhen فاضتoverflowed مدامعُthe tear ducts أهلهاof her family
فاضتْ لدنْ فاضت مدامعُ أهلها
حُزناًin grief فألاَّso why not حينَwhen فاضتshe died فاظواthey died
حُزناً فألاَّ حينَ فاضت فاظوا
She breathed her last as her family's eyes overflowed
So tears of its people flowed and overflowed,
in grief—why did they not die when she died?
Alas, once they flowed could they be contained?
للهby God! ساكنةٌa woman dwelling مساكنَthe dwellings of معشرٍa people
لله ساكنةٌ مساكنَ معشرٍ
لمdid not يعلمواthey know أشَتَواwhether they wintered بهاin them أمor قاظواthey summered
لم يعلموا أشَتَوا بها أم قاظوا
By God, she dwells in the abodes of a people
To God belong dwellings of a people,
who knew not whether they wintered there or summered.
Who knew not if they flourished or languished.
ليلىLayla استنمتِyou found repose إلىin البلىdecay وتركتِناand you left us
ليلى استنمتِ إلى البلى وتركتِنا
لاneither نحنُwe نوّامٌasleep ولاnor أيقاظawake
لا نحنُ نوّامٌ ولا أيقاظ
Layla, you found repose in decay and left us;
Laila grew accustomed to ruin and left us,
we are neither asleep nor awake.
While we neither slumber nor rouse.
ماwhat للقلوبwith the hearts سليمةًintact لمdid not تَنصَدعْsplit apart
ما للقلوب سليمةً لم تَنصَدعْ
جَزَعاًin anguish لفقدِكِat your loss إِنهاindeed, they are لَغِلاظsurely hard
جَزَعاً لفقدِكِ إِنها لَغِلاظ
Why are hearts still whole, not split apart
What hearts remain unruptured, though you are gone,
in anguish at your loss? They are hard indeed.
Not shattered with grief over losing you?
لِمْwhy لَمْdid not أُقاسمكِI share with you البقاءَlife أوor البِلىdecay
لِمْ لَمْ أُقاسمكِ البقاءَ أو البِلى
بلrather ليسthere is no للمُعْطىfor the one granted البقاءَlife حفاظloyalty
بل ليس للمُعْطى البقاءَ حفاظ
Why did I not share life or decay with you?
Why could I not share in survival or loss with you?
No—the one granted life has no loyalty.
For the giver of life no safeguards can claim.
Sol 6.1