أَتَذهَلُare you heedless? بَعدَafter إِنذارِthe warning of المَناياdeath
أَتَذهَلُ بَعدَ إِنذارِ المَنايا
وَقَبلَand before النَزعِthe bow-draw أَنبَضَتِhave twanged الحَناياthe bows
وَقَبلَ النَزعِ أَنبَضَتِ الحَنايا
Are you heedless after the warning of death,
when the bows have twanged before the draw?
رُوَيدَكَrestrain yourself لاdo not يَغُرَّكَdeceive you كَيدُthe guile of دُنياthe world
رُوَيدَكَ لا يَغُرَّكَ كَيدُ دُنيا
هِيَit is المِرنانُthe twanging bow مُصمِيَةُkilling outright الرَماياthe quarry
هِيَ المِرنانُ مُصمِيَةُ الرَمايا
Take heed: let not the world's guile deceive you;
it is the twanging bow that kills its quarry outright.
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you سالِكٌare traveling مِنهاthrough it طَريقاًa road
فَإِنَّكَ سالِكٌ مِنها طَريقاً
تُقَطَّعُare severed فيهِon it أَرقابُthe necks of المَطاياthe riding beasts
تُقَطَّعُ فيهِ أَرقابُ المَطايا
For you are traveling a road through it
on which the necks of riding beasts are severed.
أَتَرجوdo you hope for الخُلدَimmortality فيin دارِthe abode of التَفانيperishing
أَتَرجو الخُلدَ في دارِ التَفاني
وَأَمنَand safety السِربِof one's person فيin خُطَطِthe domains of البَلاياcalamities
وَأَمنَ السِربِ في خُطَطِ البَلايا
Do you hope for immortality in the abode of perishing,
and personal safety in the realms of calamity?
وَتُغلِقُand you shut دونَagainst رَيبِthe reversals of الدَهرِtime باباًa door
وَتُغلِقُ دونَ رَيبِ الدَهرِ باباً
كَأَنَّكَas though you آمِنٌare safe from قَرعَthe knocking of الرَزاياcalamities
كَأَنَّكَ آمِنٌ قَرعَ الرَزايا
And do you shut a door against time's reversals,
as though safe from calamities' knocking?
وَإِنَّand indeed المَوتَdeath لازِمَةٌis binding قِراهُits due hospitality
وَإِنَّ المَوتَ لازِمَةٌ قِراهُ
لُزومَthe binding of العَهدِthe covenant أَعناقَthe necks of البَراياall creatures
لُزومَ العَهدِ أَعناقَ البَرايا
And hospitality to death is binding,
as the covenant binds all creatures' necks.
لَناfor us فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday مِنهُfrom it غازٍa raider
لَنا في كُلِّ يَومٍ مِنهُ غازٍ
لَهُhis are المِرباعُthe quarter-share of spoils مِنّاfrom us وَالصَفاياand the choicest spoils
لَهُ المِرباعُ مِنّا وَالصَفايا
Each day a raider from death comes against us;
his are the quarter-share from us and the choicest spoils.
بِجَيشٍwith an army لاno غُبارَdust لِحَجرَتَيهِat its two flanks
بِجَيشٍ لا غُبارَ لِحَجرَتَيهِ
قَليلِsuffering few الرُزءِlosses غَرّارِtreacherous in السَراياraiding parties
قَليلِ الرُزءِ غَرّارِ السَرايا
With an army raising no dust at either flank,
suffering few losses, with treacherous raiding parties.
مُغيرٌa raider لاdoes not يُفاديexchange for ransom بِالأَسارىwith captives
مُغيرٌ لا يُفادي بِالأَسارى
وَسابٍand a captor لاdoes not يَمُنُّgrant free release عَلىto السَباياcaptive women
وَسابٍ لا يَمُنُّ عَلى السَبايا
A raider who releases no captives for ransom,
and a captor who grants captive women no release.
إِذاwhenever قُلناwe say أَغَبَّhe has skipped a visit رَأَيتَyou see مِنهُfrom him
إِذا قُلنا أَغَبَّ رَأَيتَ مِنهُ
كَميشَtucked up الذَيلِin the hem يَطَّلِعُclimbing الثَناياthe mountain passes
كَميشَ الذَيلِ يَطَّلِعُ الثَنايا
Whenever we say, 'He has skipped a visit,' you see him
with his hem tucked up, scaling the mountain passes.
غَشومُruthless النابِof fang تَصرِفُgrind ناجِذاهُhis two molars
غَشومُ النابِ تَصرِفُ ناجِذاهُ
إِذاif أَبقىhe spares أَحالَhe turns عَلىupon البَقاياthe survivors
إِذا أَبقى أَحالَ عَلى البَقايا
Savage-fanged, his two molars grind;
if he spares anything, he turns upon the survivors.
يُطيلُlengthens غُرورُناour self-deception مُهَلَthe spans of الأَمانيhopes
يُطيلُ غُرورُنا مُهَلَ الأَماني
وَنَنسىand we forget بَعدَهُafter it عَجَلَthe haste of المَناياdeath
وَنَنسى بَعدَهُ عَجَلَ المَنايا
Our self-deception lengthens the span of our hopes,
and then we forget the swiftness of death.
وَهَذاand this الدَهرُage تَحدونيdrive me on with song يَداهُits two hands
وَهَذا الدَهرُ تَحدوني يَداهُ
حِداءَthe camel-driving chant of الطِلحِthe weary driver بِالإِبِلِto the camels الرَذاياworn-out
حِداءَ الطِلحِ بِالإِبِلِ الرَذايا
And this age's two hands drive me on,
as a weary driver chants worn-out camels onward.
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قُلتُI say رَوَّحَit has soothed عَقرَthe wound of ظَهريmy back
إِذا ما قُلتُ رَوَّحَ عَقرَ ظَهري
مِنَfrom الإِدلاجِtraveling by night أَغبَطَit persists بِالجَواياwith inward pains
مِنَ الإِدلاجِ أَغبَطَ بِالجَوايا
Whenever I say it has soothed my back's wound
from night travel, it besets me with inward pains.
وَإِنَّand indeed النائِباتِmisfortunes لَهاthey have حُماةٌchampions
وَإِنَّ النائِباتِ لَها حُماةٌ
وَإِنand even though كَثُرَare numerous الرَقائِبُthe sentries وَالرَباياand the lookouts
وَإِن كَثُرَ الرَقائِبُ وَالرَبايا
And misfortunes indeed have their champions,
though sentries and lookouts be many.
إِذاif أَبطَأنَthey delay بِالغَدَواتِin the mornings فَاِعبَأthen prepare
إِذا أَبطَأنَ بِالغَدَواتِ فَاِعبَأ
قِرىًguest fare لِضُيوفِهِنَّfor their guests مَعَat العَشاياthe evenings
قِرىً لِضُيوفِهِنَّ مَعَ العَشايا
If they tarry in the mornings, prepare
provisions for their guests in the evenings.
وَمِنand of عَجَبٍwonder صُدودُthe turning away of الحَظِّfortune عَنّاfrom us
وَمِن عَجَبٍ صُدودُ الحَظِّ عَنّا
إِلىtoward المُتَعَمِّمينَthose wearing turbans عَلىover الخَزاياdisgraces
إِلى المُتَعَمِّمينَ عَلى الخَزايا
And a wonder is fortune's turning away from us
toward those who wear turbans over their shame.
أَسَفَّbrought low بِمَنwith those who يَطيرُfly إِلىtoward المَعاليnoble heights
أَسَفَّ بِمَن يَطيرُ إِلى المَعالي
وَطارَand flew aloft بِمَنwith those who يُسِفُّfly low إِلىtoward الدَناياbase things
وَطارَ بِمَن يُسِفُّ إِلى الدَنايا
It has brought low those who soar toward noble heights,
and raised aloft those who skim toward baseness.
تَرىyou see لَهُمُas theirs المَزاياdistinctions إِنif أَرَمّواthey keep silent
تَرى لَهُمُ المَزايا إِن أَرَمّوا
وَإِنand if نَطَقواthey speak رَأَيتَyou see لَناas ours المَزاياdistinctions
وَإِن نَطَقوا رَأَيتَ لَنا المَزايا
You see distinction as theirs if they keep silent;
but if they speak, you see distinction is ours.
غَباوَةُthe dullness of هاجِرِone who shuns الدُنياthe world وَكَيدٌand guile
غَباوَةُ هاجِرِ الدُنيا وَكَيدٌ
وَلاand not even كَيدُthe guile of الفَواجِرِwanton women وَالبَغاياand prostitutes
وَلا كَيدُ الفَواجِرِ وَالبَغايا
The dullness of one who shuns the world—and guile
beyond even that of wanton women and harlots!
وَإِنَّand indeed ظُهورَهُمtheir backs لَوif كانَthere were نِصفٌfairness
وَإِنَّ ظُهورَهُم لَو كانَ نِصفٌ
مِنَthan الأَنعامِlivestock أَولىmore deserving بِالوَلاياof saddlecloths
مِنَ الأَنعامِ أَولى بِالوَلايا
And their backs, indeed—were there justice—
would deserve saddlecloths more than livestock do.
جَرَتran بِهِمُwith them الحُظوظُfortunes مَعَamong القُدامىthe foremost
جَرَت بِهِمُ الحُظوظُ مَعَ القُدامى
وَأَسقَطَناand cast us down الزَمانُtime مَعَamong الرَداياthe worthless
وَأَسقَطَنا الزَمانُ مَعَ الرَدايا
Fortune has carried them among the foremost,
while time has cast us among the worthless.
فَفاقواso they excelled فيin المَراتِبِranks وَالمَعاليand eminence
فَفاقوا في المَراتِبِ وَالمَعالي
وَفُقناand we excelled فيin الضَرائِبِdispositions وَالسَجاياand innate qualities
وَفُقنا في الضَرائِبِ وَالسَجايا
So they surpassed us in rank and eminence,
while we surpassed them in disposition and character.
لَهُمthey have عَنin defense of مالِهِمtheir wealth نَفَحاتُblasts كَيدٍguile
لَهُم عَن مالِهِم نَفَحاتُ كَيدٍ
قِراعَthe battling of الدَبرِbees ذادَdrove away عَنِfrom الخَلاياthe hives
قِراعَ الدَبرِ ذادَ عَنِ الخَلايا
They defend their wealth with blasts of guile,
like battling bees driving intruders from the hives.
ذَمَمناwe censured كُلَّevery مُرتَجِعٍone reclaiming عَطاءًa gift
ذَمَمنا كُلَّ مُرتَجِعٍ عَطاءً
وَلَمyet did not يُعطواthey give فَيَرتَجِعواso that they might reclaim العَطاياthe gifts
وَلَم يُعطوا فَيَرتَجِعوا العَطايا
We censured everyone who took back a gift,
yet they have given no gifts to take back.
فَلَولاbut were it not for اللَهُGod لَاِرتابَتwould have doubted قُلوبٌhearts
فَلَولا اللَهُ لَاِرتابَت قُلوبٌ
بِقاضٍin a judge لاnot يُجَوَّرُdeemed unjust فيin القَضاياrulings
بِقاضٍ لا يُجَوَّرُ في القَضايا
But for God, hearts would have doubted
a Judge not deemed unjust in His rulings.
Sol 6.1