إِذاwhen كَشَفَlifts الزَمانُtime لَكَfor you القِناعاthe veil
إِذا كَشَفَ الزَمانُ لَكَ القِناعا
وَمَدَّand stretches إِلَيكَtoward you صَرفُthe reversals الدَهرِof time باعاan arm's span
وَمَدَّ إِلَيكَ صَرفُ الدَهرِ باعا
When time lifts the veil for you,
When time unveils its mask to you
And time's reversals stretch an arm toward you,
And the turns of fate offer you their wares,
فَلاthen do not تَخشَfear المَنيَّةَdeath وَاِلقَيَنهاand surely face it
فَلا تَخشَ المَنيَّةَ وَاِلقَيَنها
وَدافِعand resist ماas much as اِستَطَعتَyou can لَهاagainst it دِفاعاresistance
وَدافِع ما اِستَطَعتَ لَها دِفاعا
Then do not fear death, and confront it,
Fear not death and its meeting,
And resist it with whatever resistance you can muster.
Repel it as much as you're able.
وَلاand do not تَختَرchoose فِراشاًa bed مِنof حَريرٍsilk
وَلا تَختَر فِراشاً مِن حَريرٍ
وَلاand do not تَبكِweep for المَنازِلَthe dwellings وَالبِقاعاand the lands
وَلا تَبكِ المَنازِلَ وَالبِقاعا
And do not choose a bed of silk,
Choose not a bed of silk,
And do not weep for the dwellings and the lands,
Nor mourn the houses and lands.
وَحَولَكَand around you نِسوَةٌwomen يَندُبنَlament حُزناًin grief
وَحَولَكَ نِسوَةٌ يَندُبنَ حُزناً
وَيَهتِكنَand tear apart البَراقِعَthe face-veils وَاللِفاعاand the wraps
وَيَهتِكنَ البَراقِعَ وَاللِفاعا
While women around you lament in grief,
Women around you wail in sorrow
And rend their face-veils and wraps.
As they rend their veils and gowns.
يَقولُsays لَكَto you الطَبيبُthe physician دَواكَyour cure عِنديwith me
يَقولُ لَكَ الطَبيبُ دَواكَ عِندي
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جَسَّhe feels كَفَّكَyour palm وَالذِراعاand the arm
إِذا ما جَسَّ كَفَّكَ وَالذِراعا
The physician tells you, 'Your cure is with me,'
The doctor tells you "I have your cure at hand
When he feels your palm and arm.
If you extend your palm and arm."
وَلَوand if عَرَفَknew الطَبيبُthe physician دَواءَa cure داءٍan illness
وَلَو عَرَفَ الطَبيبُ دَواءَ داءٍ
يَرُدُّwards off المَوتَdeath ماnot قاسىsuffered النِزاعاthe death throes
يَرُدُّ المَوتَ ما قاسى النِزاعا
And if the physician knew a cure for illness
If the doctor knew a cure for illness
That turned death away, he would not suffer death's throes.
That could defy the grip of death,
وَفيand on يَومِthe day of المَصانِعِal-Masani‘ (the fortresses) قَدindeed تَرَكناwe left
وَفي يَومِ المَصانِعِ قَد تَرَكنا
لَناfor ourselves بِفِعالِناthrough our deeds خَبَراًa tale مُشاعاwidely spread
لَنا بِفِعالِنا خَبَراً مُشاعا
And on the day of al-Masani‘, we left
On the day we come to our maker,
For ourselves, through our deeds, a tale told far and wide.
Our deeds will speak of what we were.
أَقَمناwe established بِالذَوابِلِwith slender spears سوقَa market of حَربٍwar
أَقَمنا بِالذَوابِلِ سوقَ حَربٍ
وَصَيَّرناand we made النُفوسَlives لَهَfor it مَتاعاmerchandise
وَصَيَّرنا النُفوسَ لَهَ مَتاعا
With slender spears we set up a market of war,
We set up in this life a market of war,
And made lives its merchandise.
And made souls into merchandise.
حِصانيmy stallion كانَwas دَلّالَthe broker المَناياof deaths
حِصاني كانَ دَلّالَ المَنايا
فَخاضَso he plunged into غُبارَهاtheir dust وَشَرىand bought وَباعَand sold
فَخاضَ غُبارَها وَشَرى وَباعَ
My stallion was the broker of deaths,
My steed was a broker of death,
So he plunged into their dust, and bought and sold.
Who charged through its dust, buying and selling.
وَسَيفيand my sword كانَwas فيin الهَيجاbattle طَبيباًa physician
وَسَيفي كانَ في الهَيجا طَبيباً
يُداويtreats رَأسَthe head مَنof whoever يَشكوcomplains of الصُداعاa headache
يُداوي رَأسَ مَن يَشكو الصُداعا
And my sword was a physician in battle,
My sword in battle was a healer
Treating the head of whoever complained of a headache.
Who cured the headache of him who complained.
أَناI العَبدُthe slave الَّذيwhom خُبِّرتَyou were told عَنهُabout him
أَنا العَبدُ الَّذي خُبِّرتَ عَنهُ
وَقَدand indeed عايَنتَنيyou saw me with your own eyes فَدَعِso leave aside السَماعاhearsay
وَقَد عايَنتَني فَدَعِ السَماعا
I am the slave you were told about,
I am the slave you've heard of,
And you have seen me with your own eyes, so set hearsay aside.
And now that you see me, cease your hearing.
وَلَوand if أَرسَلتُI sent رُمحيmy spear مَعwith جَبانٍa coward
وَلَو أَرسَلتُ رُمحي مَع جَبانٍ
لَكانَhe would be بِهَيبَتيthrough the awe I inspire يَلقىfacing السِباعاthe beasts of prey
لَكانَ بِهَيبَتي يَلقى السِباعا
And if I sent my spear with a coward,
Had I sent my spear along with a coward
Through the awe I inspire, he would face beasts of prey.
My awe would make him face lions.
مَلَأتُI filled الأَرضَthe earth خَوفاًwith fear مِنof حُساميmy keen sword
مَلَأتُ الأَرضَ خَوفاً مِن حُسامي
وَخَصميand my foe لَمdid not يَجِدfind فيهاin it اِتِّساعاroom
وَخَصمي لَم يَجِد فيها اِتِّساعا
I filled the earth with fear of my keen sword,
I filled the earth with dread of my blade,
And my foe found no room in it.
And my foe found no breadth in it to spread.
إِذاwhen الأَبطالُthe champions فَرَّتflee خَوفَfor fear of بَأسيmy might
إِذا الأَبطالُ فَرَّت خَوفَ بَأسي
تَرىthey see الأَقطارَthe world's expanses باعاًa fathom أَوor ذِراعاa cubit
تَرى الأَقطارَ باعاً أَو ذِراعا
When champions flee for fear of my might,
When champions flee from my might
They see the world's expanses as a mere fathom or a cubit.
You see the horizons shrink to yards or arms.
Sol 6.1