يَعيشُlives بِجِدٍّby fortune عاجِزٌa helpless person وَجَليدُand a hardy one
يَعيشُ بِجِدٍّ عاجِزٌ وَجَليدُ
وَكُلُّand every قَريبٍnear thing لاnot يُنالُis attained بَعيدُfar
وَكُلُّ قَريبٍ لا يُنالُ بَعيدُ
By fortune live both the helpless and the hardy.
And every near thing that cannot be reached is far.
وَفيand in الطَمَعِcovetousness التَنصيبُweariness وَاليَأسُand despair كَالغِنىlike wealth
وَفي الطَمَعِ التَنصيبُ وَاليَأسُ كَالغِنى
وَلَيسَand there is not لِماfor what يُبقيkeeps الشَحيحُthe miser خُلودُpermanence
وَلَيسَ لِما يُبقي الشَحيحُ خُلودُ
In covetousness lies toil, and despair is like wealth.
Nor is what the miser hoards everlasting.
وَلاand not يَدفَعُwards off المَوتَdeath الأَطِبّاءُthe physicians بِالرُقىwith incantations
وَلا يَدفَعُ المَوتَ الأَطِبّاءُ بِالرُقى
وَسَيّانِand both are alike نَحسٌill fortune يُتَّقىis guarded against وَسُعودُand good fortunes
وَسَيّانِ نَحسٌ يُتَّقى وَسُعودُ
Nor can physicians ward off death with incantations.
And ill fortune one seeks to avert and good fortune are alike.
وَماand not نالَgained شَيئاًanything طالِبٌa seeker بِجَلادَةٍthrough hardiness
وَما نالَ شَيئاً طالِبٌ بِجَلادَةٍ
وَلَكِنbut لِقَومٍfor some people حُظوَةٌfavor وَجُدودُand good fortunes
وَلَكِن لِقَومٍ حُظوَةٌ وَجُدودُ
No seeker has gained anything through hardiness,
But some people have favor and good fortune.
وَتُصبِحُand you wake لاnot تَدريyou know أَيَأتيكَwhether it comes to you خافِضاًat ease
وَتُصبِحُ لا تَدري أَيَأتيكَ خافِضاً
نَصيبُكَyour allotted share أَمor تَغدوyou set out in the morning لَهُfor it فَتَرودُthen you seek
نَصيبُكَ أَم تَغدو لَهُ فَتَرودُ
And you wake not knowing: will there come to you, while you rest,
Your allotted share, or will you go out and seek it?
يَفوتُeludes الغِنىwealth قَوماًsome people يَخِفّونَthey hasten لِلغِنىafter wealth
يَفوتُ الغِنى قَوماً يَخِفّونَ لِلغِنى
وَيَلقىand finds رَباحاًprofit آخَرونَothers قُعودُsitting still
وَيَلقى رَباحاً آخَرونَ قُعودُ
Wealth eludes people who hasten after wealth,
While others find profit sitting still.
وَلِلخَيرِand for good أَسبابٌmeans وَلِلعَينِand for the eye فِتنَةٌtemptation
وَلِلخَيرِ أَسبابٌ وَلِلعَينِ فِتنَةٌ
وَمَنand whoever ماتَdies مِنfrom حُبِّlove of النِساءِwomen شَهيدُa martyr
وَمَن ماتَ مِن حُبِّ النِساءِ شَهيدُ
Good has its means, and the eye its temptation;
And whoever dies of love for women is a martyr.
وَبَيضاءَand a fair-skinned woman مِكسالٍlanguid كَأَنَّas though حَديثَهاher speech
وَبَيضاءَ مِكسالٍ كَأَنَّ حَديثَها
إِذاwhen أُلقِيَتare uttered مِنهُfrom it العُيونُthe choicest passages بُرودُstriped cloaks
إِذا أُلقِيَت مِنهُ العُيونُ بُرودُ
And a fair-skinned, languid woman—her speech seems
Like striped cloaks when its choicest phrases are uttered.
دَعَتنيshe called me بِأَسبابِthrough the bonds of الهَوىpassion وَدَعَوتُهاand I called her
دَعَتني بِأَسبابِ الهَوى وَدَعَوتُها
لَيالِيَnights سِربالُthe robe of الصَفاءِpure affection جَديدُnew
لَيالِيَ سِربالُ الصَفاءِ جَديدُ
She called me through the bonds of passion, and I called her,
On nights when the robe of affection was new.
فَجاءَتso she came عَلىin خَوفٍfear كَأَنَّas though فُؤادَهاher heart
فَجاءَت عَلى خَوفٍ كَأَنَّ فُؤادَها
جَناحُthe wing of السُمانىthe quail يَرعَويdraws back وَيَحيدُand veers aside
جَناحُ السُمانى يَرعَوي وَيَحيدُ
So she came fearfully, as though her heart were
A quail's wing, drawing back and veering aside.
فَأَعطَيتُهاso I gave her كَفَّthe palm of الصَفاءِpure affection فَأَعرَضَتthen she turned away
فَأَعطَيتُها كَفَّ الصَفاءِ فَأَعرَضَت
ثَقيلَةَheavy with أَدعاصِsand dunes of الرَوادِفِthe haunches رودُsoft and supple
ثَقيلَةَ أَدعاصِ الرَوادِفِ رودُ
So I offered her the hand of affection, and she turned away,
Heavy with the sand dunes of her haunches, soft and supple.
تَصُدُّshe turns away حَياءًout of modesty ثُمَّthen يَقتادُهاleads her الهَوىpassion
تَصُدُّ حَياءً ثُمَّ يَقتادُها الهَوى
إِلَيناto us وَفيهاand in her صَبوَةٌyearning وَصُدودُand withdrawal
إِلَينا وَفيها صَبوَةٌ وَصُدودُ
She turns away in modesty, then passion leads her
To us, with yearning and withdrawal within her.
وَأَيُّand what نَعيمٍbliss لَمnot أَعِشI have lived فيin ظِلالِهِits shade
وَأَيُّ نَعيمٍ لَم أَعِش في ظِلالِهِ
أُكادُI am plotted against عَلىover لِذّاتِهِits pleasures وَأَكيدُand I plot
أُكادُ عَلى لِذّاتِهِ وَأَكيدُ
And what bliss have I not lived in the shade of?
I am plotted against over its pleasures, and I plot in turn.
شَرِبتُI drank بِكَأسِfrom the cup of العاشِقينَlovers وَزارَنيand visited me
شَرِبتُ بِكَأسِ العاشِقينَ وَزارَني
هِلالٌa crescent moon عَلَيهِupon it مِجسَدٌa garment worn next to the skin وَعُقودُand necklaces
هِلالٌ عَلَيهِ مِجسَدٌ وَعُقودُ
I drank from the cup of lovers, and there visited me
A crescent moon in a chemise and necklaces.
مِنَamong المُستَفِزّاتِwomen who stir القُلوبَhearts إِذاwhen مَشَتshe walks
مِنَ المُستَفِزّاتِ القُلوبَ إِذا مَشَت
تَأَوَّدُshe bends فيin أَعطافِهاher sides وَتَميدُand sways
تَأَوَّدُ في أَعطافِها وَتَميدُ
One of those women who stir hearts; when she walks,
She bends at the waist and sways.
تَزينُshe adorns بِخُلقٍwith character وَجهَهاher face وَيَزينُهُand adorns it
تَزينُ بِخُلقٍ وَجهَها وَيَزينُهُ
أَغَرُّa bright gleam كَمِصباحِlike a lamp of الظَلامِdarkness وَجيدُand a neck
أَغَرُّ كَمِصباحِ الظَلامِ وَجيدُ
She adorns her face with character; it is adorned, too, by
A bright gleam, like a lamp in darkness, and her neck.
كَأَنَّas though نِساءَthe women of الحَيِّthe quarter حينَwhen يَزُرنَهاthey visit her
كَأَنَّ نِساءَ الحَيِّ حينَ يَزُرنَها
نَواحِبُwailing women نَحبٍlamentation تَمَّwas completed فيهِin it سُجودُprostration
نَواحِبُ نَحبٍ تَمَّ فيهِ سُجودُ
As though the women of the quarter, when they visit her,
Were mourners in lament, bowed in full prostration.
فَماand nothing كانَwas إِلّاexcept الأُنسُcompanionship بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand between her
فَما كانَ إِلّا الأُنسُ بَيني وَبَينَها
وَشَدوُand melodious singing غِناءٍsong تارَةًat times وَنَشيدُand chanted verse
وَشَدوُ غِناءٍ تارَةً وَنَشيدُ
There was nothing between me and her but companionship,
And sometimes melodious song, and chanted verse.
طَوَيناwe passed بِهاwith her ذاكَthat الزَمانَtime وَإِنَّناand indeed we
طَوَينا بِها ذاكَ الزَمانَ وَإِنَّنا
لَكَالماءِindeed like water لِلحَرّانِfor the parched فيهِin it بَرودُcooling relief
لَكَالماءِ لِلحَرّانِ فيهِ بَرودُ
We passed that time with her, and indeed we were
Like water for the parched, bringing cooling relief.
فَلَمّاthen when ذَكَتgrew keen عَينٌan eye وَأَشرَفَتِand looked on العِدىthe enemies
فَلَمّا ذَكَت عَينٌ وَأَشرَفَتِ العِدى
وَجاهَرَناand openly confronted us واشٍa talebearer وَدَبَّand crept حَسودُan envier
وَجاهَرَنا واشٍ وَدَبَّ حَسودُ
Then, when an eye grew keen and the enemies looked on,
And a talebearer openly confronted us, and an envier crept about,
وَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said تَأديباًas admonition لَهُto him وَصَبابَةًand out of longing
وَقَد قُلتُ تَأديباً لَهُ وَصَبابَةً
إِلَيهاtoward her وَمِنand from دونِshort of اللِقاءِmeeting وَعيدُa threat
إِلَيها وَمِن دونِ اللِقاءِ وَعيدُ
I spoke to admonish him, and out of longing
For her, while a threat stood in the way of meeting:
أَطيعيobey عَدُوّاًan enemy وَاِحذَريand beware عَينَthe eye of حاسِدٍan envier
أَطيعي عَدُوّاً وَاِحذَري عَينَ حاسِدٍ
عَقارِبُهُhis scorpions تَسريtravel by night وَنَحنُwhile we قُعودُsitting still
عَقارِبُهُ تَسري وَنَحنُ قُعودُ
“Obey an enemy, and beware an envier's eye;
His scorpions travel by night while we sit still.”
فَقالَتthen she said بِناwithin us شَوقٌlonging إِلَيكَfor you وَإِنَّماand only
فَقالَت بِنا شَوقٌ إِلَيكَ وَإِنَّما
نُصاديwe coax عُيوناًwatching eyes تَنثَنيturn away فَنَعودُthen we return
نُصادي عُيوناً تَنثَني فَنَعودُ
Then she said, “There is longing in us for you; we merely
Coax watching eyes; when they turn away, we return.”
Sol 6.1