إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle الدهرfate جرّdrags علىupon أناسٍa people
إذا ما الدهر جرّ على أناسٍ
كلاfirst fragment of 'its heavy chest' كلهsecond fragment of 'its heavy chest' أناخkneels down بآخريناupon others
كلا كله أناخ بآخرينا
When Time bears down upon a people,
Whenever fate drags upon a people
with all its crushing weight, it next settles upon others.
Its heavy chest, it kneels upon others.
فقلso tell للشامتينto those who gloat بناover us أفيقواcome to your senses
فقل للشامتين بنا أفيقوا
سيلقىwill suffer الشامتونthose who gloat كماjust as لقيناwe suffered
سيلقى الشامتون كما لقينا
So tell those who gloat over us: Come to your senses!
So tell those who gloat over us: come to your senses!
Those who gloat will meet what we have met.
Those who gloat will suffer as we have suffered.
وماand not إنemphatic particle طبتناour condition (uncertain spelling) جبنٌcowardice ولكنbut rather
وما إن طبتنا جبنٌ ولكن
مناياناour appointed deaths ودولةand the ascendancy of آخريناothers
منايانا ودولة آخرينا
We did not yield willingly out of cowardice; rather,
It was not cowardice that laid us low, but
our appointed deaths had come, and it was others’ turn.
Our appointed deaths and others' turn to prevail.
كذاكthus الدهرfate دولتهits ascendancy سجالٌalternating
كذاك الدهر دولته سجالٌ
تكرّrecur صروفهُits vicissitudes حيناat one time فحيناthen at another
تكرّ صروفهُ حينا فحينا
Thus is Time: its fortunes alternate,
Such is fate: its ascendancy passes back and forth;
its vicissitudes returning time after time.
Its vicissitudes recur, time after time.
ومنand whoever يغررrisks himself بريبon the vicissitudes of الدهرfate يوماone day
ومن يغرر بريب الدهر يوما
يجدwill find ريبthe vicissitudes of الزمانtime لهto him خؤوناtreacherous
يجد ريب الزمان له خؤونا
Whoever one day exposes himself to Time’s perils
And whoever one day gambles on fate's vicissitudes
will find the perils of Time deeply treacherous.
Will find time's vicissitudes treacherous to him.
Sol 6.1