نَغْفَلُwe are heedless والأَيَامُand the days لاnot تَغْفَلُare heedless
نَغْفَلُ والأَيَامُ لا تَغْفَلُ
ولاnor لَنَاfor us فيin زَمَنٍtime مَوْئِلُa refuge
ولا لَنَا في زَمَنٍ مَوْئِلُ
We are heedless, but the days are not,
and in time we have no refuge.
والدَّهْرُand Time لاnot يَسْلَمُescapes مِنْfrom صَرْفِهِits reversals
والدَّهْرُ لا يَسْلَمُ مِنْ صَرْفِهِ
أَعْصَمُa white-legged ibex فيon القُنَّةِthe summit مُسْتَوْعِلُseeking mountain refuge
أَعْصَمُ في القُنَّةِ مُسْتَوْعِلُ
And Time—none escapes its reversals,
not a white-legged ibex taking refuge on the summit,
يَتّخِذُhe takes الشِّعْرَىSirius شِعاراًa close-worn garment لَهُfor himself
يَتّخِذُ الشِّعْرَى شِعاراً لَهُ
كأَنّماas though الأُفْقُthe horizon لَهُfor him مَنْزِلُa home
كأَنّما الأُفْقُ لَهُ مَنْزِلُ
who takes Sirius for his close-worn garment,
as though the horizon were his home.
كأنّهُas though he were بينَamong شَنَاظِيرِهَاits jagged crags
كأنّهُ بينَ شَنَاظِيرِهَا
بارِقَةٌa lightning-flash تَكْمُنُhides أَوْor تَمْثُلُappears
بارِقَةٌ تَكْمُنُ أَوْ تَمْثُلُ
Among its jagged crags he seems
a lightning-flash that hides or comes to view.
ولاnor حَبَابٌa serpent صَلَتَانُswift السُّرَىin night travel
ولا حَبَابٌ صَلَتَانُ السُّرَى
أَرْقَمُspeckled لاnot يَعْرِفُknows ماwhat يَجْهَلُit is ignorant of
أَرْقَمُ لا يَعْرِفُ ما يَجْهَلُ
Nor a serpent, swift on its night journeys,
speckled, not knowing what it does not know,
نَضْنَاضُtongue-flicking فَيْفَاءَof the desert يَرَىit thinks أَنّهُthat it is
نَضْنَاضُ فَيْفَاءَ يَرَى أَنّهُ
بالرَّمْلِin the sand غَانٍrich وهُوَthough it is المُرْمِلُthe destitute one
بالرَّمْلِ غَانٍ وهُوَ المُرْمِلُ
a desert tongue-flicker, which thinks itself
rich in sand, though it is destitute.
يَطْلُبُit seeks مِنْfrom فاجِئَةٍa sudden calamity مَعْقِلاًa refuge
يَطْلُبُ مِنْ فاجِئَةٍ مَعْقِلاً
وَهْوَthough it لِمَاof what يَطْلُبُit seeks لاnot يَعْقِلُunderstands
وَهْوَ لِمَا يَطْلُبُ لا يَعْقِلُ
It seeks refuge from a sudden calamity,
though it has no understanding of what it seeks.
والدَّهْرُand Time لاnot يَسْلَمُescapes مِنْfrom صَرْفِهِits reversals
والدَّهْرُ لا يَسْلَمُ مِنْ صَرْفِهِ
مُسَرْبَلٌclad بالسرْدِin linked mail مُسْتَبْسِلُdauntless
مُسَرْبَلٌ بالسرْدِ مُسْتَبْسِلُ
And Time—none escapes its reversals,
not a dauntless warrior clad in linked mail,
ولاnor عَقَنْبَاةُmassive السُّلاَمَىof joint-bone لهاshe has
ولا عَقَنْبَاةُ السُّلاَمَى لها
فيin كُلِّevery أُفْقٍhorizon عَلَقٌblood مُهْمَلُfreely shed
في كُلِّ أُفْقٍ عَلَقٌ مُهْمَلُ
nor the eagle, mighty of joint, with
blood freely shed at every horizon,
فَتْخَاءُbroad-winged فيin الجوِّthe sky خُدَارِيّةٌdusky-black
فَتْخَاءُ في الجوِّ خُدَارِيّةٌ
كالغَيْمِlike clouds والغَيْمُyet the clouds لهاbeside her مُثْقِلُheavy-laden
كالغَيْمِ والغَيْمُ لها مُثْقِلُ
broad-winged and dusky-black in the sky,
like a cloud, though clouds are ponderous beside her.
آمَنُsafest مَنْof those who كانَlived لِصَرْفِsubject to the turns of الرَّدَىdeath
آمَنُ مَنْ كانَ لِصَرْفِ الرَّدَى
أَنْزَلَهاbrought her down مِنْfrom جَوهَاher sky مُنْزِلُa bringer-down
أَنْزَلَها مِنْ جَوهَا مُنْزِلُ
Safest of all who face the turns of death—
yet one brought her down from her sky.
والدَّهْرُand Time لاnot يَحْجُبُهُbars it مانِعٌa defender
والدَّهْرُ لا يَحْجُبُهُ مانِعٌ
يَحْجُبُهُprotects him العامِلُthe spear-point والمُنْصَلُand the sword
يَحْجُبُهُ العامِلُ والمُنْصَلُ
And no defender can keep Time out,
though spear-point and sword protect him.
يُصْغِيlistens جَدِيدَاهُits day and night إلىto حُكْمِهِhis decree
يُصْغِي جَدِيدَاهُ إلى حُكْمِهِ
ويَفْعَلُand acts الدَّهْرُTime بماaccording to what يَفْعَلُhe does
ويَفْعَلُ الدَّهْرُ بما يَفْعَلُ
Time's day and night listen to his decree,
and Time acts in accord with what he does.
كأنّهُas though he مِنْfrom فَرْطِthe excess of عِزٍّmight بهِwithin him
كأنّهُ مِنْ فَرْطِ عِزٍّ بهِ
أَشْوَسُglowering askance إِذْwhen أَقْبَلَhe approached أَوْor أَقْبَلُcross-eyed
أَشْوَسُ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ أَوْ أَقْبَلُ
He seemed, from the sheer might he possessed,
to glare askance as he came, or squint inward.
فيin حَسَبٍnoble lineage أَوْفَىstood forth لَهُfor him جَحْفَلٌa mighty host
في حَسَبٍ أَوْفَى لَهُ جَحْفَلٌ
يَقْدُمُهُleads it مِنْfrom رَأْيِهِhis judgment جَحْفَلُa mighty host
يَقْدُمُهُ مِنْ رَأْيِهِ جَحْفَلُ
He was nobly born; a mighty host stood forth for him,
led by a mighty host of his own judgment.
بَيْنَاwhile علىin ذلكthat state إِذْwhen suddenly عَرَّشَتْnested
بَيْنَا على ذلك إِذْ عَرَّشَتْ
فيin عَرْشِهِhis throne دَاهِيةٌa calamity ضِئْبَلُmonstrous
في عَرْشِهِ دَاهِيةٌ ضِئْبَلُ
While he was thus, suddenly there nested
upon his throne a monstrous calamity.
إِنْif يَكُthere is فيin العِزِّmight لهfor him مِشْقَصٌan arrowhead
إِنْ يَكُ في العِزِّ له مِشْقَصٌ
ماضٍkeen-edged فَقَدْyet indeed تاحَhas been ordained لَهُfor him مَقْتَلُa mortal weak point
ماضٍ فَقَدْ تاحَ لَهُ مَقْتَلُ
If, in his might, he has an arrowhead
keen to strike, a fatal weakness is yet ordained for him.
جادmay he shower علىupon قَبْرِكyour grave مِنْas a مَيِّتٍdead man
جاد على قَبْرِك مِنْ مَيِّتٍ
بالرَّوْحِwith repose ربٌّa Lord لَكَtoward you لاnot يَبْخَلُis grudging
بالرَّوْحِ ربٌّ لَكَ لا يَبْخَلُ
May your grave, O departed one, be showered
with repose by a Lord who begrudges you nothing.
وحَنّتand may they moan المُزْنُthe rain clouds علىover قَبْرِهِhis grave
وحَنّت المُزْنُ على قَبْرِهِ
بعَارِضٍwith a cloudbank نَجْوتُهُits summit مَحْفِلُbrimming with water
بعَارِضٍ نَجْوتُهُ مَحْفِلُ
And may the rain clouds moan over his grave
with a cloudbank whose summit brims with water:
غَيْثٌrain تَرىyou see الأرضَthe earth علىat وَبْلِهِits downpour
غَيْثٌ تَرى الأرضَ على وَبْلِهِ
تَضْحَكُlaughs إِلاَّexcept أَنّهُthat it يَهْمُلُstreams like tears
تَضْحَكُ إِلاَّ أَنّهُ يَهْمُلُ
rain at whose downpour you see the earth
laughing, though the rain itself weeps.
يَصِلُّresounds والأرضُand the earth تُصلِّيprays لَهُfor him
يَصِلُّ والأرضُ تُصلِّي لَهُ
مِنْamong صَلواتٍprayers مَعَهُalong with it تَسْألُshe supplicates
مِنْ صَلواتٍ مَعَهُ تَسْألُ
It resounds, and the earth prays for him,
joining it in prayers of supplication.
أنتyou أَباO father of العَبّاسِal-Abbas عَبّاسُهاher lion
أنت أَبا العَبّاسِ عَبّاسُها
إذاwhen اسْتَطَارspreads wildly الحَدثُcalamity المُعْضِلُgrievous
إذا اسْتَطَار الحَدثُ المُعْضِلُ
You, Abu al-Abbas, are her lion
when dire calamity spreads abroad.
وأنتand you يَنْبُوعُthe fountain أَفَانِينِهاher varied growth
وأنت يَنْبُوعُ أَفَانِينِها
إذاwhen هُمُthey فيin سَنَةٍa year أَمْحَلُواsuffer drought
إذا هُمُ في سَنَةٍ أَمْحَلُوا
And you are the fountain of her varied growth
when, in a lean year, they suffer drought.
وأنتand you عَلاَّمُthe great knower غُيُوبِthe hidden things of النّثَاreports
وأنت عَلاَّمُ غُيُوبِ النّثَا
يَوْماًon any day إذاwhen نَسْألُwe ask أَوْor نُسْألُwe are asked
يَوْماً إذا نَسْألُ أَوْ نُسْألُ
And you know all that lies hidden in reports,
on any day when we ask or are asked.
نحنُwe نُعَزِّيكoffer you condolences ومنكwhile from you الهُدىguidance
نحنُ نُعَزِّيك ومنك الهُدى
مُسْتَخْرجٌis drawn forth والنُّورُand light مُسْتَقْبَلُis received
مُسْتَخْرجٌ والنُّورُ مُسْتَقْبَلُ
We offer you solace, though from you guidance
is drawn and light received.
نقولُwe speak بالعَقْلِwith reason وأنتyet you الذيthe one
نقولُ بالعَقْلِ وأنت الذي
نَأْوِيwe turn for refuge إليهِto him وبِهِand through him نَعْقِلُwe reason
نَأْوِي إليهِ وبِهِ نَعْقِلُ
We speak with reason, yet you are the one
to whom we turn for refuge, and through whom we reason.
نحنُwe فِداءٌa ransom لكَfor you مِنْas أُمّةٍa people
نحنُ فِداءٌ لكَ مِنْ أُمّةٍ
والأرضُand the earth والآخِرُand the last والأوَّلُand the first
والأرضُ والآخِرُ والأوَّلُ
We, as a people, would be your ransom,
and the earth, and the last and the first.
إذاif غفاdozes عنكpast you وأَوْدىand makes an end بهاof her
إذا غفا عنك وأَوْدى بها
ذاthis الدَّهْرُTime فَهْوthen it is المُحْسِنُthe beneficent المُجْمِلُthe gracious
ذا الدَّهْرُ فَهْو المُحْسِنُ المُجْمِلُ
If it dozes, sparing you, and carries her off,
then this Time is kindly and gracious.
Sol 6.1