قُلsay لِلَّذيto the one who أَحصىcounted السِنينَthe years مُفاخِراًboasting
قُل لِلَّذي أَحصى السِنينَ مُفاخِراً
ياO صاحِfriend لَيسَis not السِرُّthe secret فيin السَنَواتِthe years
يا صاحِ لَيسَ السِرُّ في السَنَواتِ
Say to the one who counted the years boastfully:
Say to him who boastfully counted the years,
Say to him who counts the years in boastful pride,
O friend, the secret is not in the years,
"O companion, the secret is not in the number of years,
O friend, the secret lies not in the span of years,
لَكِنَّهُbut it فيin المَرءِthe person كَيفَhow يَعيشُهاhe lives them
لَكِنَّهُ في المَرءِ كَيفَ يَعيشُها
فيin يَقظَةٍwakefulness أَمor فيin عَميقِdeep سُباتِslumber
في يَقظَةٍ أَم في عَميقِ سُباتِ
But in a person—in how he lives them:
But in how a person lives them,
But rather in the man and how he lives them,
In wakefulness, or in deep slumber.
Whether awake or in deep slumber."
Whether in wakefulness or deep in slumber.
قُمrise عُدَّcount آلَفَthousands السِنينِthe years عَلىfor الحَصىthe pebbles
قُم عُدَّ آلَفَ السِنينِ عَلى الحَصى
أَتَعُدُّdo you reckon? شِبهَa semblance of فَضيلَةٍmerit لِحُصاةِfor a pebble
أَتَعُدُّ شِبهَ فَضيلَةٍ لِحُصاةِ
Rise, count thousands of years for the pebbles;
Get up and count thousands of years on pebbles,
Go forth, count thousands of years upon the pebbles;
Would you credit a pebble with even a semblance of merit?
Do you count that as a virtue for the pebbles?
Do you deem that a semblance of virtue for a stone?
خَيرٌbetter مِنَthan الفَلَواتِthe deserts لاno حَدَّlimit لَهاto them
خَيرٌ مِنَ الفَلَواتِ لا حَدَّ لَها
رَوضٌa garden أَغَنُّlush يُقاسُis measured بِالخُطُواتِby footsteps
رَوضٌ أَغَنُّ يُقاسُ بِالخُطُواتِ
Better than deserts without bounds
Better than boundless deserts,
Better than the boundless, endless wastelands,
Is a lush garden measured in footsteps.
Is a small garden measured in steps.
Is a lush garden measured by mere footsteps.
كُنbe زَهرَةًa flower أَوor نَغمَةًa melody فيin زَهرَةٍa flower
كُن زَهرَةً أَو نَغمَةً في زَهرَةٍ
فَالمَجدُfor glory لِلأَزهارto the flowers وَالنَغَماتِand the melodies
فَالمَجدُ لِلأَزهار وَالنَغَماتِ
Be a flower, or a melody within a flower,
Be a flower or a melody in a flower,
Be thou a flower, or a melody within a flower,
For glory belongs to flowers and melodies.
For glory is for flowers and melodies.
For glory belongs to the blossoms and the songs.
تَمشيwalk الشُهورُthe months عَلىupon الوُرودِthe roses ضَحوكَةًlaughing
تَمشي الشُهورُ عَلى الوُرودِ ضَحوكَةً
وَتَنامُand sleep فيamong الأَشواكِthe thorns مُكتَإِباتِdejected
وَتَنامُ في الأَشواكِ مُكتَإِباتِ
The months walk upon the roses, laughing,
Months walk smiling over roses,
The months tread laughing upon the roses,
And sleep among the thorns, dejected.
And sleep depressed in thorns.
While among the thorns they sleep in gloom.
وَتَموتُand die ذيthese لِلعُقمِfrom barrenness قَبلَbefore مَماتِهاtheir death
وَتَموتُ ذي لِلعُقمِ قَبلَ مَماتِها
وَتَعيشُand live تِلكَthose الدَهرَeternity فيin ساعاتِhours
وَتَعيشُ تِلكَ الدَهرَ في ساعاتِ
And these die of barrenness before their death,
Some die barren before their death,
The latter die of sterility before their actual death,
While those live an eternity in hours.
While others live forever in moments.
While the former live an eternity within mere hours.
تُحصىare counted عَلىfor أَهلِthe people of الحَياةِlife دَقائِقٌminutes
تُحصى عَلى أَهلِ الحَياةِ دَقائِقٌ
وَالدَهرُand time لاnot يُحصىis counted عَلىfor الأَمواتِthe dead
وَالدَهرُ لا يُحصى عَلى الأَمواتِ
Minutes are counted for the living,
Minutes are counted on the living,
Minutes are tallied for the people of life,
And time is not counted for the dead.
While years are not counted on the dead.
While ages are not reckoned for the dead.
العُمرُlife إِلّاexcept بِالمَآثِرِthrough noble deeds فارِغٌempty
العُمرُ إِلّا بِالمَآثِرِ فارِغٌ
كَالبَيتِlike the house مَهجوراabandoned وَكَالموماتِand like the wastelands
كَالبَيتِ مَهجورا وَكَالموماتِ
Life is empty without noble deeds,
Life without achievements is empty,
Life, without noble deeds, is empty,
Like an abandoned house, and like the wastelands.
Like an abandoned house and the deceased.
Like an abandoned house or a barren wild.
جَعَلَmade السِنينَthe years مَجيدَةglorious وَجَميلَةًand beautiful
جَعَلَ السِنينَ مَجيدَة وَجَميلَةً
ماwhat فيin مَطاويهاtheir folds مِنَof الحَسَناتِthe good deeds
ما في مَطاويها مِنَ الحَسَناتِ
The years were made glorious and beautiful
It is deeds that make years majestic and beautiful,
That which renders the years glorious and beautiful
By the good deeds held within their folds.
Not what the years contain of goodness.
Is the virtue concealed within their folds.
Sol 6.1