بئسwretched is الزمانُthe age المرتديclothed بشِرارِin wicked men
بئس الزمانُ المرتدي بشِرارِ
يتبدَّلexchanges الأخيارَthe good بالأشرارِfor the wicked
يتبدَّل الأخيارَ بالأشرارِ
Wretched is the age, clothed in its evildoers,
Wretched is the age clothed in wicked men,
that exchanges good men for the wicked.
Exchanging the good for the wicked.
أنَّىhow ترومyou seek الصفوclarity منfrom أكدارهits murk
أنَّى تروم الصفو من أكداره
وبنوهand its sons قدalready طبعواwere predisposed علىto الأكدارimpurity
وبنوه قد طبعوا على الأكدار
How can you seek purity amid its turbid troubles,
How can you seek clarity from its murk,
when its children have been molded by turbidity?
While its sons are innately disposed to impurity?
كمhow many a موردٍwatering place هامbecame enamored الفؤادthe heart بوردهof reaching it
كم موردٍ هام الفؤاد بورده
وحقيقةُand the true nature الإيرادِof leading to water بالإصدارby leading away
وحقيقةُ الإيرادِ بالإصدار
How many a watering place has the heart yearned to reach,
How many a watering place the heart has yearned to reach,
though every coming to water truly ends in departure.
Yet the truth of leading to water is known by leading away.
لاdo not تنعميtake delight ياO نفسsoul فيin متوهَّمٍan illusion
لا تنعمي يا نفس في متوهَّمٍ
كمhow many a نعمةٍblessing آلتturned إلىto الإدبارdecline
كم نعمةٍ آلت إلى الإدبار
Take no delight, my soul, in anything imagined:
Do not delight in an illusion, O soul;
how many a blessing has led to ruin;
How many a blessing has turned to decline.
كمhow many a نعمةٍblessing سُبِكتwas smelted فكانتand became نقمةًa curse
كم نعمةٍ سُبِكت فكانت نقمةً
والجارand the neighbor يُستثنىis excluded بذنبfor the sin of الجارthe neighbor
والجار يُستثنى بذنب الجار
how many a blessing was fashioned, then became a curse,
How many a blessing was smelted and became a curse,
while one neighbor is excluded for another neighbor’s sin.
And a neighbor is excluded for his neighbor's sin.
هذيthis is دمشقDamascus ونارهاand her fire ليfor me جنةٌa paradise
هذي دمشق ونارها لي جنةٌ
بعداًaway لهاwith her منas جنةٍa paradise فيin نارfire
بعداً لها من جنةٍ في نار
This is Damascus, and her fire is paradise to me;
Here is Damascus, and her fire is a paradise to me.
away with her—a paradise within a fire!
Away with her, that paradise in fire!
فعلتso she rose ولكنbut قدindeed تناهتreached her limit مذonce علتshe rose
فعلت ولكن قد تناهت مذ علت
فيin حسنهاher beauty والنقصُand diminution فيin الإدبارdecline
في حسنها والنقصُ في الإدبار
She has done it; yet since she rose, she has reached the utmost
So she rose, but reached her limit once she rose
in beauty, while imperfection lies in decline.
In beauty; diminution lies in decline.
كمhow many فيin دمشقDamascus منof المناهلthe watering places شُرَّعاًopen to approach
كم في دمشق من المناهل شُرَّعاً
لكنَّbut شِيبَwas mixed زلالُهاher limpid water بِمَرارwith bitterness
لكنَّ شِيبَ زلالُها بِمَرار
How many watering places in Damascus stand open to all,
How many watering places lie open in Damascus,
yet their limpid water has been marred by bitterness.
But her limpid water has been mixed with bitterness.
كمhow many فيin دمشقDamascus منof الرياضthe gardens نواضراًlush
كم في دمشق من الرياض نواضراً
لكنْbut نواضرُهاher lush gardens بلاwithout إسفارradiance
لكنْ نواضرُها بلا إسفار
How many gardens in Damascus are fresh and blooming,
How many gardens in Damascus are lush,
yet their bloom shows no radiance.
But her lush gardens have no radiance.
كمhow many فيin دمشقDamascus منof الغصونthe branches موائساًswaying gracefully
كم في دمشق من الغصون موائساً
لكنbut خمائلهاher groves بلاwithout أزهارflowers
لكن خمائلها بلا أزهار
How many boughs in Damascus sway gracefully,
How many branches in Damascus sway gracefully,
yet her leafy bowers bear no blossoms.
But her groves have no flowers.
كمhow many فيin دمشقDamascus منof الثمارthe fruits فواكهاًdelectable
كم في دمشق من الثمار فواكهاً
لكنbut بغيرwithout لذاذةthe sweetness of الأثمارthe fruits
لكن بغير لذاذة الأثمار
How many fruits in Damascus look delectable,
How many delectable fruits there are in Damascus,
yet have none of the savor of fruit.
But without the sweetness of fruit.
كمhow many فيin دمشقDamascus منof القصورthe palaces منازلاًdwellings
كم في دمشق من القصور منازلاً
لكنbut منازلهاher dwellings بلاwithout أقمارmoons
لكن منازلها بلا أقمار
How many palaces in Damascus serve as dwellings,
How many palaces in Damascus are dwellings,
yet her dwellings have no moons.
But her dwellings have no moons.
كمhow many فيin سرادقهاher pavilion نجوماًstars طُلَّعاًrising
كم في سرادقها نجوماً طُلَّعاً
هيهاتfar from it ليسare not نجومهاher stars بدراريbrilliant stars
هيهات ليس نجومها بدراري
How many stars rise within her pavilions,
How many rising stars there are in her pavilion,
yet far from it—her stars are not radiant.
Far from it! Her stars are no brilliant luminaries.
وخليلهاand her friend قدindeed خِلتُهI deemed him كخُلالةٍlike a scrap between the teeth
وخليلها قد خِلتُه كخُلالةٍ
بِخَلالةٍwith a trait أوor خِلَّةٍa want منof عارshame
بِخَلالةٍ أو خِلَّةٍ من عار
And her intimate friend—I thought him like a toothpick,
And her friend I deemed like a scrap between the teeth,
because of a defect, or an intimacy born of shame.
With a shameful trait or want.
كمhow often قدindeed طلبتُI sought مسامراًan evening companion فوجدتهand found him
كم قد طلبتُ مسامراً فوجدته
لكنهbut he فيin القلبthe heart كالمسمارlike a nail
لكنه في القلب كالمسمار
How often I sought a companion for night talk and found him,
How often I sought an evening companion and found him,
yet in the heart he was like a nail.
But he was like a nail in the heart.
منfrom كلevery باغٍaggressor فيin العنادobstinacy برأيهwith his view الthe
من كل باغٍ في العناد برأيه ال
معوجِّcrooked قدindeed وافىcame كوحشٍlike a beast ضارfierce
معوجِّ قد وافى كوحشٍ ضار
From every tyrant, stubborn in his own opinion—the
Of every aggressor, stubborn in his view—the
crooked one has come like a ravening beast,
Crooked one—who came like a fierce beast,
متلوناًchanging color متلويّاًtwisting فكأنهso he seems like الthe
متلوناً متلويّاً فكأنه ال
حرباءchameleon والجرباءand the mangy creature أوor كالنارlike fire
حرباء والجرباء أو كالنار
changing color and writhing, as though he were the
Changing color, twisting, as though he were the
chameleon, the mangy she-camel, or fire.
Chameleon and the mangy creature, or like fire.
كلٌّeveryone يخصُّreserves لِذاتِهfor himself لَذَّاتِهِhis pleasures
كلٌّ يخصُّ لِذاتِه لَذَّاتِهِ
ياO منyou who يخصfavor الذاتthe self بالأثمارwith fruits
يا من يخص الذات بالأثمار
Each reserves his pleasures for his own self.
Each reserves his pleasures for himself,
O you who reserve yourself for fruits!
O you who reserve the fruits for yourself!
إنيindeed I قضيتspent بهاin her الزمانthe time مروَّعاًterrified
إني قضيت بها الزمان مروَّعاً
أهوىI love فأهويthen I fall فيat شفيرa brink هارcrumbling
أهوى فأهوي في شفير هار
Indeed, I spent my time there terrified:
Indeed, I spent my time there terrified;
I yearn, then fall at the brink of a crumbling precipice.
I love, then fall at a crumbling brink.
أيامهاher days سُقِيَتwere given to drink علىin ظمأٍthirst أسىًsorrow
أيامها سُقِيَت على ظمأٍ أسىً
فكرعنَand they drank deeply لكنbut منfrom دمthe blood of الأبرارthe righteous
فكرعنَ لكن من دم الأبرار
In her days I was made to drink grief while thirsty,
Her days, in their thirst, were given sorrow to drink,
and they drank—but from the blood of the righteous.
And drank deeply—but from the blood of the righteous.
مَرَّتthey passed ومَرَّتand passed بيover me مناياهاher deadly fates وقدand had already
مَرَّت ومَرَّت بي مناياها وقد
أوقعننيthey cast me فيinto جحفلٍa mighty army جرّارvast
أوقعنني في جحفلٍ جرّار
She passed, and her death-decrees passed over me; already
They passed; her deadly fates passed over me, and had
they had cast me into a vast, advancing host.
Cast me into a vast, swarming army.
زمنٌan age بهاin her القلبthe friendly heart الأنيسis tormented معذبٌthe heart
زمنٌ بها القلب الأنيس معذبٌ
خلعcast off العذارthe bridle علىamid الأسىsorrow والعارand shame
خلع العذار على الأسى والعار
An age in which the companionable heart is tormented—
An age there in which the friendly heart is tormented,
it has cast off every rein amid grief and shame,
Casting off the bridle amid sorrow and shame.
كاسٍclothed منthrough الشحناءrancor عاراًin disgrace مثلماjust as
كاسٍ من الشحناء عاراً مثلما
خلعcast off الحياmodesty عنهfrom itself فكانand became العاريthe naked one
خلع الحيا عنه فكان العاري
clothed in rancor yet naked, just as
Clothed by rancor in disgrace, just as
it stripped modesty from itself and became the naked one.
It stripped off modesty and became naked.
آنستُهI befriended it فتوحشتand grew savage أخلاقهits manners
آنستُه فتوحشت أخلاقه
فكأننيso as though I برقعتI veiled وجهَthe face of نهاريmy daylight
فكأنني برقعت وجهَ نهاري
I befriended it, but its character turned savage;
I befriended it, and its manners turned savage,
it was as though I were in a tract whose face was my daylight.
As though I had veiled the face of my daylight.
طارحتهI exchanged with it أدباًcourtesy فثارand it flared up فظاظةًin boorishness
طارحته أدباً فثار فظاظةً
إنindeed الأصولorigins تصولcharge forth فيon المضمارthe racecourse
إن الأصول تصول في المضمار
I offered it civility; it erupted in boorishness:
I exchanged courtesy with it, and it flared up in boorishness:
innate stocks show their mettle in the arena.
Indeed, roots charge forth on the racecourse.
هنديةٌIndian فيin خَلقهاher form زنجيةٌZanj (East African)
هنديةٌ في خَلقها زنجيةٌ
فيin ذوقهاher taste عربيةٌArab فيin الثارvengeance
في ذوقها عربيةٌ في الثار
Indian in her nature, Zanjī in
Indian in form, Zanj
her taste, Arab in vengeance.
In taste, Arab in vengeance.
حَسَبُthe nobility of النُهىreason حَسَبٌa nobility يزيدincreases حسابهits reckoning
حَسَبُ النُهى حَسَبٌ يزيد حسابه
فيin الضربmultiplication منin terms of قدرٍworth ومنand of مقدارmeasure
في الضرب من قدرٍ ومن مقدار
By reason’s reckoning, a pedigree whose tally grows
Reason's nobility is a nobility whose reckoning grows
through multiplication—in worth and measure.
Through multiplication, in worth and measure.
لوif لمnot تكنyou were منهfrom it العراقيthe Iraqi نسبةًby lineage
لو لم تكن منه العراقي نسبةً
قرويةًrural ماnot أعرقتyou would have sweated كالقاريlike the villager
قرويةً ما أعرقت كالقاري
Were she not of al-ʿIrāqī’s lineage,
Had you not been the Iraqi, of its line—
she would be a rustic, never deep-rooted like al-Qārī.
A rustic line—you would not have sweated like a villager.
ريحُthe wind of الزمانtime أتتhas brought بمثلthe like of صفاتهhis qualities
ريحُ الزمان أتت بمثل صفاته
خُلُقُthe nature of الزمانtime عداوةenmity toward الأحرارthe free
خُلُقُ الزمان عداوة الأحرار
The wind of time brought one bearing traits like his;
The wind of time has brought qualities like his;
the age’s very nature is enmity toward the freeborn.
Time's nature is enmity toward the free.
زمنٌan age كأُمِّlike the mother of الكلبthe dog ترأمُcherishes جروَهاher pup
زمنٌ كأُمِّ الكلب ترأمُ جروَها
وتصدand repels عزthe might of ولدthe cub of الهزبرthe lion الضاريfierce
وتصد عز ولد الهزبر الضاري
An age like a bitch, tender to her pup,
An age like a mother dog that cherishes her pup,
yet spurning the proud might of the fierce lion’s cub.
And repels the might of the fierce lion's cub.
Sol 6.1