نَحنُwe مِنof عامِرٍʿĀmir بنson of ذُبيانَDhubyān وَالناand the peo-
نَحنُ مِن عامِرٍ بن ذُبيانَ وَالنا
سُ-ple كَهامٍlike owls مَحارُهُمtheir return لِلقُبورِto the graves
سُ كَهامٍ مَحارُهُم لِلقُبورِ
We are of ʿĀmir ibn Dhubyān, and the people
We are from 'Amir ibn Dhubyan, and people
Are like owls; their return is to the graves.
Whose zeal for graves is like the zeal of camels.
إِنَّماonly العَجزُhelplessness أَنthat تُهُمَّyou are troubled وَلاand not تَفعَلَyou act
إِنَّما العَجزُ أَن تُهُمَّ وَلا تَفعَلَ
وَالهَمُّand worry ناشِبٌlodged فيin الضَميرِthe inner self
وَالهَمُّ ناشِبٌ في الضَميرِ
Helplessness is only to be troubled and not act,
Weakness is only to intend and not perform,
While worry is lodged within the heart.
While intent resides and festers in the conscience.
أَرِقاًsleepless بِتُّI spent the night ماnot أَلَذُّI relish رُقاداًsleep
أَرِقاً بِتُّ ما أَلَذُّ رُقاداً
تَعتَرينيassail me مُبَرِّحاتُgrievous trials of الأُمورِaffairs
تَعتَريني مُبَرِّحاتُ الأُمورِ
Sleepless, I spent the night, taking no pleasure in sleep;
I spend sleepless nights, though nothing is sweeter than sleep,
Grievous events assail me,
As distracting thoughts of fate come over me.
وارِداتٍarriving وَضاجِراتٍand vexing إِلىuntil أَنthat
وارِداتٍ وَضاجِراتٍ إِلى أَن
حَسَرَunveiled المُدلَهِمُّthe pitch-dark night ضَوءَthe light of البَشيرِthe herald
حَسَرَ المُدلَهِمُّ ضَوءَ البَشيرِ
Coming and vexing me, until
Visitors come and go, angrily, until
The pitch-dark night unveiled the herald’s light.
The shining light of dawn dispels the darkness.
قَذَفَتكَhurled at you الأَيّامُthe days بِالحَدَثِwith the calamity الأَكthe great-
قَذَفَتكَ الأَيّامُ بِالحَدَثِ الأَك
بَرِ-est مِنهاof theirs وَشابَand turned gray رَأسُthe head of الصَغيرِthe young one
بَرِ مِنها وَشابَ رَأسُ الصَغيرِ
The days hurled at you the greatest calamity
The days have burdened you with the greatest of burdens,
Of theirs, and the young one’s head turned gray.
And the hair of the youth has turned white.
وَتَفانىand destroyed one another بَنوthe sons of أَبيكَyour father فَأَصبَحتَso you became
وَتَفانى بَنو أَبيكَ فَأَصبَحتَ
عَقيراًfelled لِلدَّهرِby Time أَوor كَالعَقيرِlike one felled
عَقيراً لِلدَّهرِ أَو كَالعَقيرِ
And your father’s sons destroyed one another, so you became
Your father's clan has dwindled, and so you have become
Felled by Time, or like one felled.
Barren in life, like a barren woman.
لَيسَthere is not مِنfrom حادِثِthe calamity of الزَمانِtime إِذاwhen
لَيسَ مِن حادِثِ الزَمانِ إِذا
حَلَّit befalls عَلىupon أَهلِpeople of غِبطَةٍgood fortune مِنany مُجيرِprotector
حَلَّ عَلى أَهلِ غِبطَةٍ مِن مُجيرِ
There is no protector from time’s calamity when
When the calamities of fate befall the fortunate,
It befalls people blessed with good fortune.
It is nothing unusual in the course of time.
Sol 6.1