الدَهرُtime لاnot تَصفوremains clear لَهُfor it صافِيَةٌanything unclouded
الدَهرُ لا تَصفو لَهُ صافِيَةٌ
وَالمَرءُand a man مَحسودٌenvied عَلىfor العافِيَةِwell-being
وَالمَرءُ مَحسودٌ عَلى العافِيَةِ
With time, nothing serene remains unclouded.
Time's vicissitudes know no calm,
And a man is envied for his well-being.
And people envy soundness.
وَقُلand say مَنwho حازَattained لَهاfor it آمِناًsafe
وَقُل مَن حازَ لَها آمِناً
مِنfrom غَيرَother than تَكديرٍdisturbance وَلاand no عادِيَةِcalamity
مِن غَيرَ تَكديرٍ وَلا عادِيَةِ
And say: who has attained it in safety,
Say, who can gain security
without disturbance or calamity?
Safe from harm or enmity,
إِنif لَمnot يَكُنis فيهِin him فَفيthen in غَيرِهِsomeone other than him
إِن لَم يَكُن فيهِ فَفي غَيرِهِ
مِنamong آلِهِhis family وَالصَحبِand the companions وَالحاشِيَةِand the attendants
مِن آلِهِ وَالصَحبِ وَالحاشِيَةِ
If affliction is not in him, then it is in someone else,
If not himself, some loved one -
among his family, companions, and attendants.
Kin, companions, courtiers - be
ذيthis سَنَةِcustomary way الخَلاقِthe Creator فيin خَلقِهِHis creation
ذي سَنَةِ الخَلاقِ في خَلقِهِ
كانَتwere بِهاin accordance with it أَحكامِهِHis decrees قاضِيَةِordaining
كانَت بِها أَحكامِهِ قاضِيَةِ
This is the Creator's way with His creation;
Subject to the Judge's decree
His decrees have ordained it so.
Ordained for him eternally?
فَنَغَصَّةُso the bitterness العَيشِof life لَناfor us قِسمَةًan allotted share
فَنَغَصَّةُ العَيشِ لَنا قِسمَةً
وَسَكرَةًand the stupor المَوتُof death لَناfor us كافِيَةِsufficient
وَسَكرَةً المَوتُ لَنا كافِيَةِ
So life's bitterness is our allotted share,
Life's bitterness is our due;
and death's stupor is enough for us.
Death intoxicates us fully.
فَياso, O مِنّيfrom me (unclear in context) مَنwhoever عاشَlived فيin وِحدَةٍsolitude
فَيا مِنّي مَن عاشَ في وِحدَةٍ
لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor him وَلَدٌa child وَلاand no جارِيَةِa maidservant
لَيسَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلا جارِيَةِ
So, O one who lived in solitude [unclear phrase: 'from me'],
You who live in solitude
having neither a child nor a maidservant,
Without child or concubine,
يَكفيهِsuffices him ماwhat يَلقاهُhe encounters it فيin نَفسِهِhimself
يَكفيهِ ما يَلقاهُ في نَفسِهِ
وَلَمand did not يَجرَعswallow غُصَّةًa choking sorrow ثانِيَةِa second
وَلَم يَجرَع غُصَّةً ثانِيَةِ
what he suffers in his own person suffices him,
Need but what your soul can find;
and he has not swallowed a second choking sorrow.
Sorrow visits not twice.
وَياand O هَناbliss مَنwhoever اِنقَضىended عُمرُهُhis lifetime
وَيا هَنا مَن اِنقَضى عُمرُهُ
فيin عيشَةٍa life لِرَبِّهِto his Lord راضِيَةِpleasing
في عيشَةٍ لِرَبِّهِ راضِيَةِ
And how happy the one whose lifetime ended
And you whose life is behind,
in a life pleasing to his Lord.
Content with your Lord's design,
يَقبَلُهُaccepts him اللَهُGod وَمَنand from (contextual reading) فَضلُهُHis bounty
يَقبَلُهُ اللَهُ وَمَن فَضلُهُ
يَحسَبُهُcounts him فيin الفِرقَةِthe company الناجِيَةِthe saved
يَحسَبُهُ في الفِرقَةِ الناجِيَةِ
God accepts him and, through His bounty,
God accepts you; His grace assigns
counts him among the company of the saved.
Your place among the saved line.
Sol 6.1