مَثوايَmy abode فيin الدَّنِّthe wine jar مَثوىthe abode الدّرِّthe pearl فيin الصَّدَفِthe shell
مَثوايَ في الدَّنِّ مَثوى الدّرِّ في الصَّدَفِ
والسَّيفِand the sword فيin الجَفنِthe sheath والإِصباحِand dawn فيin السُّدَفِthe darkness
والسَّيفِ في الجَفنِ والإِصباحِ في السُّدَفِ
My abode in the wine jar is the pearl's abode in the shell,
My abode in this lowly world is like a pearl in its shell,
And the sword's in its sheath, and dawn's amid darkness.
A sword in its scabbard, dawn in its curtain.
لمdid not يَرتَفِعrise عنabove عَواديthe assaults الدَّهرِtime ذُوone possessing قَدرٍworth
لم يَرتَفِع عن عَوادي الدَّهرِ ذُو قَدرٍ
لوeven if كانَhe were كيوانَSaturn فيin مَجدٍglory وفيand in شَرَفِhonor
لو كانَ كيوانَ في مَجدٍ وفي شَرَفِ
No man of worth has risen above time's assaults,
No one of worth can escape the vicissitudes of fate,
Even were he Saturn in glory and honor.
Were he Kaiwan in glory and nobility.
فالشمسُfor the sun يَستُرهاveils it دَجنٌa dark cloud ويحصُرهاand confines it
فالشمسُ يَستُرها دَجنٌ ويحصُرها
واللّيثُand the lion فيin غابةٍa thicket والبدرُand the full moon فيin كلفِdark mottling
واللّيثُ في غابةٍ والبدرُ في كلفِ
For a dark cloud veils the sun and confines it;
The sun is veiled by gloom and confined by barriers,
And the lion is in a thicket, and the full moon has dark markings.
The lion lurks in the jungle, the moon wanes.
والعلمُand knowledge فيin الظنِّconjecture لاnot تأتيكcomes to you نُكتَتُهُits subtle point
والعلمُ في الظنِّ لا تأتيك نُكتَتُهُ
إلاexcept إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle رَمىshot منهاfrom it إلىtoward هَدفِa target
إلا إذا ما رَمى منها إلى هَدفِ
And knowledge lies within conjecture: its subtle point does not reach you
Knowledge lies hidden in conjecture, its gems
Unless one shoots from it toward a target.
Appear only when an arrow is shot straight to the mark.
حتّىuntil إذاwhen ظفرتgained possession كفُّthe hand اليقينِcertainty بِهاof it
حتّى إذا ظفرت كفُّ اليقينِ بِها
جاءَتit came بنورٍwith a light منfrom الظَّلماءِthe darkness مُقتَطفِplucked
جاءَت بنورٍ من الظَّلماءِ مُقتَطفِ
Until, when certainty's hand gained hold of it,
When the hand of certainty grasps it
It came with a light plucked from the darkness.
It comes with a light, plucked from the darkness.
منwhoever كانتwas الشَّمسُthe sun والأَنوارُand the lights أسوتَهُhis example
من كانت الشَّمسُ والأَنوارُ أسوتَهُ
فَماthen not يَبيتُspends the night علىin وَجدٍanguish ولاnor أَسَفِregret
فَما يَبيتُ على وَجدٍ ولا أَسَفِ
Whoever has the sun and the lights as his example
He who takes the sun and stars for his model
Does not pass the night in anguish or regret.
Spends no night in anguish or sorrow.
لِلّهِto God أُمّيmy mother التيwho لمَّاwhen رأَتshe saw كِبَرِيmy old age
لِلّهِ أُمّي التي لمَّا رأَت كِبَرِي
دَرّتgave milk abundantly عَليَّupon me وآوَتنِيand sheltered me إلىinto كَنَفِshelter
دَرّت عَليَّ وآوَتنِي إلى كَنَفِ
God bless my mother, who, when she saw my old age,
God bless the mother who, when she saw me aged,
Lavished her milk upon me and took me into her shelter.
Was kind to me and took me into her care.
تَسَلّمتنِيَshe received me عنfrom أُخرىanother مَباركةٍblessed
تَسَلّمتنِيَ عن أُخرى مَباركةٍ
باتتspent the night تَرِفُّfluttering عليهاover her تُربَةُthe soil الجُرُفِthe riverbank
باتت تَرِفُّ عليها تُربَةُ الجُرُفِ
She received me from another blessed mother,
She protected me from another, a blessed one,
Over whom the riverbank's soil fluttered through the night.
Whose dust now covers her in the grave.
وماand not الّتيshe who أَرضعَتنيnursed me أَمسِyesterday فيin صِغَريmy childhood
وما الّتي أَرضعَتني أَمسِ في صِغَري
فوقَabove التيshe who أَرضَعتنيnursed me اليومَtoday فيin خَرَفيmy dotage
فوقَ التي أَرضَعتني اليومَ في خَرَفي
And she who nursed me yesterday in my childhood is not
She who suckled me in childhood yesterday
Better than she who nurses me today in my dotage.
Is not dearer than she who suckles me in my dotage today.
جادَتshe was generous بِدِرَّتِهاwith her milk حتّىuntil إذاwhen نزفتshe was drained
جادَت بِدِرَّتِها حتّى إذا نزفت
سكّنتshe soothed أَحشاءَهاher innermost parts منfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity الشَّغَفِpassionate love
سكّنت أَحشاءَها من شِدَّةِ الشَّغَفِ
She lavished her milk until, when she was drained,
She gave freely of her bounty until, as it ebbed,
She soothed her innermost being, so fierce was her love.
She stilled the longings of her heart.
ياO ذِمّةًa bond عصفتswept fiercely ريحُthe wind النَّوالgenerosity بهاupon it
يا ذِمّةً عصفت ريحُ النَّوال بها
إنّيindeed I علىin ثِقَةٍconfidence منof عاجِلswift الخَلَفِrecompense
إنّي على ثِقَةٍ من عاجِل الخَلَفِ
O bond swept by the wind of generosity,
O you whose stock the winds of fortune have swept away,
I am confident of swift recompense.
I am confident of speedy repayment.
ياO راهبَmonk الدَّيرِthe monastery سَقِّgive drink to الناسَthe people منfrom شِيَمِيmy virtues
يا راهبَ الدَّيرِ سَقِّ الناسَ من شِيَمِي
فإنّهاfor they are نُطَفٌdrops ماwhatever شئتَyou wish منof نُطَفِdrops
فإنّها نُطَفٌ ما شئتَ من نُطَفِ
O monk of the monastery, give the people drink from my virtues,
O monk of the monastery, draw men to my nature,
For they are drops—as many drops as you wish.
For it is a pure drop, whichever drop you take.
ليسَis not التيthat which عُتّقتwas aged فيin ناصِعٍsomething gleaming white أَرِجٍfragrant
ليسَ التي عُتّقت في ناصِعٍ أَرِجٍ
مثلlike التيthat which عُتّقتwas aged فيin الغَارِthe cave والخَزَفِand earthenware
مثل التي عُتّقت في الغَارِ والخَزَفِ
That aged in a gleaming white, fragrant vessel is not
She who gained freedom in the bloom of youth
Like that aged in the cave and earthenware.
Is not like her who gained it in cave and urn.
هيit السُّلافُthe choice wine التيwhich يُجنِيكlets you pluck دائرهاits cupbearer
هي السُّلافُ التي يُجنِيك دائرها
ماwhatever شئتَyou wish منof مبسمٍa smiling mouth عذبٍsweet ومُرتَشفِand a draught
ما شئتَ من مبسمٍ عذبٍ ومُرتَشفِ
It is the choice wine, whose cupbearer lets you pluck
She is the wine whose intoxication yields you
Whatever sweet smiling mouth and draught you desire.
Whatever you wish of sweet and mellow drafts.
معنىthe meaning الزَّمانtime ومَغنىand the abode كُلِّevery شاردةٍwandering thought
معنى الزَّمان ومَغنى كُلِّ شاردةٍ
منof كُلّevery مُتَّفَقٍagreed upon فيهِin it ومُختَلفِand disputed
من كُلّ مُتَّفَقٍ فيهِ ومُختَلفِ
The meaning of time, and the home of every wandering thought,
She is the meaning of time and the rapture of all
Of all that is agreed upon and disputed.
That is harmonized or made discordant therein.
إنّيindeed I لأَخشىI truly fear التيthat which تَخشىyou fear وإنand if ذهَبتdeparted
إنّي لأَخشى التي تَخشى وإن ذهَبت
نَفسِيmy soul فقدthen indeed ذهَبتhas departed جُرثومَةُthe root السّلفِthe forebears
نَفسِي فقد ذهَبت جُرثومَةُ السّلفِ
I do fear what you fear; and if it should depart—
I fear that she I fear will depart, and if
My soul—then the root of my forebears will have departed.
My soul departs, the germ of those past will perish.
ذرنيlet me أُؤَدّيdeliver إلىto قَوميmy people أَمانَتهُمtheir trust
ذرني أُؤَدّي إلى قَومي أَمانَتهُم
ثمّthen ارتَهِنِّيtake me as a pledge وكِلنِيand leave me للنَّوىto separation القذَفِfar-flung
ثمّ ارتَهِنِّي وكِلنِي للنَّوى القذَفِ
Let me return to my people what they entrusted to me;
Let me fulfil my trust, then leave me
Then take me as a pledge and leave me to far-flung separation.
To the will of the spheres that cast the dice.
اللَهَfor God's sake فيregarding حَسبٍancestral honor عِدٍّdeep-rooted فإنfor if ذهبَتvanished
اللَهَ في حَسبٍ عِدٍّ فإن ذهبَت
أَحسَابُthe ancestral honors قومٍa people فقدthen indeed أَشفَواthey have reached the brink علىof التَّلَفِruin
أَحسَابُ قومٍ فقد أَشفَوا على التَّلَفِ
For God's sake, guard deep-rooted honor; for if they vanish—
God suffices me; if a people’s pedigree
A people's honors—that people has reached the brink of ruin.
Perish, they solace themselves upon the perished.
Sol 6.1