ألاis there no فَتىًyoung man مِنْfrom صُرُوفِvicissitudes of الدَّهْرِTime يَحْمِينِيprotects me
ألا فَتىً مِنْ صُرُوفِ الدَّهْرِ يَحْمِينِي
أَلاis there no كَريمٌnoble man عَلَىagainst الأَيّامِthe days يُعْدِينيcomes to my aid
أَلا كَريمٌ عَلَى الأَيّامِ يُعْدِيني
Is there no young man to shield me from the vicissitudes of Time?
Alas! Is there no valiant youth to shield me
Is there no noble man to aid me against the days?
From the vicissitudes of fate?
مَضىhave gone الْكِرامُthe noble وَقَدْand indeed خُلِّفْتُI was left behind بَعْدَهُمُafter them
مَضى الْكِرامُ وَقَدْ خُلِّفْتُ بَعْدَهُمُ
أَشْكُوI complain of الزَّمانَTime إِلىto مَنْone who لَيْسَdoes not يُشْكِينِيredress my grievance
أَشْكُو الزَّمانَ إِلى مَنْ لَيْسَ يُشْكِينِي
The noble have gone, and I have been left behind them,
The generous are gone, and I am left behind,
I complain of Time to one who does not redress my grievance.
Complaining of time to one who cannot aid.
كَمْhow often أَسْتَفِيدُI acquire أخاًa brother بَرًّاkindly فَيُعْجِزُنِيyet he eludes me
كَمْ أَسْتَفِيدُ أخاً بَرًّا فَيُعْجِزُنِي
وَأَبْتَغِيand I seek ماجِداًa noble man مَحْضاًunalloyed فَيُعْيِيِنيyet he wearies me
وَأَبْتَغِي ماجِداً مَحْضاً فَيُعْيِيِني
How often I seek to gain a kindly brother, yet he eludes me;
How often I seek a loyal brother, but he fails me,
And seek a man of pure nobility, yet he wearies me.
And I pursue the glorious, but they elude me.
أَرْجُوI hope for السَّماحَةَgenerosity مِمَّنْfrom one who لَيْسَdoes not يُسْعِفُنِيcome to my aid
أَرْجُو السَّماحَةَ مِمَّنْ لَيْسَ يُسْعِفُنِي
وَأَبْتَغِيand I seek الرِّفْدَbounty مِمَّنْfrom one who لاdoes not يُواسِينِيshare with me
وَأَبْتَغِي الرِّفْدَ مِمَّنْ لا يُواسِينِي
I hope for generosity from one who does not come to my aid,
I hope for kindness from the merciless,
And seek bounty from one who does not share with me.
And support from those who offer no solace.
لَوْif كانَthere were فِيin الْفَضْلِmerit مِنْany خَيْرٍgood لِصاحِبِهِfor its possessor
لَوْ كانَ فِي الْفَضْلِ مِنْ خَيْرٍ لِصاحِبِهِ
مِنِّيfrom me فَحَتّامَthen how long لاdoes not يَنْفَكُّcease يَرْمِينِيshooting at me
مِنِّي فَحَتّامَ لا يَنْفَكُّ يَرْمِينِي
If there were any good in merit for its possessor,
If merit brought good fortune to its owner,
From me—how long, then, will it keep assailing me?
Then my merit would free me from adversity.
لَوْif كانَthere were فِيin الْفَضْلِmerit مِنْany خَيْرٍgood لِصاحِبِهِfor its possessor
لَوْ كانَ فِي الْفَضْلِ مِنْ خَيْرٍ لِصاحِبِهِ
لَكانَthen would have been فَضْلِيَmy merit عَنْfrom ذِيone possessing النَّقْصِdeficiency يُغْنِينِيmaking me independent
لَكانَ فَضْلِيَ عَنْ ذِي النَّقْصِ يُغْنِينِي
If there were any good in merit for its possessor,
If merit brought good fortune to its owner,
My merit would have spared me dependence on one lacking it.
My merit would enrich the destitute.
ياO هذِهِyou there (feminine) قَدْalready أَصابَhas attained الدَّهْرُTime حاجَتَهُits desire
يا هذِهِ قَدْ أَصابَ الدَّهْرُ حاجَتَهُ
مِنِّيfrom me فَحَتّامَthen how long لاdoes not يَنْفَكُّcease يَرْمِينِيshooting at me
مِنِّي فَحَتّامَ لا يَنْفَكُّ يَرْمِينِي
O you there, Time has already gained what it wanted
O fate! You have attained your desire for me;
From me—how long, then, will it keep assailing me?
Ceaseless blows rain down without respite.
إِنْif كانَit is يَجْهَدُstriving أَنْthat أَصْلىI burn in نَوائِبَهُits calamities
إِنْ كانَ يَجْهَدُ أَنْ أَصْلى نَوائِبَهُ
جَمْعاًall together فَواحِدَةٌthen a single one مِنْهُنَّof them تَكْفِينِيsuffices for me
جَمْعاً فَواحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ تَكْفِينِي
If it strives to make me burn in its calamities,
If you insist I pay for all your misfortunes,
All together—then a single one of them is enough for me.
One alone would suffice to crush me.
كَأَنَّهُas though it لَيْسَdoes not يَغْدُوgo forth مُرْسِلاًextending يَدَهُits hand
كَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ يَغْدُو مُرْسِلاً يَدَهُ
بِكُلِّwith every نافِذَةٍpiercing blow إِلاّexcept لِيُصْمِينِيto kill me outright
بِكُلِّ نافِذَةٍ إِلاّ لِيُصْمِينِي
It is as though it never goes forth, extending its hand,
It seems each dawn you stretch out your hand,
With every piercing blow, save to kill me outright.
To strike at me through every opening.
سَلَوْتُI ceased to pine لاnot مَلَلاًout of boredom عَمَّنْfor the one whom كَلِفْتُI was enamored بِهِof him
سَلَوْتُ لا مَلَلاً عَمَّنْ كَلِفْتُ بِهِ
وَمِثْلُand the like of ماwhat نالَtook its toll مِنِّيon me الدَّهْرُTime يُسْلِينِيmakes me forget
وَمِثْلُ ما نالَ مِنِّي الدَّهْرُ يُسْلِينِي
I have ceased to pine for the one I adored—not out of boredom;
I have never tired of those I was charged with,
And the like of what Time has done to me makes me forget.
And what fate has inflicted on me wears me down.
ماnot كُنْتُI was أَرْضىcontent with الْهَوىlove وَالْوَجْدُwhile longing يُنْحِلُنِيwasted me away
ما كُنْتُ أَرْضى الْهَوى وَالْوَجْدُ يُنْحِلُنِي
حَتّىuntil بُلِيتُI was afflicted فَصارَthen began الْهَمُّsorrow يُنْضِينِيto wear me out
حَتّى بُلِيتُ فَصارَ الْهَمُّ يُنْضِينِي
I was not content with love while longing wasted me away,
I did not favor passion till it melted me away,
Until I was afflicted, and sorrow began to wear me out.
And sorrow took its place to waste me.
مَنْwhoever كانَwas ذاone possessing أُسْوَةٍa consoling example فِيمَنْin someone who بِهِhas within him حَزَنٌsorrow
مَنْ كانَ ذا أُسْوَةٍ فِيمَنْ بِهِ حَزَنٌ
فَالْيَوْمَthen today بِيin me يَتَأَسّىfinds consolation كُلُّevery مَحْزُونِsorrowful person
فَالْيَوْمَ بِي يَتَأَسّى كُلُّ مَحْزُونِ
Whoever found solace in someone beset by sorrow—
Whoever modeled himself on the sorrowful,
Today every sorrowful soul finds solace in me.
Today, every sad soul models himself on me.
Sol 6.1