وَلَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI went out at dawn عَلىon طِمِرswift steed (continued)
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى طِمِر
رٍcompletion of 'swift steed' مُشرِقِhigh-set الحَجَباتِthe hip-bones
رٍ مُشرِقِ الحَجَباتِ
And indeed I went out at dawn on a swift steed,
I wandered at dawn to a shining dune
high-set at the hip-bones.
Whose beauty of features was perfectly done
طِرفٌa noble horse صَنَعناهُwe trained it فَتَمَّso it was perfected
طِرفٌ صَنَعناهُ فَتَمَّ
بِأَكمَلِwith the finest الصَنَعاتِforms of training
بِأَكمَلِ الصَنَعاتِ
A noble horse we trained, and it was perfected
Its charm which is famed spoke well of its grace
through the finest training.
Afraid, shared riders avoid its embrace
نَطَقَتspoke عَلَيهِupon him كَرامَةٌnobility
نَطَقَت عَلَيهِ كَرامَةٌ
مَشهورَةُrenowned الحَسَناتِthe fine qualities
مَشهورَةُ الحَسَناتِ
Nobility spoke through him,
renowned for its virtues.
In character, kindness it did evince
وَيَظَلُّand he remains مُشتَرِكَsharing الضَميthe mind (continued)
وَيَظَلُّ مُشتَرِكَ الضَمي
رِcompletion of 'mind' مَخافَةَfor fear of العَثَراتِstumbles
رِ مَخافَةَ العَثَراتِ
And he remains of shared mind,
Like bounty endowed with no limits
for fear of stumbling.
It nurtured the rain in the burrows and dells
وَكَأَنَّand as though فيin أَخلاقِهِhis character
وَكَأَنَّ في أَخلاقِهِ
خُلُقاًa trait مِنَof الكَرَماتِnoble deeds
خُلُقاً مِنَ الكَرَماتِ
And it is as though his character
With thunder it called, and with plants it did dwell
contained a trait of noble deeds.
Its lands were made fertile with blessings galore
يَرعىhe grazes مَساقِطَfalling-places وابِلٍheavy rain
يَرعى مَساقِطَ وابِلٍ
بِالدَيرِby the monastery وَالمَحَلاتِand the settlements
بِالدَيرِ وَالمَحَلاتِ
He grazes where a downpour falls,
Till day spread before me its carpets and more
by the monastery and the settlements.
I was clothed in the dappled coats of gazelles
زَجَرَrebuked البِقاعَthe tracts of land بِرَعدِهِwith its thunder
زَجَرَ البِقاعَ بِرَعدِهِ
فَأَجَبنَهُso they answered it بِنَباتِwith vegetation
فَأَجَبنَهُ بِنَباتِ
It rebuked the lands with its thunder,
Nearly shucked by the force of my mounting ordeals
and they answered it with vegetation.
I ride and take comfort in one who does slay
وَرَعَتand grazed بُطونَthe hollows of بِلادِهِits land
وَرَعَت بُطونَ بِلادِهِ
لِقَحٌmilch she-camels مِنَof البَرَكاتِblessings
لِقَحٌ مِنَ البَرَكاتِ
And the hollows of its land were grazed
Debased am I by clouds colored in grey
by milch she-camels of blessings.
For nothing know I of what’s yet to unfold
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen فَرَشَspread out الضِياthe daylight (continued)
حَتّى إِذا فَرَشَ الضِيا
ءُcompletion of 'daylight' لِأَعيُنيbefore my eyes فَرَشاتِcarpets
ءُ لِأَعيُني فَرَشاتِ
Until, when daylight spread
My friend and the truth travel paths free of holds
carpets before my eyes,
Time jokes and neglects its own ending in death
أُلبِسنَthey were clothed سِمطاًa necklace مِنof لَآpearls (continued)
أُلبِسنَ سِمطاً مِن لَآ
ليcompletion of 'pearls' الوَحشِthe wild beasts مُنتَظِماتِarrayed in order
لي الوَحشِ مُنتَظِماتِ
they were clothed in a necklace of pearls—
The hole of my eye socket pushes me on
wild beasts, arrayed in order;
My virility's shunned its former oath
وَيَكَدنَand they almost يَخلَعنَshed الجُلوthe skins (continued)
وَيَكَدنَ يَخلَعنَ الجُلو
دَcompletion of 'skins' لِشِدَّةِbecause of the intensity of الرَوعاتِthe frights
دَ لِشِدَّةِ الرَوعاتِ
and they almost shed their skins
While grey hair just laughs towards youth that is gone
from the intensity of their frights.
The old scorn all movement and pleasure's sweet note
وَلَقَدand indeed أَروحُI go at evening وَأَغتَديand I set out at dawn
وَلَقَد أَروحُ وَأَغتَدي
نَشوانَdrunk ذاpossessed of فَتَكاتِdeadly assaults
نَشوانَ ذا فَتَكاتِ
And indeed I go at evening and set out at dawn,
Sustenance cannot fulfill wishes of hearts
drunk, a man of deadly assaults.
Time, as you can see, trips on rock after rock
وَأُهينُand I abuse بِالسُحُبِby trailing المُلاthe cloaks (continued)
وَأُهينُ بِالسُحُبِ المُلا
ءَcompletion of 'cloaks' البيضَthe white ones وَالحَبَراتِand the striped robes
ءَ البيضَ وَالحَبَراتِ
And I abuse the cloaks by trailing them—
How many friends left before I took stock
the white ones, and the striped robes,
I missed them and my soul heaved heavy sighs
إِذfor لَيسَthere is not ليfor me عِلمٌknowledge مِنَfrom الthe
إِذ لَيسَ لي عِلمٌ مِنَ ال
دُنياworld بِماof what هُوَit آتِcoming
دُنيا بِما هُوَ آتِ
for I have no knowledge from the
Once they made me laugh, now weep is all I've got
world of what is to come.
Resolve I endowed them with, staunch and wise
وَيَسيرُand travels لَحظيmy glance وَالصَديand the friend (continued)
وَيَسيرُ لَحظي وَالصَدي
قَcompletion of 'friend' وَلَيسَand is not ذاpossessed of بَعَداتِdistances
قَ وَلَيسَ ذا بَعَداتِ
And my glance travels with the friend,
Like a sword keenly knowing where to be brought
and does not range far.
Only the mighty make reason defiled
وَالدَهرُand Time غِرٌّguileless غافِلٌheedless
وَالدَهرُ غِرٌّ غافِلٌ
مِنfrom مَوتِهاits death لِحَياةِto life
مِن مَوتِها لِحَياةِ
And Time is guileless, heedless,
No people are mine, from your slumber be jolted
from its death to life.
I see the sure signs of a time that is riled
وَيَحُثُّنيand urges me on حَدَقُthe pupils of المَهاthe oryx
وَيَحُثُّني حَدَقُ المَها
وَلَقَدand indeed جَحَدنَthey disavowed عِداتيmy promises
وَلَقَد جَحَدنَ عِداتي
And the oryx eyes urge me on,
A base king now swills, by slaves he's exalted
and indeed they have disavowed my promises.
Don't sleep with lids heavy in rheum
وَالشَيبُand gray hair أَصبَحَhas become ضاحِكاًlaughing
وَالشَيبُ أَصبَحَ ضاحِكاً
مُلقىًcast إِلىtoward الفَتَياتِthe young women
مُلقىً إِلى الفَتَياتِ
And gray hair now laughs,
Ruin, when fallen on men, is contagious in bloom
cast before the young women.
Rouse the sharp vigilance prudent men know
وَالشَيخُand the old man فيin لَذّاتِهِhis pleasures
وَالشَيخُ في لَذّاتِهِ
مُستَنكِرُfinding strange الحَرَكاتِthe movements
مُستَنكِرُ الحَرَكاتِ
And the old man, amid his pleasures,
Get drunken in revels once danger lays low
finds his movements strange.
لاnot يَملَءُfills الرِزقُsustenance المُنىdesires
لا يَملَءُ الرِزقُ المُنى
فَالحَيُّso the living person ذوpossessed of حَسَراتِregrets
فَالحَيُّ ذو حَسَراتِ
Sustenance does not fulfill desires,
so the living bear regrets.
وَالدَهرُand Time فَهوَso it كَماas تَرىyou see
وَالدَهرُ فَهوَ كَما تَرى
قَدindeed لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيin العَثَراتِmishaps
قَد لَجَّ في العَثَراتِ
And Time is as you see:
it has persisted stubbornly in mishaps.
كَمhow many مِنof خَليلٍa friend فاتَنيpassed beyond me
كَم مِن خَليلٍ فاتَني
فَعَرَفتُso I knew مُرَّthe bitterness of وَفاتيmy death
فَعَرَفتُ مُرَّ وَفاتي
How many a friend I have lost,
and known the bitterness of my own death.
وَفَقَدتُهُand I lost him فَتَماسَكَتso it held firm
وَفَقَدتُهُ فَتَماسَكَت
نَفسيmy soul عَلىamid زَفَراتِdeep sighs
نَفسي عَلى زَفَراتِ
And I lost him; it held firm—
my soul, amid deep sighs.
كانَتthere had been بِهِthrough him ليfor me ضِحكَةٌa laugh
كانَت بِهِ لي ضِحكَةٌ
فَبَكَيتُهُso I wept for him بَكَياتِbouts of weeping
فَبَكَيتُهُ بَكَياتِ
He had been a source of laughter for me,
so I wept for him, again and again.
وَعَزيمَةٍand many a resolve أَنضَيتُهاI drew it forth
وَعَزيمَةٍ أَنضَيتُها
حَزماًwith prudence مِنَfrom العَزَماتِresolves
حَزماً مِنَ العَزَماتِ
And many a resolve I drew forth,
with prudence, from among resolves,
مِثلِlike الحُسامِthe keen sword بَصيرَةٍdiscerning
مِثلِ الحُسامِ بَصيرَةٍ
بِمَواقِعِof the points of الفُرُصاتِopportunities
بِمَواقِعِ الفُرُصاتِ
like a keen sword, discerning
where opportunities lie.
وَالحِلمُand forbearance يَذهَبُgoes باطِلاًto waste
وَالحِلمُ يَذهَبُ باطِلاً
إِلّاexcept لِذيfor one possessed of سَطَواتِacts of force
إِلّا لِذي سَطَواتِ
And forbearance goes to waste,
except for one with the power to strike.
ياO قَومِmy people بَلrather لاno قَومَpeople ليfor me
يا قَومِ بَل لا قَومَ لي
هُبّواrise مِنَfrom الرَقَداتِslumbers
هُبّوا مِنَ الرَقَداتِ
O my people—no, I have no people—
rise from your slumbers!
إِنّيindeed I أَرىsee رَيبَthe vicissitudes of الزَماTime (continued)
إِنّي أَرى رَيبَ الزَما
نِcompletion of 'Time' مُوَلِّياًturning away بِشَتاتِwith dispersal
نِ مُوَلِّياً بِشَتاتِ
Indeed I see the vicissitudes of Time
turning away amid dispersal.
ذُلٌّhumiliation عَلىupon مَلِكٍa king يُجَرgulps down (continued)
ذُلٌّ عَلى مَلِكٍ يُجَر
رِعُcompletion of 'gulps down' كَأسَهُhis cup بِقَذاةِwith a mote
رِعُ كَأسَهُ بِقَذاةِ
A king is abased who gulps down
his cup with a mote in it.
لاdo not تَرقُدواsleep وَجُفونُكُمwhile your scabbards
لا تَرقُدوا وَجُفونُكُم
مَشحومَةٌpacked بِحُماةِwith defenders
مَشحومَةٌ بِحُماةِ
Do not sleep while your scabbards
are packed with defenders.
وَالخَرُّand the fall بَعدَafter وُقوعِهِits occurrence
وَالخَرُّ بَعدَ وُقوعِهِ
فيamong الناسِthe people ذوpossessed of وَثَباتِleaps
في الناسِ ذو وَثَباتِ
And a fall, once it has occurred
among people, has further leaps.
هُبّواrise إِفاقَةَwith the awakening of حازِمٍa prudent man
هُبّوا إِفاقَةَ حازِمٍ
ثُمَّthen اِسكَرواget drunk سَكَراتِbouts of drunkenness
ثُمَّ اِسكَروا سَكَراتِ
Rouse yourselves with a prudent man's awakening,
then get drunk in bouts of drunkenness.
Partial English translation: 36 of 66 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1