قَدindeed عَضَّنيhas bitten me صَرفُvicissitudes النَوائِبcalamities
قَد عَضَّني صَرفُ النَوائِب
وَرَأَيتُand I saw آماليmy hopes كَواذِبfalse
وَرَأَيتُ آمالي كَواذِب
The vicissitudes of calamity have indeed bitten me.
The turns of fate have bitten me,
And I have seen my hopes prove false.
And I've seen my hopes as liars.
وَالمَرءُand man يَعشَقُadores لَذَّةَthe pleasure of الthe
وَالمَرءُ يَعشَقُ لَذَّةَ ال
دُنياworld فَتَعقُرُهُthen they hamstring him المَصائِبcalamities
دُنيا فَتَعقُرُهُ المَصائِب
And man adores the pleasure of the
Man loves the pleasures of life,
world, and calamities hamstring him.
Then calamities torment him.
وَإِذاand when تَفَوَّقَsips دَرَّهاher milk
وَإِذا تَفَوَّقَ دَرَّها
رَفَضَتهُshe casts him off حينَwhen يَلَذُّtakes delight شارِبa drinker
رَفَضَتهُ حينَ يَلَذُّ شارِب
And when he sips her milk,
When it exceeds its limits,
she casts him off just as the drinker savors it.
It spurns him as he savors a drink.
وَأَطَلتُand I prolonged تَجريبيmy testing لَهاof her
وَأَطَلتُ تَجريبي لَها
لَوif كُنتُI were أَطمَعُI hope بِالتَجارِبfrom experience
لَو كُنتُ أَطمَعُ بِالتَجارِب
And I would have tested her longer,
I have tested it at length,
had I hoped to gain anything from experience.
If only I hoped for trials.
وَأَلاحَand whitened شَعرَthe hair الرَأسِof the head دَهtime (first part)
وَأَلاحَ شَعرَ الرَأسِ دَه
رٌ(completes 'time') غادِرٌtreacherous جَمُّabounding in المَصائِبcalamities
رٌ غادِرٌ جَمُّ المَصائِب
And the hair on my head was whitened by
The hair of my head has turned white,
treacherous time, abounding in calamities.
Loaded with abundant calamities.
يَدعوcalls إِلىtoward الأَمَلِhope الفَتىthe young man
يَدعو إِلى الأَمَلِ الفَتى
وَالمَوتُand death أَقرَبُnearer مِنهُthan it جانِبat hand
وَالمَوتُ أَقرَبُ مِنهُ جانِب
It calls the young man toward hope,
It invites the youth to hope,
though death is nearer at hand than hope.
While death is nearer to him.
يَنبوholds aloof عَلىdespite طولِthe length of العِتاthe reproach (first part)
يَنبو عَلى طولِ العِتا
بِ(completes 'reproach') فَقَدso indeed مَلَلتُI have wearied وَماand not أُعاتِبI reproach
بِ فَقَد مَلَلتُ وَما أُعاتِب
It holds aloof despite prolonged
Due to prolonged despair,
reproach; I have wearied and reproach no more.
I'm tired, though I don't complain.
ماnot عاتِبيmy reproacher إِلّاexcept الحَسوthe envier (first part)
ما عاتِبي إِلّا الحَسو
دُ(completes 'envier') وَتِلكَand that مِنamong أَسنىthe loftiest المَناقِبvirtues
دُ وَتِلكَ مِن أَسنى المَناقِب
My only reproacher is the
My only complain is about envy,
envious man—and that is among the loftiest virtues.
And that's one of the finest traits.
وَإِذاand when مَلَكتَyou possess المَجدَglory لَمnot
وَإِذا مَلَكتَ المَجدَ لَم
تَنلِكreach you مَوَدّاتِthe affections of الأَقارِبrelatives
تَنلِك مَوَدّاتِ الأَقارِب
And when you possess glory, you will not
If you possess glory,
receive your kinsfolk's affections.
You won't gain your kin's affection.
وَالمَجدُand glory وَالحُسّادُand the envious مَقpaired (first part)
وَالمَجدُ وَالحُسّادُ مَق
رونانِ(completes 'paired') إِنif ذَهَبواthey depart فَذاهِبthen it departs
رونانِ إِن ذَهَبوا فَذاهِب
And glory and the envious are bound
Glory and enviers go together;
together: if they depart, it departs.
If they leave, they will be gone.
وَإِذاand if فَقَدتَyou lose الحاسِدينَthose who envy
وَإِذا فَقَدتَ الحاسِدينَ
فَقَدتَyou lose فيin الدُنياthe world الأَطايِبthe finest things
فَقَدتَ في الدُنيا الأَطايِب
And if you lose those who envy you,
When you lose the envious,
you lose the finest things in the world.
You lose life's delights.
فَإِذاso if أَطاعَكَobeys you طاهِرٌTahir
فَإِذا أَطاعَكَ طاهِرٌ
فَاِصبِرthen be patient عَلىwith تِلكَthose المَعايِبfaults
فَاِصبِر عَلى تِلكَ المَعايِب
So if Tahir obeys you,
So if the virtuous obey you,
then bear those faults patiently.
Endure those tribulations.
وَلَرُبَّand many a هاجِرَةٍscorching midday يَقِلdwindles (first part)
وَلَرُبَّ هاجِرَةٍ يَقِل
لُ(completes 'dwindles') لِحَرِّهاbecause of its heat صَبرُendurance الرَكائِبthe riding camels
لُ لِحَرِّها صَبرُ الرَكائِب
And many a scorching midday wears down
How often a migrant woman,
the riding camels' endurance with its heat.
Her camel's pace strains her.
كَلَّفتُهاI tasked them وَجاءَand came يَذmeasures (first part)
كَلَّفتُها وَجاءَ يَذ
رَعُ(completes 'measures') خَطوُهاtheir stride عَرضَthe breadth of السَباسِبthe open wastes
رَعُ خَطوُها عَرضَ السَباسِب
I set them to it, and on came
I tasked her, and she came hurrying,
their stride, measuring the breadth of the open wastes.
The necklaces jangling on her chest.
وَالشَمسُand the sun تَأكُلُdevours ظِلَّهاtheir shade
وَالشَمسُ تَأكُلُ ظِلَّها
أَكلَlike the devouring of اللَظىflame عيدانَthe sticks of حاطِبa woodcutter
أَكلَ اللَظى عيدانَ حاطِب
And the sun devours their shade
The sun eats up her shadow
as flame devours a woodcutter's sticks.
As flames devour dry kindling.
وَاليَومَand today يَجريruns بِالأَكاwith the great ones (first part)
وَاليَومَ يَجري بِالأَكا
بِرِ(completes 'great ones') جَمعِهاtheir whole company وَالفَجرُand dawn ذاهِبdeparting
بِرِ جَمعِها وَالفَجرُ ذاهِب
And today, with the great ones, runs
Today it flows with the caravan,
their whole company, while dawn departs.
While dawn is leaving.
كادَnearly السَحابُthe clouds يُطيرُهاsends them flying
كادَ السَحابُ يُطيرُها
لَولاwere it not for الأَزِمَّةُthe reins وَالحَقائِبand the saddlebags
لَولا الأَزِمَّةُ وَالحَقائِب
The clouds nearly sent them flying,
The clouds almost blew her away
were it not for the reins and saddlebags.
If not for the crisis and baggage.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though قِطَعُclumps of الرَغاthe dust (first part)
وَكَأَنَّما قِطَعُ الرَغا
مِ(completes 'dust') عَلىupon جَماجِمِهاtheir skulls العَصائِبheadbands
مِ عَلى جَماجِمِها العَصائِب
And it was as though clumps of
As if the camel litters
dust upon their skulls were headbands.
Were shackles on her heads.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَضلاعُهاtheir ribs
وَكَأَنَّما أَضلاعُها
أَقواسُbows of نَبعٍnab‘ wood أَوor مَشاجِبclothes-racks
أَقواسُ نَبعٍ أَو مَشاجِب
And it was as though their ribs
As if her ribs
were bows of nab‘ wood, or clothes-racks.
Were bows of a spring or acacia's arms.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَجفانُهاtheir eyelids
وَكَأَنَّما أَجفانُها
تَغضيdroop عَلىover قُلبٍwells نَواضِبrun dry
تَغضي عَلى قُلبٍ نَواضِب
And it was as though their eyelids
As if her eyelids
drooped over wells run dry.
Cast down on a wakeful heart.
حَتّىuntil رَأَيتُI saw اللَيلَthe night فيin الthe
حَتّى رَأَيتُ اللَيلَ في ال
آفاقِhorizons مُسوَدَّblackened الذَوائِبthe tresses
آفاقِ مُسوَدَّ الذَوائِب
Until I saw the night in the
Until I saw the night in the horizons
horizons, with blackened tresses.
Darkening with calamities.
وَكَأَنَّهُand it seemed لَمّاwhen تَبَدappeared (first part)
وَكَأَنَّهُ لَمّا تَبَد
دى(completes 'appeared') فيin المَشارِقِthe east خَطُّa line of شارِبa mustache
دى في المَشارِقِ خَطُّ شارِب
And when it appeared, it seemed
As if when the first light shone
like the line of a mustache in the east.
In the east, a drinker's streak remained.
وَالشَمسُand the sun يُنزَعُis drawn away نِصفُهاhalf of it
وَالشَمسُ يُنزَعُ نِصفُها
وَالغَربُand the west مَحمولُborne الجَوانِبthe flanks
وَالغَربُ مَحمولُ الجَوانِب
And half the sun was being drawn away,
Half the sun is removed,
and the west was borne by its flanks.
While the west is carried on its sides.
Sol 6.1