لمnot يَبْقَremains عِندِيَwith me ماanything that يُباعُis sold فَيُشترَىand then is bought
لم يَبْقَ عِندِيَ ما يُباعُ فَيُشترَى
إلاexcept حَصيرٌa mat قَدْalready تَساوىhas become equal بالثّرَىto the dust
إلا حَصيرٌ قَدْ تَساوى بالثّرَى
I have nothing left that can be sold and bought,
I have nothing left to sell or buy
except a mat now level with the dust,
Except a mat now equal to the ground
وَبَقيّةُand the remnant of النّطعِthe leather mat الذيwhich وَلِعَتْbecame fixated بهِon it
وَبَقيّةُ النّطعِ الذي وَلِعَتْ بهِ
أيديthe hands of البِلىdecay حتىuntil تَمَزَّقَit tore وانبَرىand wore away
أيدي البِلى حتى تَمَزَّقَ وانبَرى
and the remnant of a leather mat, to which
And tatters that eager hands destroyed
the hands of decay clung until it tore and wore away.
Till naught remained but shreds unstrung
نَطْعٌa leather mat تُرٍيقُspills دَميmy blood عَلَيهِon it بَقّةٌa bedbug
نَطْعٌ تُرٍيقُ دَمي عَلَيهِ بَقّةٌ
حتّىuntil تَراهُyou see it وهوwhile it is أسودُblack أحمراred
حتّى تَراهُ وهو أسودُ أحمرا
A leather mat on which a bedbug spills my blood,
Tatters that soak my blood but retain
until you see it, though black, turned red.
A remnant making them seem red and black
فيin منزلٍa dwelling كالقَبرِlike a grave كَمْhow often قَدْindeed شاهَدَتْbeheld
في منزلٍ كالقَبرِ كَمْ قَدْ شاهَدَتْ
فيهin it نَكيراًNakir مُقلتايmy two eyes وَمُنكراand Munkar
فيه نَكيراً مُقلتاي وَمُنكرا
In a dwelling like a grave—how often
In a home like a tomb, how it witnessed
my two eyes have seen Nakir and Munkar there!
Nakir and Munkar reproaching me
لوif لمnot يَكُنْit were قبراًa grave لَماwould not أمسيتُI became نسِياًa thing forgotten
لو لم يَكُنْ قبراً لَما أمسيتُ نسِياً
فيهِin it حتىuntil أنّنيthat I لمwas not أذكراremembered
فيهِ حتى أنّني لم أذكرا
Were it not a grave, I would not have become a thing forgotten
Had it not been a tomb, I'd forget myself
within it, so utterly that I am not remembered.
Lingering there till I lost all recollection
والقبرُand the grave أهناmore pleasant مَسكناًas a dwelling إذْsince لمnot أكنْI would be
والقبرُ أهنا مَسكناً إذْ لم أكنْ
مَعْdespite ضيقِِthe crampedness of سُكناهُliving in it أُطالبُI am asked بالكرىfor rent
مَعْ ضيقِِ سُكناهُ أُطالبُ بالكرى
And the grave is a pleasanter dwelling, since I would not,
Yet a tomb's a fine home when you lack
despite its cramped quarters, be charged rent.
A place, however cramped, to lay your head
لاno فَرقَdifference بينَbetween ذويthose in القبورِthe graves وبينَand between مَنone who
لا فَرقَ بينَ ذوي القبورِ وبينَ مَن
لاno رِزقَlivelihood يُرزَقُهhe is granted it سوىexcept العيشlife الخراshitty
لا رِزقَ يُرزَقُه سوى العيش الخرا
There is no difference between those in graves and one
No difference 'twixt tomb-bound souls and those
who is given no livelihood but a shitty life.
Who live on handouts, never earned bread
أفٍّfie! لِعُمْرٍon a life صارَhas come to be فيin رَيَعانهِits prime
أفٍّ لِعُمْرٍ صارَ في رَيَعانهِ
مثليone like me يَوَدُّwishes بأنْto يَموتَdie فَيُقْبراand then be buried
مثلي يَوَدُّ بأنْ يَموتَ فَيُقْبرا
Fie on a life in whose prime
Alas for a life that in its prime
one like me has come to wish to die and be buried!
Sees me wish only to die and be interred!
ولَرُبَّand many a قائلةٍwoman saying أماis there not منany رحلةٍjourney
ولَرُبَّ قائلةٍ أما من رحلةٍ
تُمسيyou become وَقَدْthough already أعَسرتyou have become poor منهاthrough it مُوسِراwealthy
تُمسي وَقَدْ أعَسرت منها مُوسِرا
And many a woman has said: “Is there no journey
And many a woman says, "No journey but
through which you might grow rich, though now impoverished?
Has left me bankrupt after making me rich"
سِرtravel! فالهِلالُfor the crescent moon كمالُهُits fullness فيin سَيْرِهِits movement
سِر فالهِلالُ كمالُهُ في سَيْرِهِ
والماءُand water أَطيَبُsweetest ماthat يكونُit can be إذاwhen جرىit flows
والماءُ أَطيَبُ ما يكونُ إذا جرى
Travel, for the crescent moon reaches fullness as it moves,
Move on, for the crescent's beauty is in motion
and water is sweetest when it flows.
And water's sweetest flowing, not still
كمhow many a مُدْبرٍluckless man لمّاwhen تحرَّكَhe moved عَدَّهُreckoned him
كم مُدْبرٍ لمّا تحرَّكَ عَدَّهُ
بعَدafter السُّكونِstillness ذووthose endowed with العقولِreason مُدبِّراa prudent manager
بعَد السُّكونِ ذوو العقولِ مُدبِّرا
How many a luckless man, once he stirred, was deemed,
How often the wise thought stalled men fools
after idleness, a prudent manager by men of sense!”
Till movement made them seem clever instead
فأجبتُهاso I answered her سَيريmy travelling وَمَكثيand my staying واحدٌthe same
فأجبتُها سَيري وَمَكثي واحدٌ
النّحسُill luck نَحسٌill luck مُنجِداًgoing to the uplands وَمُغَوِّراand going to the lowlands
النّحسُ نَحسٌ مُنجِداً وَمُغَوِّرا
So I answered her: “My travelling and my staying are alike;
I told her my stays and journeys are one:
ill luck is ill luck, whether I head to uplands or lowlands.
Misfortune misfortunes wherever you turn
إنَّindeed المدائِنَthe cities وَهيَthough they are أوسعُthe most spacious بقعةplace
إنَّ المدائِنَ وَهيَ أوسعُ بقعة
ضاقَتْhave grown cramped عَلَيَّfor me فكيفso how أرحَلُcan I depart للقرىto the villages
ضاقَتْ عَلَيَّ فكيف أرحَلُ للقرى
Indeed, the cities, though the most spacious places,
The greatest cities felt too small for me
have grown too cramped for me—how then can I move to villages?
So how roam to some narrow village?
تاللهِby God! قَدindeed أقوىhas become desolate السّماحُgenerosity وأصبَحَتْand have become
تاللهِ قَد أقوى السّماحُ وأصبَحَتْ
منهُof it عِراصُthe courtyards of البِرِّbenevolence برَّاًopen country مُقْفِراdesolate
منهُ عِراصُ البِرِّ برَّاً مُقْفِرا
By God, generosity lies deserted, and
By God, generosity's grown so rare
its courtyards of kindness have become a barren wilderness.
The generous are arid wastes, empty and bare
وَلَقَدand indeed سألتُI asked عنِabout الكرامِthe generous فلمbut did not أجدfind
وَلَقَد سألتُ عنِ الكرامِ فلم أجد
فيamong الناسthe people عنabout تلكَthose الكرامِgenerous people مُخَبِّراsomeone to tell
في الناس عن تلكَ الكرامِ مُخَبِّرا
And I have asked about the generous, but could find
I asked after nobles and found none left
no one among the people to tell me of those generous souls,
To tell of those nobles, none anywhere
حتّىuntil كنَّas though (uncertain reading) حديثَthe account of كُلevery أخيa man of نَدَىgenerosity
حتّى كنَّ حديثَ كُل أخي نَدَى
عَنfrom كُلِّevery مَنْone who يَرويnarrates حديثاًa tale مفتَرىfabricated
عَن كُلِّ مَنْ يَروي حديثاً مفتَرى
until every tale of a generous man seemed
My friends shun all tales of miracles
a fabrication, whoever might recount it.
Spread by dissemblers far and wide
إنْif كانَwas حقّاًtrue ماwhat يُقالُis said فإنّهمthen indeed they
إنْ كانَ حقّاً ما يُقالُ فإنّهم
كانواthey once existed وماand not ولّىturned الزَّمانُtime القهقرىbackward
كانوا وما ولّى الزَّمانُ القهقرى
If what is said is true, then they
If what they say be true, those men
existed once—and time has not turned back.
Are gone, time wheeling back past them
لمnot يبقَremains عندَهُمwith them حَديثٌtalk طيِّبٌpleasant
لم يبقَ عندَهُم حَديثٌ طيِّبٌ
للطّارِقينَfor night-time guests ولاnor مُناخٌa campsite فيin الذُّرىthe heights
للطّارِقينَ ولا مُناخٌ في الذُّرى
No gracious talk remains with them
They left no tales to entrance late guests
for night-time guests, nor a campsite on the heights.
No lodging for them on the face of earth
واليومَand today أبناءُthe sons of الزَّمانِthe age أشَحُّهمthe stingiest of them
واليومَ أبناءُ الزَّمانِ أشَحُّهم
يدعىis called المُدَبِّرَthe prudent manager والسّخِيُّand the generous man مُبَذِّراa spendthrift
يدعى المُدَبِّرَ والسّخِيُّ مُبَذِّرا
And today, among the sons of the age, the stingiest
Today's men call the good man a fool
is called a prudent manager, and the generous a spendthrift.
The spendthrift called farsighted and wise
منْfrom كُلِّevery مَنone who قدindeed ساءَis ugly خَلقاًin bodily form مثلماjust as
منْ كُلِّ مَن قد ساءَ خَلقاً مثلما
قدindeed ساءَis vile خُلقاًin character فيin النُّهىreason وَتَصّوراand perception
قد ساءَ خُلقاً في النُّهى وَتَصّورا
Every one of them is ugly in outward form, just as
Whoever's ill-natured is prized the same
he is vile in character, in reason and perception.
As the immoral in deed and thought
قَرَنَcoupled الفضيّلةَvirtue بالرَّذيلةِwith vice جاهلاًignorantly
قَرَنَ الفضيّلةَ بالرَّذيلةِ جاهلاً
وكفاهُand it suffices him جَهلاًas ignorance أنّهthat he لَنwill not يَشْعُراrealize
وكفاهُ جَهلاً أنّه لَن يَشْعُرا
He ignorantly coupled virtue with vice,
In his ignorance equating vice and virtue
and it is ignorance enough that he will never realize it.
Never imagining they might differ, not knowing the difference
وَمِنَand part of المصيبةِthe calamity أَنَّthat رِزقيَmy livelihood فيهمamong them
وَمِنَ المصيبةِ أَنَّ رِزقيَ فيهم
نَزْرscant وَرُبّتماand perhaps غداًtomorrow متعذِّراunobtainable
نَزْر وَرُبّتما غداً متعذِّرا
And one calamity is that my livelihood among them
Our calamity is their sustenance of us
is scant, and perhaps tomorrow unobtainable.
Is negligible, uncertain on the morrow
فَلَئِنْso if ذَمَمْتُI censured ذَمَمْتُI censured مَنone who لاdoes not يَرْعَويmend his ways
فَلَئِنْ ذَمَمْتُ ذَمَمْتُ مَن لا يَرْعَوي
ولئنand if شَكَرتُI thanked شكرتُI thanked منone who لمhas not يشكراgiven thanks
ولئن شَكَرتُ شكرتُ من لم يشكرا
So if I censure, I censure one who will not mend;
If I blame, I blame those who scorn me
and if I give thanks, I thank one who has shown no gratitude.
If thank, thank those who never gave thanks
فلأصبِرَنَّso I will surely endure علىwith الزَّمانِthe times وإنّنيand indeed I
فلأصبِرَنَّ على الزَّمانِ وإنّني
لأخوsurely a brother of الشّقاءِmisery صبرتُI endured أوor لنْwill not أصبِراI endure
لأخو الشّقاءِ صبرتُ أو لنْ أصبِرا
So I shall surely endure the times; indeed, I
I'll be patient with time, though it pains me
am misery's brother, whether I endure or not.”
I, the bosom friend of misery, patient or not
Sol 6.1