حَللتI alighted بيوْميin my present day إذwhen رَحلتُI departed عنِfrom الأمْسِyesterday
حَللت بيوْمي إذ رَحلتُ عنِ الأمْسِ
وِسِرْتُand I journeyed ولمand did not أُعمِلْemploy جواديmy steed ولاnor عَنْسيmy sturdy she-camel
وِسِرْتُ ولم أُعمِلْ جوادي ولا عَنْسي
I alighted in my present day as I departed from yesterday,
The day I departed was brightened
And I journeyed, employing neither my steed nor my sturdy she-camel.
As I journeyed on, not spurring my steed or companion.
مراحلُstages دنْياناour world مراحِلنُاour stages الَّتيwhich
مراحلُ دنْيانا مراحِلنُا الَّتي
ترَاَناyou see us عليهاon them نقطَعُwe traverse العَيشَlife بِالخمسِthrough the five senses
ترَاَنا عليها نقطَعُ العَيشَ بِالخمسِ
The stages of our world are our stages, those
Our lives are but stages we traverse,
On which you see us traverse life through the five senses.
Each portioned out in bits from the whole.
ونَحنُand we بِدارٍin an abode يَعْقُبُfollows الخوفُfear أَمنَهاits safety
ونَحنُ بِدارٍ يَعْقُبُ الخوفُ أَمنَها
وتذهبُand departs فيهاin it وحشةُloneliness الأمْنِsafety بالأُنْسِwith companionship
وتذهبُ فيها وحشةُ الأمْنِ بالأُنْسِ
And we dwell in an abode whose safety is followed by fear,
And we dwell in a home where peace follows fear
And there, the loneliness of safety sweeps companionship away.
And where the coziness of company chases away the pangs of loneliness.
ليالٍnights وأيامٌand days بساعاتهاwith their hours سَعَتْstrove
ليالٍ وأيامٌ بساعاتها سَعَتْ
لتفريقِهاfor them to separate ماwhat بينbetween جِسْمِكَyour body والنّفْسِand the soul
لتفريقِها ما بين جِسْمِكَ والنّفْسِ
Nights and days, with their hours, have striven
Nights and days with hours that seemed to crawl
To separate your body from the soul.
Separating your spirit, mind and flesh.
وإنّيand indeed I وإنْand even if أصبحتُI reached morning منهاfrom them مسُلَّماًunharmed
وإنّي وإنْ أصبحتُ منها مسُلَّماً
لأكْثرُI indeed often repeat قوْليmy saying ليتَwould that شعريَmy knowledge هلwhether أُمسيI reach evening
لأكْثرُ قوْلي ليتَ شعريَ هل أُمسي
And I, though I reach morning unscathed by them,
And though I rose up each morn resigned
Often say, 'Would that I knew: shall I reach evening?'
My refrain remained, "Would that eve might find..."
ومنand whoever حلّhas arrived فيin سبعينseventy عاماًyears كأنَّهُas if he were
ومن حلّ في سبعين عاماً كأنَّهُ
عِلاجُtreatment علِيلٍan invalid فيamid مُواصَلَةِcontinuance النُّكسِrelapses
عِلاجُ علِيلٍ في مُواصَلَةِ النُّكسِ
And whoever has reached seventy years is like
One who has lived seventy years, it's as if
An invalid's treatment amid continual relapses.
He were doctoring the incurable in their steady decline.
فَماso ... not فَهمُunderstanding الأَشياءthings بالدرْسِthrough study وَحْدَهُby itself
فَما فَهمُ الأَشياء بالدرْسِ وَحْدَهُ
ولكنهbut it بدءُthe beginning التفهّمcomprehension والدّرْسِand study
ولكنه بدءُ التفهّم والدّرْسِ
So understanding things comes not through study alone;
So wisdom is not gained by study alone,
Rather, it is the beginning of comprehension and study.
Rather it starts with learning then knowing.
وكمand how many حِكَمٍmaxims فيin خطِّthe writing of قوْمٍa people كثيرةٍnumerous
وكم حِكَمٍ في خطِّ قوْمٍ كثيرةٍ
وأفْضَلُand better منهاthan them لَمْعَهٌa gleam منfrom سَناradiance الحسِّsensory perception
وأفْضَلُ منها لَمْعَهٌ من سَنا الحسِّ
And how many maxims abound in people's writing!
And many insights in people's lines there are,
Yet better than these is a gleam from perception's radiance.
But the best of them are motes from the suns of perception.
Sol 6.1