ياO والياًgovernor طالتْhas grown long ولايُتهُhis governorship
يا والياً طالتْ ولايُتهُ
ولكلِّand for every أَمرٍaffair ينتهيcomes to an end أَجَلُa term
ولكلِّ أَمرٍ ينتهي أَجَلُ
O governor whose tenure has grown long,
O governor, your rule has been long
and every affair has a term that ends.
And every matter has an end
لاdo not تحسَبنَّever suppose الشمسَthe sun طالعةًrisen
لا تحسَبنَّ الشمسَ طالعةً
فالشَّمْسُfor the sun بالأفياءِwith the shadows تَنْتَقِلُmoves
فالشَّمْسُ بالأفياءِ تَنْتَقِلُ
Do not suppose the sun will stay aloft,
Do not think the sun is rising
for the sun moves with the shadows.
For the sun moves to different horizons
ابْنِbuild الذيthat which قدalready جئتَyou have come تَهْدِمُهُyou demolish it
ابْنِ الذي قد جئتَ تَهْدِمُهُ
انْif اعوزتْhave proved lacking فيin منعكَrestraining you الحِيَلُstratagems
انْ اعوزتْ في منعكَ الحِيَلُ
Build what you have come to demolish,
Son of he whom you have come to destroy
if stratagems for restraining you have failed.
If you are unable in preventing him
فالعنكبوتُfor the spider ولاand none أَقلُّlowlier يُرىis seen
فالعنكبوتُ ولا أَقلُّ يُرى
فيin بيتهاits home معdespite نقصهِits imperfection العَمَلُhandiwork
في بيتها مع نقصهِ العَمَلُ
For even the spider—none is lowlier—shows
Even a spider, however small, can be seen
handiwork in its home, despite its flaws.
In its home with its imperfect web
أَقفرتُI became bereft منof أَهليmy kin وحَاربنيand assailed me
أَقفرتُ من أَهلي وحَاربني
منone who ليسthere is not ليfor me بقتالهto fight him قِبَلُstrength
من ليس لي بقتاله قِبَلُ
I have been bereft of my kin, and assailed
I am deserted by my people and attacked
by one I have no strength to fight.
By one I had no intention to fight
أُزْرِيI belittle رجالاًmen لستُI am not أَخلقهمI create them
أُزْرِي رجالاً لستُ أَخلقهم
والدهرُand time فيهin it الثُّكلُbereavement والحَبَلُand pregnancy
والدهرُ فيه الثُّكلُ والحَبَلُ
I belittle men whose creator I am not,
I befriended men I did not create
and time holds bereavement and pregnancy.
And time brought separation and pregnancy
وبَقيتُand I remained أُزجيI eke out العيشَlife بعدَهُمُafter them
وبَقيتُ أُزجي العيشَ بعدَهُمُ
وأسدُّand I mend وهياًa breach كلهُall of it جَلَلُgrievous
وأسدُّ وهياً كلهُ جَلَلُ
And I have remained, eking out life after them,
I continued living after them
and mend a breach grievous throughout,
Lonely and sad, all is agony
فيin منزلٍa dwelling مَنْwhoever مَرَّpasses يسألُنيasks me
في منزلٍ مَنْ مَرَّ يسألُني
عنهمabout them كماas يُسْتَخْبَرُis asked for news الطَّلَلُthe ruins
عنهم كما يُسْتَخْبَرُ الطَّلَلُ
in a dwelling where whoever passes asks me
In an abode where a passerby asks me
about them, as the ruins are asked for news.
About them as ruins are asked about
صَفِرَwas devoid الشتاءُwinter منof الدُّخانِsmoke بهِin it
صَفِرَ الشتاءُ من الدُّخانِ بهِ
وذَوائبُand tresses النِّيْرَانِthe fires تَشْتَعِلُblaze
وذَوائبُ النِّيْرَانِ تَشْتَعِلُ
Winter there was devoid of smoke,
Winter blew smoke into it
and the fires’ tresses blaze.
And the tails of fires blaze
Sol 6.1