لماذاwhy أنتَyou فيin الدُنياthis world تخافُare afraid
لماذا أنتَ في الدُنيا تخافُ
وعندكَand you have منagainst حوادثِهاits calamities انتِصافُredress
وعندكَ من حوادثِها انتِصافُ
Why are you afraid in this world,
Why do you fear this world, when you have
When you have redress against its calamities?
The means of avenging its misfortunes?
لسانُكَyour tongue والسّنانُand the spearhead وماand whatever تَردّىfalls
لسانُكَ والسّنانُ وما تَردّى
إلىtoward الأعداءِthe enemies أسبابٌmeans لِطافُsubtle
إلى الأعداءِ أسبابٌ لِطافُ
Your tongue, the spearhead, and whatever falls
Your tongue and teeth did not descend
Toward your foes are subtle means.
Upon the enemies, soft weapons.
فإنْso if خانتْكَbetray you أبكارُmaidens القَوافيthe rhymes
فإنْ خانتْكَ أبكارُ القَوافي
فبردكَthen your blade لاdoes not يخونُكَbetray you والعِطافُand the sword
فبردكَ لا يخونُكَ والعِطافُ
If the maiden rhymes betray you,
If rhymes betray you in the first verse,
Then your blade will not betray you, nor the sword.
Your coolness will not fail you, or compromise.
إلىuntil كمhow long ذاthis الغرامُpassion بكلِّfor every فجٍّmountain pass
إلى كم ذا الغرامُ بكلِّ فجٍّ
وكمand how long هذاthis الترددُcoming and going والطَّوافُand wandering
وكم هذا الترددُ والطَّوافُ
How long this passion for every mountain pass,
How long will this passion last, with every roughness,
And how long this coming and going, this wandering,
And this hesitation and wandering?
وتجهيزُand dispatching المديحِpraise إلىto رجالٍmen
وتجهيزُ المديحِ إلى رجالٍ
لهمthey have هِمَمٌambitions وأجسامٌand bodies نِحافُlean
لهم هِمَمٌ وأجسامٌ نِحافُ
And dispatching praise to men
And preparing praise for men
Whose ambitions and bodies are lean?
Who have ambitions and slender bodies.
يقوتُهُمُnourishes them منfrom الزادِthe provisions المهيّاprepared
يقوتُهُمُ من الزادِ المهيّا
روائِحaromas شمهِsmelling it فهمُso they عِجافُare gaunt
روائِح شمهِ فهمُ عِجافُ
From the provisions prepared, they are nourished
Their sustenance, from the prepared supplies,
By the aromas they sniff—so they are gaunt.
Is the scent they smell, yet they are ungenerous.
وصارَand became الدّهرُTime بعدَafter فراغِthe completion of عزْميmy resolve
وصارَ الدّهرُ بعدَ فراغِ عزْمي
بمجهلةin a trackless wilderness يضِلُّgoes astray بِهاin it الثِقافُthe spear-straightener
بمجهلة يضِلُّ بِها الثِقافُ
And once my resolve had run its course, Time found himself
And time became, after my determination ebbed,
In a trackless wilderness where the spear-straightener goes astray.
Confused, misleading the cultivated.
إذاwhenever ماever (emphatic) شكّdoubts فيabout شيْءٍanything أتانيcomes to me
إذا ما شكّ في شيْءٍ أتاني
لأُفهِمَهso I may enlighten him فقدso indeed زالَhas vanished الخِلافُdisagreement
لأُفهِمَه فقد زالَ الخِلافُ
Whenever he doubts anything, he comes to me
When he doubted anything, he came to me
So I may enlighten him; then disagreement is gone.
To enlighten him, so difference disappeared.
ولستُand I am not بآمنٍat all safe منهfrom him نُبوّاًa rebuff
ولستُ بآمنٍ منه نُبوّاً
يَطولُgrows prolonged بهthrough it التّشاجرُquarreling والقِذافُand mutual pelting
يَطولُ به التّشاجرُ والقِذافُ
Yet I am not safe from a rebuff from him
I am not safe from him, with revelation
Through which quarrels and mutual pelting drag on.
Prolonging the quarreling and casting.
وخَوفُكَand your fear منof those whom أمنتَyou trusted نهىًwisdom وحزمٌand prudence
وخَوفُكَ من أمنتَ نهىً وحزمٌ
لأنّكَbecause you خائِفٌare fearful ممّنْof those whom تَخافُyou fear
لأنّكَ خائِفٌ ممّنْ تَخافُ
Fearing those you have trusted is wisdom and prudence,
And your fear of those you trusted is forbidden and unwise,
For you are fearful of those you fear.
For you fear those who make you afraid.
Sol 6.1