فللهِso to God belongs نفيexile إنindeed فيin لعبرةًsurely a lesson
فللهِ نفي إن في لعبرةً
وللدهرِand to time belongs نقضٌunraveling للقوىof the strands بعدafter إبرامِtight twisting
وللدهرِ نقضٌ للقوى بعد إبرامِ
To God belongs exile; surely in [it] lies a lesson. [Wording unclear.]
For Allah is His negation if in remembrance there be
And time unravels strands after they have been tightly twisted.
And for time is its undoing of strength after covenant
غدوتُI was in the morning علىover الدنياthe world مليكاًa king مسلطاًinvested with power
غدوتُ على الدنيا مليكاً مسلطاً
ورحتُand by evening I was وماand not أحويI possess بهاin it قبسَan ember إبهامِa thumb
ورحتُ وما أحوي بها قبسَ إبهامِ
At dawn I was a king, wielding power over the world;
I rose over the world a king with might
By evening I possessed not even a thumb-sized ember in it.
And I went not containing in it gleam of thumb
وهلand is there ليلةٌa night فيin الدهرِtime إلاexcept أرىI see بهاduring it
وهل ليلةٌ في الدهرِ إلا أرى بها
قدalready اثبتَّyou steadied أقداماًfeet وزلand made slip بأقدامِwith feet
قد اثبتَّ أقداماً وزل بأقدامِ
And is there any night in all time when I do not see
Is there a night in time but I saw therein
That you have steadied some feet and made others slip?
It had rendered feet firm and slipped with feet
كذاكthus رأيناwe have seen الدهرَtime يقدمُbrings forward صرفهits shifting fortunes
كذاك رأينا الدهرَ يقدمُ صرفه
علىupon كلevery نفسٍsoul بينbetween بؤسٍmisery وإنعامand bounty
على كل نفسٍ بين بؤسٍ وإنعام
Thus we have seen time bring its shifting fortunes
Thus we saw time advance its turns
Upon every soul, between misery and bounty.
Upon every soul between misery and bestowal
فيرفعُso it raises أقواماًgroups of people وكانواand they were أذلةًlowly
فيرفعُ أقواماً وكانوا أذلةً
ويهويand plunges منfrom among الصيدthe proud الكرامthe noble بأقوامِwith groups of people
ويهوي من الصيد الكرام بأقوامِ
So it raises people who once were lowly,
It raises peoples though they were lowliest
And casts down people from among the proud and noble.
And causes the noble preys to fall with peoples
فيسقيهمso it gives them drink شربينtwo draughts سخناًhot وبارداًand cold
فيسقيهم شربين سخناً وبارداً
بكأسينwith two cups شتىdifferent منof هوانٍhumiliation وإكرامِand honor
بكأسين شتى من هوانٍ وإكرامِ
So it gives them two draughts, one hot and one cold,
It gives them two drafts hot and cold
With two different cups, of humiliation and honor.
With two unlike cups of abasement and honor
وكائنand how many ترىyou see منof معدمٍa destitute person بعدafter ثروةٍwealth
وكائن ترى من معدمٍ بعد ثروةٍ
وآخرَand another يؤتىis given ثروةًwealth بعدafter إعدامِdestitution
وآخرَ يؤتى ثروةً بعد إعدامِ
And how many a pauper you see who once had wealth,
And you see one from destitute after wealth
And another granted wealth after destitution.
And another given wealth after annihilation
Sol 6.1