انظرlook وجوهfaces القومthe people غـbeguiled them (first fragment)
انظر وجوه القوم غـ
ـرَتهاbeguiled them (final fragment) بزينتهاwith its finery المدينهthe city
ـرَتها بزينتها المدينه
Look at the people's faces, beguiled
Behold the faces of the folk changed by the city’s adornment
by the city with its finery.
Poor simpleton who knows not the ways of time
مسكينةpitiable بلهاءfoolish لاnot
مسكينة بلهاء لا
تدريknows الزمانtime ولاnor فنونهits arts
تدري الزمان ولا فنونه
Poor and foolish, they do not
O you who estrange her when you moor your ship
know time or its arts.
The horizon troubled, the sky sorrowful
ياO منyou who يغرِّبهاsends her far away إذاwhen
يا من يغرِّبها إذا
أرستanchored لصاحبهاfor her owner السفينهthe ship
أرست لصاحبها السفينه
O you who send her far away when
Life is not good when madness takes a man
the ship has anchored for her owner:
And worldly gain overcomes him till he loses both world and faith
الأفقthe horizon مضطربtroubled الحواthe edges (first fragment)
الأفق مضطرب الحوا
شيthe edges (final fragment) والسماءand the sky بهاin it حزينهsorrowful
شي والسماء بها حزينه
the horizon is troubled at its edges,
Life is where there is love, where feeling is pure and serene
and the sky is sorrowful there.
لاnot تحسنis beautiful الدنياthe world إذاwhen
لا تحسن الدنيا إذا
ماemphasis after 'when' المرءa person جنwent mad بهاfor it جنونهhis madness
ما المرء جن بها جنونه
The world is not beautiful when
a man goes utterly mad for it,
وطغتand prevailed منافعهhis interests علَيـover
وطغت منافعه علَيـ
ـهhim وصرنand they became دنياهhis world ودينهand his religion
ـه وصرن دنياه ودينه
and his interests hold sway over
him and become his world and his religion.
العيشlife حيثwhere الحبlove حَيـwhere (first fragment)
العيش حيث الحب حَيـ
ـثُwhere (final fragment) العطفaffection صافpure والسكينهand tranquility
ـثُ العطف صاف والسكينه
Life is where love is, where
affection is pure and there is tranquility.
Partial English translation: 7 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1