الشعرpoetry كالفارسlike the knight المغوارdauntless ذوpossessing جرةmight
الشعر كالفارس المغوار ذو جرة
ويومهand its day فيin قديمancient العهدtimes مشهودrenowned
ويومه في قديم العهد مشهود
Poetry, like a daring knight, possesses might;
Poetry is like a gallant knight of old
And its day in ages past is renowned.
Whose day in the ancient times bore witness
واللفظand wording غمدa sheath لمعناهfor its meaning ومنand among عجبwonders
واللفظ غمد لمعناه ومن عجب
انthat يقطعcuts النصلthe blade منهof it وهوwhile it is مغمودsheathed
ان يقطع النصل منه وهو مغمود
And wording is a sheath for its meaning—how strange
And words are a scabbard for their meaning—how strange
That its blade should cut while still sheathed!
That the blade should cut though sheathed inside it
والشعرand poetry فيin لفظهits wording كالماءlike water مجتمعاًgathered together
والشعر في لفظه كالماء مجتمعاً
انif كانis فيto السمعthe ear عذباsweet فهوthen it is مورودsought for drinking
ان كان في السمع عذبا فهو مورود
And poetry in its wording is like water gathered together:
And poetry in its words is like water held back
If sweet to the ear, people come to drink of it.
Sweet to hear, it pours forth when released
والشعرand poetry يكبرgrows great اماif كانis مبتكراoriginal
والشعر يكبر اما كان مبتكرا
والشعرand poetry لاnot ينبغيis fitting فيin الشعرpoetry تقليدimitation
والشعر لا ينبغي في الشعر تقليد
And poetry gains stature when it is original;
And poetry grows the more original it is
And poetry—imitation has no place in poetry.
Poetry should not be mere imitation
والشعرand poetry يهتفcalls out دهراًfor ages بعدafter قائلهits speaker
والشعر يهتف دهراً بعد قائله
والشعرand poetry للشاعرfor the poet الخنذيذmasterful تخليدimmortalization
والشعر للشاعر الخنذيذ تخليد
And poetry calls out for ages after the one who uttered it;
And poetry cries out for ages after its sayer
And poetry immortalizes the master poet.
Poetry gives the refined soul immortality
وشاعرand the poet الحبof love ماnot انat all (emphasis) فيهin him منany ثقلheaviness
وشاعر الحب ما ان فيه من ثقل
فطالماfor often حملhas borne الصيداحthe singing bird املودa supple bough
فطالما حمل الصيداح املود
And the poet of love has no heaviness in him;
And the poet of love, with his heavy burdens
For often a supple bough has borne a singing bird.
How long has he borne the litters of affection!
ياO روضةgarden الشعرof poetry ماليI have no عنكaway from you منany حولmeans of turning
يا روضة الشعر مالي عنك من حول
ماas long as دامthere remains فيin ايككyour grove الفينانluxuriant غريدa songbird
ما دام في ايكك الفينان غريد
O garden of poetry, I cannot turn away from you,
O meadow of poetry, I can turn nowhere from you
As long as a songbird remains in your luxuriant grove.
As long as your vines and trees sing within you
وقدand sometimes اثوبI return الىto عقليmy reason فينبئنيand it tells me
وقد اثوب الى عقلي فينبئني
انthat القريضverse خيالfancy فيهin it تبعيدfar-fetchedness
ان القريض خيال فيه تبعيد
And sometimes I return to reason, and it tells me
And regain my reason to tell me
That verse is fancy, with far-fetched flights.
That poetry is but a fantasy containing exile
قدindeed لمتI blamed دهريmy time علىfor ماwhat جاءcame منof رهقaffliction
قد لمت دهري على ما جاء من رهق
وقلتand I said لمdid not ينجescape منfrom عدواكyour contagion موجودany being
وقلت لم ينج من عدواك موجود
I have blamed Time for the affliction it brought,
I have censured my lifetime for the exhaustion it brought
And said, "No being has escaped your contagion.
And said, “No existent is safe from your harm.”
الموتdeath امضىthe keenest سلاحweapon فيin يديكyour two hands وكمand how many
الموت امضى سلاح في يديك وكم
بهby it تجندلwas felled صنديدa champion وصنديدand another champion
به تجندل صنديد وصنديد
Death is the keenest weapon in your hands; how many
Death is the sharpest weapon in your hand, and how many
Champions, one after another, have been felled by it!"
Breastplates and coats of mail has it pierced!
فقالso it said ليto me لاdo not تلمنيblame me قبلbefore معرفتيknowing me
فقال لي لا تلمني قبل معرفتي
فاننيfor indeed I بنواميسby laws لمصفودindeed shackled
فانني بنواميس لمصفود
It said to me, "Do not blame me before you know me,
So it said to me, “Do not blame me without knowing me,
For I am indeed shackled by laws.
For I operate by immutable laws.
نصيبيmy lot العجزinability عنto نفعbenefit وعنand to ضررharm
نصيبي العجز عن نفع وعن ضرر
فانماfor only فيin يديthe two hands of غيريsomeone other than me المقاليدthe keys
فانما في يدي غيري المقاليد
My lot is powerlessness to help or harm;
My allotment is inability to help or harm,
For the keys are only in another's hands."
For the keys are held by Another, not me.”
لمdid not يكذبlie الدهرTime فيماin what قالit said معتذراin self-defense
لم يكذب الدهر فيما قال معتذرا
حتىso that يسفههmight show it foolish دحضrefutation وتفنيدand rebuttal
حتى يسفهه دحض وتفنيد
Time did not lie in what it said in self-defense;
Fate did not lie defending itself from blame
No refutation or rebuttal could show it foolish.
Until some fool should refute and dispraise it.
لاdo not تجزعنّbe distraught اذاwhen ماever (emphasis) فتنةa calamity حدثتoccurs
لا تجزعنّ اذا ما فتنة حدثت
ماnot انتyou وحدكyou alone بالاضرارfor harm مقصودtargeted
ما انت وحدك بالاضرار مقصود
Do not despair when a calamity occurs;
Do not panic if a crisis comes about;
You are not alone in being marked for harm.
You alone are not the intended target.
تأبىrefuses الطبيعةnature الاanything but انthat تطاوعهاyou obey it
تأبى الطبيعة الا ان تطاوعها
وانتyet you تؤثرprefer ماwhat تبغىdemand التقاليدtraditions
وانت تؤثر ما تبغى التقاليد
Nature accepts nothing but your obedience,
Nature refuses but to bend to her will
Yet you prefer what traditions demand.
While you prefer whatever traditions dictate.
فاخترso choose لرأسكfor your head جلموداa boulder لتضربهso you may strike it
فاختر لرأسك جلمودا لتضربه
ولاand not تقلّare scarce علىupon الارضthe earth الجلاميدboulders
ولا تقلّ على الارض الجلاميد
Then choose a boulder for your head to strike,
So choose for your head a block to strike it
And boulders are not scarce upon the earth.
And do not say the dead form words!
ذممتyou disparaged للناسto people دنياهمtheir worldly life تزهدهمmaking them renounce it
ذممت للناس دنياهم تزهدهم
وانتyet you انif ذكرis mentioned اسمthe name الموتof death رعديدa trembling coward
وانت ان ذكر اسم الموت رعديد
You disparaged people's worldly life to make them renounce it,
You blamed people their worldly lives, to make them ascetics,
Yet when death is named, you are a trembling coward.
Yet you are terrified when Death’s name is uttered.
تخشىyou fear الردىdeath واجفاtrembling فيin كلevery نازلةcalamity
تخشى الردى واجفا في كل نازلة
وانتthough you بالجنةwith Paradise الغناءluxuriant موعودpromised
وانت بالجنة الغناء موعود
You fear death, quaking at every calamity,
You dread havoc, uneasy with each new event,
Though you are promised luxuriant Paradise.
And you are promised Heaven’s vines and singing maidens.
تصدقyou believe القولthe account ترويهrelate it مقلدةimitators
تصدق القول ترويه مقلدة
وانand even if وهتhave weakened منهof it فيin النقلtransmission الاسانيدthe chains of authority
وان وهت منه في النقل الاسانيد
You believe the account that imitators relate,
You quote words, relate them, following pedantically,
Even when its chains of transmission are weak.
Yet when asked their proofs, no chain of authority.
قلsay للذيto the one who ذهبتhave passed ايامthe days عزتهhis glory
قل للذي ذهبت ايام عزته
لاdo not تأسgrieve فالدهرfor Time تنزيلa casting down وتصعيدand a raising up
لا تأس فالدهر تنزيل وتصعيد
Tell him whose days of glory have passed:
Say to him whose days of glory have departed:
"Do not grieve: Time casts down and raises up."
“Do not despair; Fate brings decline and recovery.”
الناسpeople يحيونlive بالآمالby hopes تنعشهمrevive them
الناس يحيون بالآمال تنعشهم
وانتwhile you منfrom دونهمapart from them فيin اليأسdespair موؤدburied alive
وانت من دونهم في اليأس موؤد
People live by hopes that revive them,
People live on hopes that revive them
While you, unlike them, are buried alive in despair.
While you in despair are steeped and saturated.
لاnot يسبقoutstrips الراكبthe one riding اليعفورthe donkey ينخسهgoading it
لا يسبق الراكب اليعفور ينخسه
منthose who تحتهمbeneath them تتبارىrace one another الضمرthe lean steeds القودlong-necked
من تحتهم تتبارى الضمر القود
The rider on a donkey, goading it, cannot outstrip
No rider overtakes the startled deer he startles
Those beneath whom lean, long-necked steeds race.
From underneath him; their innards are the kindling flames.
ولاnor حجارتناour stones تحكىmatch قنابلهمtheir bombs
ولا حجارتنا تحكى قنابلهم
كلاّcertainly not ولاnor عندناdo we have علمknowledge وتمهيدand preparation
كلاّ ولا عندنا علم وتمهيد
Nor do our stones match their bombs.
Our rocks do not tell of their cannon fire
Certainly not; nor have we knowledge or preparation.
Either! Nor do we have the knowledge or resources.
ماhow اسبقfar ahead الجيلthe generation شأواًin attainment فيin حضارتهits civilization
ما اسبق الجيل شأواً في حضارته
لوif لمdid not تثبطهhold it back للجهلthrough ignorance التقاليدtraditions
لو لم تثبطه للجهل التقاليد
How far ahead this generation would be in civilization,
No generation surpasses its own civilization
Had traditions not held it back through ignorance!
If the yoke of ignorance binds it with tradition.
لقدindeed تمنيتI wished انthat الموتdeath يمهلنيwould grant me time
لقد تمنيت ان الموت يمهلني
اوor اننيthat I بعدafter الفa thousand years منهfrom it مولودborn
او انني بعد الف منه مولود
I have indeed wished that death would grant me time,
I wished that Death might spare me
Or that I had been born a thousand years later.
Or I might be born long after it.
انindeed الوجودexistence الذيwhich حفّsurrounds الفضاءspace بهaround it
ان الوجود الذي حفّ الفضاء به
فيin واسعthe vastness اللاthe absence of تناهىlimits منهof it ممدودextended
في واسع اللا تناهى منه ممدود
Indeed, existence, which space surrounds,
That existence which encompassed space entire
Stretches through its vast infinity.
Is from the infinite expanded and stretched out.
لقدindeed ضحكتI laughed فكانand was الضحكthe laughter ملءthe fullness of فميmy mouth
لقد ضحكت فكان الضحك ملء فمي
منat الذيthe one who قالsaid انthat الكونthe universe محدودfinite
من الذي قال ان الكون محدود
Indeed I laughed, and laughter filled my mouth,
I laughed and my mouth was filled with laughter.
At the one who said the universe is finite.
Who said the universe could be bounded?
تحكيresembles السماءthe sky لعينto an eye لاno نفوذpenetrating vision لهاfor it
تحكي السماء لعين لا نفوذ لها
روضاa garden كأنas though الثرياthe Pleiades فيهin it عنقودa grape cluster
روضا كأن الثريا فيه عنقود
To an eye without penetrating vision, the sky resembles
The heavens tell of an eye that cannot penetrate—
A garden where the Pleiades are like a cluster of grapes.
A meadow as if the Pleiades were its fruit.
اماas for الذينthose who لهمthey have علمknowledge بماof what وسعتit encompasses
اما الذين لهم علم بما وسعت
فعندهمthen in their view كلall ماthat قدalready قيلhas been said مردودrefuted
فعندهم كل ما قد قيل مردود
But those who know what it encompasses—
But those who possess knowledge of its encompassment—
In their view, all that has been said is refuted.
For them, all that is said returns to naught.
ماnot الارضthe earth بينamong شموسsuns لاعدادno count لهاfor them
ما الارض بين شموس لاعداد لها
الاbut حصاةa pebble حواليهاaround it جلاميدboulders
الا حصاة حواليها جلاميد
Amid countless suns, the earth is no more
Is this earth, amid numberless suns,
Than a pebble surrounded by boulders.
Anything but a stone round which are reptiles?
وكمand how many بهاwithin it سدماًnebulae تمتدextend واسعةwidely
وكم بها سدماً تمتد واسعة
فيهاwithin them النجومthe stars عناقيدclusters عناقيدclusters
فيها النجوم عناقيد عناقيد
And how many nebulae stretch wide within it,
Upon it are broad tracts stretching
Within them, stars are clusters upon clusters.
Where the stars are clusters of clusters.
Sol 6.1