بَكَرْتَyou came early تَلُومُyou reproach وَمِثْلُهَاand one like her لَكَto you لاَئِمَهْa reproacher
بَكَرْتَ تَلُومُ وَمِثْلُهَا لَكَ لاَئِمَهْ
كُفِّيstop المَلاَمَthe reproach فَأَنْتِfor you فِيْهِin it ظَالِمَهْunjust
كُفِّي المَلاَمَ فَأَنْتِ فِيْهِ ظَالِمَهْ
You came early to reproach; one like her reproaches you.
Stop reproaching, for in this you are unjust.
عَزَّيْتُI consoled نَفْسِيmyself عَنْaway from مَطَالِبَambitions جَمَّةٍmany
عَزَّيْتُ نَفْسِي عَنْ مَطَالِبَ جَمَّةٍ
وَرَضِيْتُand I was content مِنْfrom حَظِّيmy lot بِنَفْسٍwith a soul سَالِمَهْunharmed
وَرَضِيْتُ مِنْ حَظِّي بِنَفْسٍ سَالِمَهْ
I resigned myself to forgoing many ambitions,
and was content with an unharmed soul for my lot.
وَرَأِيْتُand I saw أَحْوَالاًcircumstances تَحُولُchanging وَشِيْكَةًswiftly
وَرَأِيْتُ أَحْوَالاً تَحُولُ وَشِيْكَةً
لُمَعَاًflashes وَتَخْيِيْلاًand illusions كَحُلْمِlike the dream of الحَالِمَهْthe dreaming woman
لُمَعَاً وَتَخْيِيْلاً كَحُلْمِ الحَالِمَهْ
And I saw circumstances swiftly changing—
flashes and illusions, like a dreaming woman's dream.
لاَdo not يُعْجِبَنَّكَlet it delight you أَنْthat تَنَالِيyou attain رُتْبَةًa rank
لاَ يُعْجِبَنَّكَ أَنْ تَنَالِي رُتْبَةً
غُبِطَتْwere envied بِهَاfor it عُصَبٌgroups فَرَاحَتْthen they went away نَادِمَهْregretful
غُبِطَتْ بِهَا عُصَبٌ فَرَاحَتْ نَادِمَهْ
Do not delight in attaining a rank
for which groups were envied, then went away regretful.
وَتَأَمَّلِيand consider دُوَلاًdynasties يُدَالُpower is wrested مِنَfrom أهْلِهَاtheir holders
وَتَأَمَّلِي دُوَلاً يُدَالُ مِنَ أهْلِهَا
كَانَتْthey were مُشَافِهَةًspeaking face-to-face فَصِرْنَthen they became مُوَائِمَهْcompliant
كَانَتْ مُشَافِهَةً فَصِرْنَ مُوَائِمَهْ
And consider dynasties whose rulers are dispossessed:
They once spoke face-to-face, then became compliant.
فِيin أُمِّUmm (mother of) مُوسَىMusa سَلْوَةٌsolace لَكِfor you فَانْظُرِيso look
فِي أُمِّ مُوسَى سَلْوَةٌ لَكِ فَانْظُرِي
فِعْلَthe action of الزَّمَانِTime بِهَاto her وَبَعْدُand afterward بِفَاطِمَهْto Fatima
فِعْلَ الزَّمَانِ بِهَا وَبَعْدُ بِفَاطِمَهْ
In Umm Musa there is solace for you; so look
at what Time did to her, and afterward to Fatima.
وَضَعَتْهُمَاit lowered them both بِإِزَاءِin proportion to مَاhow far رَفَعَتْهُمَاit raised them both
وَضَعَتْهُمَا بِإِزَاءِ مَا رَفَعَتْهُمَا
تِلْكَthat العُلاَeminence فَرَمَتْهُمَاthen it struck them both بِالْقَاصِمَهْwith a crushing blow
تِلْكَ العُلاَ فَرَمَتْهُمَا بِالْقَاصِمَهْ
It brought them both as low as it had raised them—
that eminence—then struck them both with a crushing blow.
عُقْبَىthe outcome of النَّبَاهَةِprominence لَحْظَةٌa glance بِتَنَبُّهٍwith vigilance
عُقْبَى النَّبَاهَةِ لَحْظَةٌ بِتَنَبُّهٍ
مِنْfrom عَيْنِthe eye of دَهْرِكِyour age فَاتْرُكِيْهَاso leave it نَائِمَهْasleep
مِنْ عَيْنِ دَهْرِكِ فَاتْرُكِيْهَا نَائِمَهْ
The outcome of prominence is a watchful glance
from the eye of your age; so leave it asleep.
لاَdo not تَشْرَبِيdrink رِيَّاًyour fill بِكَأسِfrom the cup of حُظُوظِهِits fortunes
لاَ تَشْرَبِي رِيَّاً بِكَأسِ حُظُوظِهِ
فَأَرَاكِfor I see you بَعْدُafterward عَلَىat المَوَارِدِthe watering places حَائِمَهْhovering
فَأَرَاكِ بَعْدُ عَلَى المَوَارِدِ حَائِمَهْ
Do not drink your fill from the cup of its fortunes,
for I see you afterward hovering about the watering places.
وَإِذَاand when افْتِتَاحُthe opening of الأَمْرِthe affair رَاقَكِcharms you حُسْنُهُits beauty
وَإِذَا افْتِتَاحُ الأَمْرِ رَاقَكِ حُسْنُهُ
فَتَبَيَّنِيthen ascertain مَاذَاwhat تَكُونُwill be الخَاتِمَهْthe ending
فَتَبَيَّنِي مَاذَا تَكُونُ الخَاتِمَهْ
And when a venture's opening charms you with its beauty,
then ascertain what the ending will be.
يَاoh رُبَّhow many أَفْئِدَةٍhearts بِنَارِby the fire of هُمُومِهَاtheir cares
يَا رُبَّ أَفْئِدَةٍ بِنَارِ هُمُومِهَا
تُكْوَىare seared فَتَشْقَىso they suffer فِيin جُسُومٍbodies نَاعِمَهْpampered
تُكْوَى فَتَشْقَى فِي جُسُومٍ نَاعِمَهْ
Oh, how many hearts, by the fire of their cares,
are seared and suffer in pampered bodies!
وَمُظَلَّلٍand a shaded man فِيin الخَيْشِcoarse cloth يُلْهَبُis set aflame حَتْفُهُhis death
وَمُظَلَّلٍ فِي الخَيْشِ يُلْهَبُ حَتْفُهُ
وَمُقَيَّدٍand a fettered man مُتَوَسَّدٍresting on a pillow فِيin طَارِمَهْa pavilion
وَمُقَيَّدٍ مُتَوَسَّدٍ فِي طَارِمَهْ
And many a man shaded by coarse cloth, his doom set aflame,
and many a fettered man resting on a pillow in a pavilion.
بَانُواthey stood out بِكَفِّin the palm of الدَّهْرِTime فَاخْتَلَسَتْهُمُthen it snatched them away
بَانُوا بِكَفِّ الدَّهْرِ فَاخْتَلَسَتْهُمُ
هَلْare...? تُجْتَنَىplucked الزَّهَرَاتُthe flowers إِلاَّexcept نَاجِمَهْsprouting
هَلْ تُجْتَنَى الزَّهَرَاتُ إِلاَّ نَاجِمَهْ
They stood out in Time's palm, and it snatched them away.
Are flowers plucked unless they have sprung up?
إِنَّindeed الخَوَافِيthe inner flight-feathers يَخْتَفِيْنَremain hidden وَإِنَّمَاand only
إِنَّ الخَوَافِي يَخْتَفِيْنَ وَإِنَّمَا
قَصْدُthe target of الزَّمَانِTime مِنَof الجَنَاحِthe wing القَادِمَهْthe foremost flight-feather
قَصْدُ الزَّمَانِ مِنَ الجَنَاحِ القَادِمَهْ
The inner flight-feathers remain hidden; it is only
the wing's foremost feather that Time targets.
قَدْindeed عَزَمْنَاwe have resolved عَلَىon مُبَاكَرَةِan early start to الشُّرْبِdrinking
قَدْ عَزَمْنَا عَلَى مُبَاكَرَةِ الشُّرْبِ
وَلَكِنْand yet مَاnot عِنْدَنَاwe have مِنْany طَعَامِfood
وَلَكِنْ مَا عِنْدَنَا مِنْ طَعَامِ
We have resolved to begin drinking early,
but we have no food
غَيْرَexcept مَاwhat رَاقَpleases مِنْof رُقَاقٍthin flatbread رَقِيْقٍdelicate
غَيْرَ مَا رَاقَ مِنْ رُقَاقٍ رَقِيْقٍ
مَعَwith هَامٍheads عَلَىto match عِدَادِthe number of الهَامِthe heads
مَعَ هَامٍ عَلَى عِدَادِ الهَامِ
except some pleasing, delicate flatbread,
with heads to match the number of our heads.
تِلْكَthat كَالْمَاءِlike water ذِيwith الحَبَابِbubbles وَهَاتِيْكَand those
تِلْكَ كَالْمَاءِ ذِي الحَبَابِ وَهَاتِيْكَ
عَلَيْهَاupon it كَطَيْرِlike birds of مَاءٍwater نِيَامِasleep
عَلَيْهَا كَطَيْرِ مَاءٍ نِيَامِ
That is like water with bubbles, and those heads
upon it are like sleeping waterfowl.
يَاoh لإِقْبَالِهِنَّat their arrival أَوَّلَfirst مَاwhen يُقْبِلْنَthey come
يَا لإِقْبَالِهِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا يُقْبِلْنَ
مِنْfrom جَاحِمِa blazing fire شَدِيدِfierce الضِّرَامِburning
مِنْ جَاحِمِ شَدِيدِ الضِّرَامِ
Ah, their arrival, when first they come
from a fiercely blazing fire,
كَأُنَاسٍlike people يُوَشَّحُنَthey are draped in المَنَادِيْلَtowels
كَأُنَاسٍ يُوَشَّحُنَ المَنَادِيْلَ
إِذَاwhen أُخْرِجُواthey are brought out مِنَfrom الحَمَّامِthe bathhouse
إِذَا أُخْرِجُوا مِنَ الحَمَّامِ
like people being draped in towels
when they are brought out of the bathhouse!
يَمْتَطِيْنَthey mount الخِوَانَthe dining-table أَرْؤسَas heads of خِرْفَانٍlambs
يَمْتَطِيْنَ الخِوَانَ أَرْؤسَ خِرْفَانٍ
وَيَنْزِلْنَand they descend عَنْهُfrom it بِيْضَas eggs of نَعَامِostriches
وَيَنْزِلْنَ عَنْهُ بِيْضَ نَعَامِ
They mount the dining-table as lambs' heads
and descend from it as ostrich eggs.
وَلَدَيْنَاand we have مَاwhat تَشْتَهِيyou desire بَعْدَafter هَذَاthis
وَلَدَيْنَا مَا تَشْتَهِي بَعْدَ هَذَا
مِنْof غِنَاءٍsong يُنْسِيmakes one forget غِنَاءَthe singing of الحَمَامِdoves
مِنْ غِنَاءٍ يُنْسِي غِنَاءَ الحَمَامِ
And after this we have whatever you desire
of song that makes you forget the doves' singing;
ثُمَّthen مِنْof نَرْجِسٍnarcissus flowers بَصِيْرٍsighted وَأَعْمَىand blind
ثُمَّ مِنْ نَرْجِسٍ بَصِيْرٍ وَأَعْمَى
وَنَبِيْذٍand wine مُحَلَّلٍlawful وَحَرَامِand forbidden
وَنَبِيْذٍ مُحَلَّلٍ وَحَرَامِ
then narcissi, sighted and blind,
and wine, lawful and forbidden,
وَغُلاَمٍand a boy فِيin زِيِّهِhis attire كَفَتَاةٍlike a girl
وَغُلاَمٍ فِي زِيِّهِ كَفَتَاةٍ
وَفَتَاةٍand a girl فِيin زِيِّهَاher attire كَغُلاَمْlike a boy
وَفَتَاةٍ فِي زِيِّهَا كَغُلاَمْ
and a boy dressed like a girl,
and a girl dressed like a boy.
يَرْمِيَانِthey both shoot at الأَسَىsorrow بِطَرْفَيwith two glances of سُرُورٍjoy
يَرْمِيَانِ الأَسَى بِطَرْفَي سُرُورٍ
مُسْتَعَارٍborrowed مِنْfrom بَيْنِbetween رِطْلٍa wine-measure وَجَامِand a goblet
مُسْتَعَارٍ مِنْ بَيْنِ رِطْلٍ وَجَامِ
They both shoot at sorrow with twin glances of joy
borrowed from between a wine-measure and a goblet.
فَأَطِعْso obey أَمْرَنَاour bidding نُطِعْكَwe will obey you وَإِلاَّand if not
فَأَطِعْ أَمْرَنَا نُطِعْكَ وَإِلاَّ
فَاعْصِthen disobey إِنْif شِئْتَyou wish أَمْرَنَاour bidding بِسَلاَمِin peace
فَاعْصِ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَمْرَنَا بِسَلاَمِ
So obey our bidding, and we shall obey you; otherwise,
then disobey our bidding, if you wish, in peace.
Sol 6.1