لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot يَدريknows الفَتىthe young man كَيفَhow يَتَّقيguards against
لَعَمرُكَ ما يَدري الفَتى كَيفَ يَتَّقي
نَوائِبَcalamities هَذاthis الدَهرِtime أَمor كَيفَhow يحذرُis wary
نَوائِبَ هَذا الدَهرِ أَم كَيفَ يحذرُ
By your life, a young man does not know how to ward off
By your life! The youth knows not how he may guard himself
the calamities of this age, or how to beware.
Against the strokes of time, nor what he should beware;
يَرىsees الشَيءَthe thing مِمّاof what يَتَّقيguards against فَيَخافُهُand so fears it
يَرى الشَيءَ مِمّا يَتَّقي فَيَخافُهُ
وَماand what لاnot يَرىsees مِمّاof what يَقيwards off اللَهُGod أَكبَرُgreater
وَما لا يَرى مِمّا يَقي اللَهُ أَكبَرُ
He sees some of what he guards against, and so fears it;
He sees a thing that he should fear, and fears it,
but what he does not see, which God wards off, is greater.
Yet that which God should guard him from is greater.
أَرانيI see myself مَعَamong الأَحياءِthe living حَيّاًalive وَأَكثَريand most of me
أَراني مَعَ الأَحياءِ حَيّاً وَأَكثَري
عَلىover الدَهرِtime مَيتٌdead قَدalready تَخَوَّنَهُhas worn it away الدَهرُtime
عَلى الدَهرِ مَيتٌ قَد تَخَوَّنَهُ الدَهرُ
I see myself alive among the living, yet most of me
I see myself alive among the living, yet
is dead with the passing of time, worn away by time.
To time I’m but a dead man whom time has betrayed;
فَماso what لَمdid not يَمُتdie مِنّيof me لِماbecause of what ماتَhas died مَيِّتٌdead
فَما لَم يَمُت مِنّي لِما ماتَ مَيِّتٌ
وَبَعضٌand a part لِبَعضٍfor another part قَبلَbefore قَبرِthe grave of البِلىdecay قَبرُa grave
وَبَعضٌ لِبَعضٍ قَبلَ قَبرِ البِلى قَبرُ
So what has not died in me is dead because of what has died;
So what of me is dead when part of me still lives?
and one part is a grave for another, before the grave of decay.
And part to part is as the grave to what decays.
فَياso, O رَبِّmy Lord قَدindeed أَحسَنتَYou have shown kindness بَدءاًat first وَعودَةًand anew
فَيا رَبِّ قَد أَحسَنتَ بَدءاً وَعودَةً
إِلَيَّto me فَلَمyet did not يَنهَضmeasure up بِإِحسانِكَto Your kindness الشُكرُgratitude
إِلَيَّ فَلَم يَنهَض بِإِحسانِكَ الشُكرُ
So, my Lord, You have shown kindness, at first and anew,
O Lord, well did you begin with me, and call me back,
to me; yet gratitude has not measured up to Your kindness.
Yet thanks rise not for your great beneficence;
فَمَنso whoever كانَis ذاpossessing عُذرٍan excuse لَدَيكَbefore You وَحُجَّةٍand a plea
فَمَن كانَ ذا عُذرٍ لَدَيكَ وَحُجَّةٍ
فَعُذرِيَthen my excuse إِقراريmy admission بِأَنof the fact that لَيسَthere is not ليfor me عُذرُan excuse
فَعُذرِيَ إِقراري بِأَن لَيسَ لي عُذرُ
So if anyone has an excuse and a plea before You,
If one has cause with you, and argument,
then my excuse is my admission that I have no excuse.
My cause is but confession that I have no cause.
Sol 6.1