دَعِleave الذُّلَّhumiliation فيin الدُّنْيَاthis world لِمَنْto whoever خَافَfears حَتْفَهُhis death
دَعِ الذُّلَّ في الدُّنْيَا لِمَنْ خَافَ حَتْفَهُ
فَلَلْمَوْتُfor death indeed خَيْرٌis better مِنْthan حَيَاةٍa life عَلَىamid أَذَىharm
فَلَلْمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ حَيَاةٍ عَلَى أَذَى
Leave humiliation in this world to whoever fears his death.
Leave humiliation in this world to those who fear death,
For death is surely better than a life of suffering.
For death is better than a life of disgrace.
ولاand do not تَصْطَحِبْtake as a companion إِلَّاexcept امْرَأًa man إِنْif دَعَوْتَهُyou call him
ولا تَصْطَحِبْ إِلَّا امْرَأً إِنْ دَعَوْتَهُ
لَدَىamid جَمَرَاتِthe embers الْحَرْبِof war لبَّاكَhe answers you وَاحْتَذَىand follows your lead
لَدَى جَمَرَاتِ الْحَرْبِ لبَّاكَ وَاحْتَذَى
And take as companion only a man who, if you call him,
Only befriend a man if you call him
Amid the embers of war, answers you and follows your lead;
To face the embers of war, steadfast and tested.
يَسُرُّكَhe delights you عِنْدَduring الأَمْنِpeace فَضْلاًvirtue وحِكْمَةًand wisdom
يَسُرُّكَ عِنْدَ الأَمْنِ فَضْلاً وحِكْمَةً
ويُرْضِيكَand pleases you يَوْمَon the day of الرَّوْعِterror نَبْلاًarrows مُقَذَّذَاwell-fletched
ويُرْضِيكَ يَوْمَ الرَّوْعِ نَبْلاً مُقَذَّذَا
Who delights you in peace with virtue and wisdom,
In times of peace he pleases you with excellence and wisdom,
And pleases you on the day of terror with well-fletched arrows.
And on the day of clamor, he satisfies you with refined valor.
فَيَاso, ah حَبَّذَاhow fine! الْخِلُّthe close friend الصَّفِيُّthe faithful وهَلْand will ...? أَرَىI see
فَيَا حَبَّذَا الْخِلُّ الصَّفِيُّ وهَلْ أَرَى
نَصِيباًa share مِنَof الدُّنْيَاthis world إِذَاwhen قُلْتُI say حَبَّذَاhow fine!
نَصِيباً مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِذَا قُلْتُ حَبَّذَا
Ah, how fine the faithful friend! But shall I find
Blessed is the pure companion! But will I ever see
A share of this world when I say, 'How fine!'?
A share in this world when I say “blessed”?
لَعَمْرِيby my life لَقَدْindeed نَادَيْتُI called out لَوْif only أَنَّthat سَامِعاًa listener
لَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ نَادَيْتُ لَوْ أَنَّ سَامِعاً
ونَوَّهْتُand I spoke highly بِالأَحْرَارِof free men لَوْif only أَنَّthat مُنْقِذَاa rescuer
ونَوَّهْتُ بِالأَحْرَارِ لَوْ أَنَّ مُنْقِذَا
By my life, I have called out—if only there were a listener!
By my life, I called out as if someone was listening,
And extolled free men—if only there were a rescuer!
And summoned the noble as if a savior was coming,
وَطَوَّفْتُand I roamed بِالآفَاقِthrough the horizons حَتَّىuntil كَأَنَّنِيas though I
وَطَوَّفْتُ بِالآفَاقِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّنِي
أُحَاوِلُI seek مِنْfrom هذيthis الْبَسِيطَةِearth مَنْفَذَاa way out
أُحَاوِلُ مِنْ هذي الْبَسِيطَةِ مَنْفَذَا
And roamed the horizons until it seemed that I
I roamed the horizons as if I
Was seeking a way out of this earth.
Was seeking a way out of this wilderness.
فَمَاso ... not وَقَعَتْfell عَيْنِيmy eye عَلَىupon غَيْرِother than أَحْمَقٍa fool
فَمَا وَقَعَتْ عَيْنِي عَلَى غَيْرِ أَحْمَقٍ
غَوِيٍّmisguided يَظُنُّhe thinks الْمَجْدَglory فيin الرِّيِّquenched thirst وَالْغِذَاand food
غَوِيٍّ يَظُنُّ الْمَجْدَ في الرِّيِّ وَالْغِذَا
Yet my eye fell on none but a fool,
Yet my eyes fell on none but fools
A misguided man who thinks glory lies in drinking his fill and eating.
Who think glory lies in satiety and food.
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle رَأَيْتُI see الشَّيءَthe thing فِيamong غَيْرِother than أَهْلِهِthose worthy of it
إِذَا مَا رَأَيْتُ الشَّيءَ فِي غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ
وَلَمْand not أَسْتَطِعْI could رَدَّاًredress طَرَفتُI blinked عَلَىover قَذَىgrit in the eye
وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ رَدَّاً طَرَفتُ عَلَى قَذَى
Whenever I see a thing with those unworthy of it,
When I see something in unworthy hands,
And cannot put it right, I blink with grit in my eye.
And cannot correct it, I avert my gaze as if blinded.
فَحَتَّىso until مَتَىwhen يَاO دَهْرُTime أَكْتُمُI conceal لَوْعَةًburning anguish
فَحَتَّى مَتَى يَا دَهْرُ أَكْتُمُ لَوْعَةً
تُكَلِّفُburdens قَلْبِيmy heart كُلْفَةَthe burden الرِّيحِof the wind بِالشَّذَاwith fragrance
تُكَلِّفُ قَلْبِي كُلْفَةَ الرِّيحِ بِالشَّذَا
Then how long, O Time, must I conceal a burning anguish
How long, o fate, can I conceal the anguish
That burdens my heart as fragrance burdens the wind?
That burdens my heart like the wind does the branches?
أَلَمْhas ... not? يَأنthe time come لِلأَيَّامِfor the days أَنْto تُبْصِرَsee الْهُدَىright guidance
أَلَمْ يَأن لِلأَيَّامِ أَنْ تُبْصِرَ الْهُدَى
فَتَخْفِضَand thus lowers مَأْفُوناًa halfwit وَتَرْفَعَand raises جهْبذَاa man of discernment
فَتَخْفِضَ مَأْفُوناً وَتَرْفَعَ جهْبذَا
Has the time not come for the days to see right guidance,
Has not the time come for the days to see the light
And thus bring a fool low and exalt a man of discernment?
And debase the undeserving and raise the sublime?
إِذَاif لَمْnot يَكُنْthere were بِالدَّهْرِin Time خَبْلٌmadness لَمَاthen it would not غَدَاhave come to
إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بِالدَّهْرِ خَبْلٌ لَمَا غَدَا
يَسِيرُtravels بِنَاwith us فيin ظُلْمَةِthe darkness الْجُورِof injustice هَكَذَاlike this
يَسِيرُ بِنَا في ظُلْمَةِ الْجُورِ هَكَذَا
If there were no madness in Time, it would not have come to
If there were no defects in fate, it would not
Lead us through the darkness of injustice like this.
Lead us in the darkness of tyranny like this.
Sol 6.1