لَقَدْindeed طَالَhas grown long عَهْدِيmy time apart بِالشَّبَابِfrom youth وَإِنَّهُand indeed it
لَقَدْ طَالَ عَهْدِي بِالشَّبَابِ وَإِنَّهُ
لأَدْعَىsurely more conducive لِشَوْقِيto my longing أَنْthat يَطُولَshould grow long بِهِfrom it عَهْدِيmy time apart
لأَدْعَى لِشَوْقِي أَنْ يَطُولَ بِهِ عَهْدِي
Long has it been since my youth, and indeed
My youth has lingered long, though longing
the longer I am parted from it, the keener my longing.
Makes me wish it would linger longer still.
تَبِيتُspend the night عُيُونٌeyes بِالْكَرَىin slumber مُطْمَئِنَّةًat peace
تَبِيتُ عُيُونٌ بِالْكَرَى مُطْمَئِنَّةً
وَعَيْنَايَand my two eyes فِيin بَرْحٍtorment مِنَfrom الدَّمْعِtears وَالسُّهْدِand sleeplessness
وَعَيْنَايَ فِي بَرْحٍ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ وَالسُّهْدِ
Eyes spend the night at peace in slumber,
Eyes sleep in comfort, while my own eyes pour
while my two eyes are tormented by tears and sleeplessness.
A flood of tears that knows no bound.
فَلَيْتَso, if only الَّذِيthe one who حَازَtook possession of الشَّبِيبَةَyouth رَدَّهَاwould restore it
فَلَيْتَ الَّذِي حَازَ الشَّبِيبَةَ رَدَّهَا
وَلَيْتَand if only الَّذِيthe one who أَهْدَىgave as a gift لَنَاto us الشَّيْبَgray hair لَمْhad not يُهْدِgiven
وَلَيْتَ الَّذِي أَهْدَى لَنَا الشَّيْبَ لَمْ يُهْدِ
If only he who took youth would give it back,
Would that he who gained youth might restore it!
and if only he who gifted us gray hair had not given it!
Would that he who gifted us white hair had not!
كَأَنِّيas though I وَقَدْand already جَاوَزْتُhave passed سِتِّينَsixty حِجَّةًyears
كَأَنِّي وَقَدْ جَاوَزْتُ سِتِّينَ حِجَّةً
مَسَحْتُI have wiped بِهَاwith them عَنْfrom نَاظِرِيmy eye سِنَةَthe drowsiness الْفَهْدِof the cheetah
مَسَحْتُ بِهَا عَنْ نَاظِرِي سِنَةَ الْفَهْدِ
It is as though, having passed sixty years,
Though I’m past sixty, when I peer
I have wiped the cheetah's drowsiness from my eye with them.
Into my looking glass I see the gaze of a fawn.
فَسُحْقاًso, perdition لِدَارٍto an abode لاnot يَدُومُlasts نَعِيمُهاits bliss
فَسُحْقاً لِدَارٍ لا يَدُومُ نَعِيمُها
وَتَبَّاًand ruin لِخِلٍّto a friend لاnot يَدُومُremains steadfast عَلَىto الْعَهْدِthe pledge
وَتَبَّاً لِخِلٍّ لا يَدُومُ عَلَى الْعَهْدِ
Away, then, with an abode whose bliss does not last,
A pox on the house whose comforts never last!
and ruin to a friend who does not keep his pledge!
A curse on the friend whose word is never kept!
وَكَيْفَand how يَلَذُّtakes pleasure الْمَرْءُa man بِالْعَيْشِin life بَعْدَمَاafter
وَكَيْفَ يَلَذُّ الْمَرْءُ بِالْعَيْشِ بَعْدَمَا
رَأَىhe has seen أَنَّthat سُمَّthe poison الْمَوْتِof death فِيin ذَلِكَthat الشَّهْدِhoney
رَأَى أَنَّ سُمَّ الْمَوْتِ فِي ذَلِكَ الشَّهْدِ
And how can a man delight in life, after
With death’s venom plain to see in the cup of life,
he has seen that death's poison lies within that honey?
How can one live with any shred of joy?
إِذَاif لَمْnot يَكُنْthere is بَيْنَbetween الْحَيَاةِlife وَضِدِّهَاand its opposite
إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ الْحَيَاةِ وَضِدِّهَا
سِوَىexcept مُهْلَةٍa respite فَاللَّحْدُthen the grave أَشْبَهُmore akin بِالْمَهْدِto the cradle
سِوَى مُهْلَةٍ فَاللَّحْدُ أَشْبَهُ بِالْمَهْدِ
If there is nothing between life and its opposite
Between life and its opposite lies only a brief
but a respite, then the grave closely resembles the cradle.
Span, so the grave’s as near as the cradle.
وَلِلْمَوْتِand death has أَسْبَابٌmeans يَنَالُit overtakes بِهَاby them الْفَتَىa young man
وَلِلْمَوْتِ أَسْبَابٌ يَنَالُ بِهَا الْفَتَى
فَمَنْso whoever بَاتَspends the night فيon نَجْدٍhigh ground كَمَنْis like whoever بَاتَspends the night فِيin وَهْدِa hollow
فَمَنْ بَاتَ في نَجْدٍ كَمَنْ بَاتَ فِي وَهْدِ
And death has ways by which it overtakes a man;
Death has agents who come for every man,
so one who spends the night on high ground is like one who spends it in a hollow.
So one who sleeps in high desert’s as one deep in a valley.
وَكُلُّand every امْرِئٍperson فِيamong النَّاسِpeople لاقٍwill meet حِمَامَهُhis death
وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ فِي النَّاسِ لاقٍ حِمَامَهُ
فَسِيَّانso both are equal رَبُّthe owner of الْعَيْرِthe ass وَالْفَرَسِand the horse النَّهْدِsturdy
فَسِيَّان رَبُّ الْعَيْرِ وَالْفَرَسِ النَّهْدِ
And every man among mankind shall meet his death;
And since every person meets his destined hour,
so equal are the owner of an ass and the owner of a sturdy horse.
Lord of the camels or a lead mare, it’s all the same.
وَلَوْلاand were it not for ارْتِيَاعُthe terror النَّفْسِof the soul مِنْat صَوْلَةِthe onslaught الرَّدَىof death
وَلَوْلا ارْتِيَاعُ النَّفْسِ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الرَّدَى
لَمَاwould not have عَفَّabstained عَنْfrom طِيبِthe sweetness النَّعِيمِof bliss أَخُوa man of زُهْدِasceticism
لَمَا عَفَّ عَنْ طِيبِ النَّعِيمِ أَخُو زُهْدِ
And were it not for the soul's terror at death's onslaught,
If the soul did not shrink back in fear
no ascetic would abstain from the sweetness of bliss.
From devastation, none would shun sweet life for ascetic ways.
فَدَعْso leave مَاwhat مَضَىhas passed واصْبِرْand be patient عَلَىwith حِكْمَةِthe wisdom الْقَضَاof fate
فَدَعْ مَا مَضَى واصْبِرْ عَلَى حِكْمَةِ الْقَضَا
فَلَيْسَfor not يَنَالُattains الْمَرْءُa man مَاwhat فاتَhas gone بِالْجَهْدِthrough effort
فَلَيْسَ يَنَالُ الْمَرْءُ مَا فاتَ بِالْجَهْدِ
So leave the past behind, and patiently accept the wisdom of fate;
Let past time go; be patient with Fate’s decree,
for no man can, by striving, regain what is gone.
For nothing comes of grief for things beyond retrieve.
وَلاand do not تَلْتَمِسْseek مِنْfrom غَيْرِother than مَوْلاكَyour Lord هَادِياًa guide
وَلا تَلْتَمِسْ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَوْلاكَ هَادِياً
إِذَاif اللهُGod لَمْdoes not يَهْدِguide الْعِبَادَthe servants فَمَنْthen who يَهْدِيwill guide
إِذَا اللهُ لَمْ يَهْدِ الْعِبَادَ فَمَنْ يَهْدِي
And seek no guide from any but your Lord;
Seek not from another a guide, when God
if God does not guide His servants, who then will guide?
Himself vouchsafes no guidance to men. Who then shall guide?
Sol 6.1