إذاwhen أقبلتْcomes forward دُنياworldly fortune تقادُis led بشعرةٍby a hair
إذا أقبلتْ دُنيا تقادُ بشعرةٍ
وإنand if أدبرتْturns away لمnot تَرْتِبطbe bound بالسلاسلِwith chains
وإن أدبرتْ لم تَرْتِبط بالسلاسلِ
When worldly fortune comes, it can be led by a hair,
If fate comes led by a single hair
and if it turns away, it cannot be bound with chains.
And if it turns away, it's not tied by chains
ألمhave … not? ترونّyou (plural) see اليعربيَّthe Ya‘rubi بلعرباًBal‘arab
ألم ترونّ اليعربيَّ بلعرباً
سلالةَa scion سلطانSultan بنson of سيفSayf الجلائلِthe mighty deeds
سلالةَ سلطان بن سيف الجلائلِ
Have you not seen Bal‘arab, the Ya‘rubi,
Have you not seen the Arab in an Arab
a scion of Sultan ibn Sayf, whose deeds were mighty?
The dynasty of Sultan bin Saif Al-Jalail
هوhe الملكُthe king السلطانُthe sultan شرقاًin the east ومغرباًand in the west
هو الملكُ السلطانُ شرقاً ومغرباً
مليكٌa king لهُto him تعنُوbow in submission رُءوسُheads القبائلِthe tribes
مليكٌ لهُ تعنُو رُءوسُ القبائلِ
He was the king, the sultan, in the east and west,
He is the King, the Sultan in the East and West
a king before whom the heads of the tribes bowed.
A king whom the heads of tribes obey
فلمso … did not يحمِهprotect him بنيانُهhis edifice حينwhen أدبرتْit turned away
فلم يحمِه بنيانُه حين أدبرتْ
ولمand … did not ينتفعbenefit بالصافِنَاتِfrom the steeds resting one hoof on its tip الصَّواهِلِthe neighing ones
ولم ينتفع بالصافِنَاتِ الصَّواهِلِ
Yet his edifice did not protect him when fortune turned away,
So his buildings did not protect him when fate turned away
nor did he benefit from the poised, neighing steeds.
Nor did he benefit from the mighty towers
طوتْهُfolded him away صروفُvicissitudes الدهرِof time طيّاًa folding (emphatic) فأصبand became (first fragment)
طوتْهُ صروفُ الدهرِ طيّاً فأصب
حتْcompletion of the preceding 'became' مساكِنُهhis dwellings مُغْبرَّةdust-covered كالمجاهِلِlike trackless wastes
حتْ مساكِنُه مُغْبرَّة كالمجاهِلِ
The vicissitudes of time folded him away utterly, and so
The turns of fate folded him up so he became
his dwellings became dust-covered, like trackless wastes.
His dwellings covered in dust like the barren valleys
ألاَtake heed! فاعتبرْthen learn a lesson ياO صاحِfriend إنif كنتَyou are عاقلاًwise
ألاَ فاعتبرْ يا صاحِ إن كنتَ عاقلاً
وكنْand be حَذِراًwary مماof what بقىremains غيرَnot غافلِheedless
وكنْ حَذِراً مما بقى غيرَ غافلِ
Take heed, then learn the lesson, O friend, if you are wise,
Beware, oh conscious one, if you are reasonable
and be wary of what remains, not heedless.
And beware of what remains other than the heedless
Sol 6.1