نُوبٌcalamities تَغدُوعلىcome upon نُوبٌcalamities
نُوبٌ تَغدُوعلى نُوبٌ
تقطعُpass الأيامَthe days فيin طَلَبيpursuit of me
تقطعُ الأيامَ في طَلَبي
Calamities come upon calamities,
Misfortunes come one after another
passing the days in pursuit of me.
As the days pass in my pursuit
ليتَwould that شعريmy knowledge وهيَwhile they معجلةٌhurrying
ليتَ شعري وهيَ معجلةٌ
أيwhat ذنبٍsin ليis mine سوىexcept أدبيmy literary art
أي ذنبٍ لي سوى أدبي
Would that I knew, as they hasten,
I wonder while they rush
what sin is mine, save my literary art.
What sin have I except my manners?
أقبليcome ياO نائباتُcalamities فماfor ... not
أقبلي يا نائباتُ فما
هذهِthis الدنياworld سوىexcept تعبِtoil
هذهِ الدنيا سوى تعبِ
Come, O calamities, for
Come my dear troubles and so
this world is nothing but toil.
This life is nothing but fatigue
واثبتيand remain للعمرِfor life آونةًa while
واثبتي للعمرِ آونةً
فلياليfor the nights of العمرِlife فيin هربِflight
فليالي العمرِ في هربِ
And linger in life for a while,
Stay with me for a while
for life's nights are in flight.
For the nights of life are fleeing
عجبيmy wonder والناسُand people إنif فطنواtook heed
عجبي والناسُ إن فطنوا
وجدواthey found دهريmy fate أباfather of العجبِwonder
وجدوا دهري أبا العجبِ
I marvel—and if people took heed,
Wonders! If people understand
they would find my fate the father of wonder.
They’ll find my time full of wonders
كمhow many ليالٍnights قدindeed لعبتُI played بهاwith them
كم ليالٍ قد لعبتُ بها
وغدتْand they became منfrom بعدُafterward تلعبُplaying بيwith me
وغدتْ من بعدُ تلعبُ بي
How many nights I have played with,
How many nights I have played
and afterward they came to play with me!
And after became playing with me?
كعهودِlike the promises of الغيدِgraceful maidens إنif صدقتْthey proved true
كعهودِ الغيدِ إن صدقتْ
فقُصاراهاyet their final end إلىin الكذبِfalsehood
فقُصاراها إلى الكذبِ
Like graceful maidens' promises: even if true,
Like the ages of eternity, if true
yet their final end is falsehood.
Their ends are but lies
والذيand whoever يمضيgoes on علىin لعبٍplay
والذي يمضي على لعبٍ
سوفَwill يلقىmeet حسرةَbitter regret اللعبِthe play
سوفَ يلقى حسرةَ اللعبِ
And whoever goes through life in play
And whoever passes playing
will meet with bitter regret for that play.
Will find regret in playing
ياO زمانَtime of الهجرِseparation كيفَhow لناfor us
يا زمانَ الهجرِ كيفَ لنا
بزمانِto the time of الرُّسْلِmessengers وand الكُتُبِletters
بزمانِ الرُّسْلِ و الكُتُبِ
O time of separation, how can we return
O time of departure, how can we
to the time of messengers and letters,
With time of messengers and books?
وليالٍand nights كالصباlike youth سلفتْhave passed
وليالٍ كالصبا سلفتْ
إنif يؤبْreturns عهدُthe time of الصباyouth تؤبِthey return
إن يؤبْ عهدُ الصبا تؤبِ
and nights that, like youth, have passed?
And nights like youth are gone
If youth's days return, they too return.
If the age of youth returns, it returns
كمhow many قطعناهاwe spent them علىin كَلَفٍardent love
كم قطعناها على كَلَفٍ
فيin رضاcontentment حلوٍsweet وفيand in غَضَبِanger
في رضا حلوٍ وفي غَضَبِ
How many we spent in ardent love,
How we have severed it with anxiety
in sweet contentment and in anger!
In sweet pleasure and in anger
آةٍah ليتَwould that العينَthe eye ماnot نظرتْhad looked
آةٍ ليتَ العينَ ما نظرتْ
ودموعُand the tears of العينِthe eye لمdid not تصبِflow
ودموعُ العينِ لم تصبِ
Ah, would that the eye had never looked,
Oh, if only the eye had not seen
and the eye's tears had never flowed!
And the tears of the eye had not poured
إنindeed ذاthis الحبَّlove غادرنيhas left me
إن ذا الحبَّ غادرني
ليسَthere is not فيin العيشِlife منany أربِdesire
ليسَ في العيشِ من أربِ
Indeed, this love has left me
When that love left me
with nothing in life to desire.
There is no comfort left in living
كلماwhenever افلتُّI escaped منfrom كربٍdistress
كلما افلتُّ من كربٍ
ساقنيdrove me قلبيmy heart إلىinto كربِdistress
ساقني قلبي إلى كربِ
Whenever I escaped distress,
Whenever I escape a sorrow
my heart drove me into distress.
My heart leads me into sorrow
Sol 6.1