لَعَمْرِيby my life لقدْindeed عُمّرتُI was granted long life فيin الدّهْرِtime بُرْهَةًa while
لَعَمْرِي لقدْ عُمّرتُ في الدّهْرِ بُرْهَةً
ودانتْand submitted ليto me الدنياthe world بِوَقْعِby the blows of البواتِرِthe cleaving swords
ودانتْ لي الدنيا بِوَقْعِ البواتِرِ
By my life, I have indeed lived a while in this world,
By my life, I have lived long in this world,
and the world submitted to me through the blows of cleaving swords.
And the world has bowed to me with its burdens.
وأُعْطِيتُand I was given حُمْرَthe prized red ones of المالِwealth والحُكْمَand rule والنُّهَىand wisdom
وأُعْطِيتُ حُمْرَ المالِ والحُكْمَ والنُّهَى
وليand to me سَلَّمَتْyielded كُلُّall الملوكِthe kings الجبابرِthe mighty
ولي سَلَّمَتْ كُلُّ الملوكِ الجبابرِ
And I was given prized red riches, rule, and wisdom,
I was given the redness of wealth, rule and authority,
and all the mighty kings yielded to me.
And all kings have surrendered to me.
فَأَضْحَىso became الذيthat which قدalready كانَhad been مِمّاamong what يَسرّنيdelights me
فَأَضْحَى الذي قد كانَ مِمّا يَسرّني
كَحُكْمٍlike a judgment مَضَىpassed فيin المُزْمَنَاتِthe long ages الغوابِرِbygone
كَحُكْمٍ مَضَى في المُزْمَنَاتِ الغوابِرِ
So what had once delighted me has become
That which once brought me joy,
like a judgment that passed in long ages gone by.
Has become like a past decree in vanished times.
فياso, oh ليتنيif only I لمnot أَعْنِI toil فيin الملكِkingship سَاعةًan hour
فيا ليتني لم أَعْنِ في الملكِ سَاعةً
ولمand not أَسْعَI strive فيfor لَذّاتِpleasures of عَيْشٍlife نواضرِfresh and flourishing
ولم أَسْعَ في لَذّاتِ عَيْشٍ نواضرِ
Ah, if only I had not toiled at kingship for even an hour,
Oh, would that I had never known an hour of kingship,
nor sought the fresh delights of life,
Or pursued the pleasures of a prosperous life.
وكنتُand I had been كذيlike one with طِمْرَيْنِtwo ragged garments عاشَhe lived ببلغةٍon bare sustenance
وكنتُ كذي طِمْرَيْنِ عاشَ ببلغةٍ
فلمso not يَكُhe was حتىuntil زارَhe visited ضِيقَthe narrowness of المقابرِthe graves
فلم يَكُ حتى زارَ ضِيقَ المقابرِ
and had been like a man in two ragged garments who lived on bare sustenance,
Would that I were like one with two handfuls,
for it was not long before he visited the narrow confines of the graves.
Who lived in contentment and never saw a grave.
Sol 6.1