المَناياdeaths قَواطِعُseverers of الآجالِallotted lifespans
المَنايا قَواطِعُ الآجالِ
فلماذاso why الغُرورdelusion بالآمالِthrough hopes
فلماذا الغُرور بالآمالِ
Death cuts short life's allotted spans;
Death's strokes sever lifespans,
so why be deluded by hopes?
Why then be deluded by hopes?
أَفَلاwill not, then? يَهتَديfind guidance اللّبيبُthe discerning man بفكرٍthrough reflection
أَفَلا يَهتَدي اللّبيبُ بفكرٍ
فيon اِنتِقالِthe changes of الزّمانِtime والأحوالِand circumstances
في اِنتِقالِ الزّمانِ والأحوالِ
Will not the discerning man find guidance by reflecting
Should not the wise be guided by thought
on the changes of time and circumstances?
Of the flux of time and circumstance?
ثمّthen هلّاwhy not يرَىhe sees بعينِwith an eye of اِعتبارٍheedful reflection
ثمّ هلّا يرَى بعينِ اِعتبارٍ
حادثاتِthe events of الأيّامthe days ثمَّthen اللَّياليthe nights
حادثاتِ الأيّام ثمَّ اللَّيالي
Then why not look with an eye that takes heed
Should he not see with the eye of insight
at the events of days, then nights?
The events of days and nights?
لَيسَتِis not الدّنياthe world غَيرَother than دارِan abode of فَناءٍtransience
لَيسَتِ الدّنيا غَيرَ دارِ فَناءٍ
أَمرُهاits course صائِرٌheaded لِحالِtoward a state of الزّوالِdissolution
أَمرُها صائِرٌ لِحالِ الزّوالِ
The world is nothing but an abode of transience;
The world is but an abode of passing,
its course leads toward a state of dissolution.
Its state inclined to decline.
زادَincreased فيهاin it الغُرورdelusion فيat كلّevery وَقتٍmoment
زادَ فيها الغُرور في كلّ وَقتٍ
طمَعٌgreed كائنٌdwelling بصدرِin the breast of الرجالِmen
طمَعٌ كائنٌ بصدرِ الرجالِ
At every moment, delusion in it is increased
In every age, illusion multiplies in it,
by greed dwelling in men's breasts.
Greed lodged in men's breasts.
غرَّdeceived فيهاin it منwhoever تبدّىappeared جَهولاًignorant
غرَّ فيها من تبدّى جَهولاً
وهيand it عنديin my view غَرّارةُhabitual deceiver of الجُهّالِthe ignorant
وهي عندي غَرّارةُ الجُهّالِ
There, greed deceived whoever proved ignorant,
Deceived herein is the ignorant one,
and to me the world is a habitual deceiver of fools.
And to me it is the deceiver of fools.
لاnot تُساويis worth مِنَof البَعوضِmosquitoes جَناحاًa wing
لا تُساوي مِنَ البَعوضِ جَناحاً
لَيسَthere is not أَدنىlower مِنهاthan it لَدىbefore المُتَعاليthe Most Exalted
لَيسَ أَدنى مِنها لَدى المُتَعالي
It is not worth a mosquito's wing;
It is not worth a gnat's wing
nothing is lowlier than it before the Most Exalted.
To the elevated soul.
كَمhow many a مَليكٍking فَوقَupon الترابِthe dust طَريحٍlying prostrate
كَم مَليكٍ فَوقَ الترابِ طَريحٍ
ماnot فَدَتهُransomed him جَواهِرٌjewels ولآليand pearls
ما فَدَتهُ جَواهِرٌ ولآلي
How many a king lies prostrate upon the dust,
How many a king lies beneath dust
whom jewels and pearls did not ransom!
Whom gems and finery could not save!
كَمhow many a عَظيمٍgreat man تَحتَbeneath الثّرىthe soil قَدindeed تَوارىhas vanished
كَم عَظيمٍ تَحتَ الثّرى قَد تَوارى
مِثلَlike شَمسٍa sun لَدىat طلوعِthe rising of الهِلالِthe crescent
مِثلَ شَمسٍ لَدى طلوعِ الهِلالِ
How many a great man has vanished beneath the soil,
How many a mighty one disappeared beneath the soil
like a sun at the rising of the crescent!
Like the moon at the rising of the new crescent!
كَمhow many أُناسٍpeople مِثلَlike الشّموسِsuns أَضاؤواshone
كَم أُناسٍ مِثلَ الشّموسِ أَضاؤوا
وهَوَوْاand they sank للمغيبِtoward sunset وقتَat the time of الزّوالِnoon
وهَوَوْا للمغيبِ وقتَ الزّوالِ
How many people shone like suns,
How many people shone like suns
and sank toward sunset at noon!
Then set into the darkness of sunset!
لَيسَdoes not تُبقيspare يَدُthe hand of المَناياdeaths شَريفاًa noble man
لَيسَ تُبقي يَدُ المَنايا شَريفاً
لاnot تُباليcares بِأَخذِهِabout taking him لاnot تُباليcares
لا تُبالي بِأَخذِهِ لا تُبالي
Death's hand spares no noble man;
Death's hand spares no noble one;
it does not care about taking him; it does not care.
It cares not whom it seizes.
لَيسَthere is not مِنهاfrom it لِحادثٍfor a created being مِنany نَجاةٍescape
لَيسَ مِنها لِحادثٍ مِن نَجاةٍ
إذfor بكفَّيْهاin its two palms سائرُall الآجالِallotted lifespans
إذ بكفَّيْها سائرُ الآجالِ
No created being has any escape from it,
No event here escapes it,
for in its two palms are all life's allotted spans.
For all lifespans are in its grasp.
كُلُّevery وَقتٍmoment أَظفارُهاits claws مُنْشَباتٌembedded
كُلُّ وَقتٍ أَظفارُها مُنْشَباتٌ
لِاِفتِراسِfor devouring الأَشرافِthe noble وَالأَنذالِand the base
لِاِفتِراسِ الأَشرافِ وَالأَنذالِ
At every moment its claws are embedded,
At every moment its claws are embedded
to devour the noble and the base.
In catching the eminent and the lowly.
لَيتَهاif only it تُمهِلُwould grant respite to الكِرامَthe noble زَماناًfor a while
لَيتَها تُمهِلُ الكِرامَ زَماناً
أَيُّwhat ضُرٍّharm بِذلِكin that الإِمهالِreprieve
أَيُّ ضُرٍّ بِذلِك الإِمهالِ
If only it would grant the noble respite for a while!
Would that it grant the generous time,
What harm would there be in that reprieve?
What harm in that respite?
لَيتَهاif only it أَمهَلتhad granted respite to فَريدَthe peerless man of زَمانٍan age
لَيتَها أَمهَلت فَريدَ زَمانٍ
كانَhe was فيهِin it مِمَّنamong those who عَراwas devoid عَنof مِثالِan equal
كانَ فيهِ مِمَّن عَرا عَن مِثالِ
If only it had granted respite to the peerless man of his age,
Would that it had given more time to the paragon of an age,
who in that age was among those without an equal!
Unique among the ideal.
فَهوَfor he is بَحرُan ocean of العُلومِbranches of learning حَبرٌa scholar لَبيبٌdiscerning
فَهوَ بَحرُ العُلومِ حَبرٌ لَبيبٌ
فاضِلٌvirtuous كامِلٌaccomplished حَليفُan ally of جَمالِbeauty
فاضِلٌ كامِلٌ حَليفُ جَمالِ
For he is an ocean of learning, a discerning scholar,
He was an ocean of knowledge, a perceptive sage,
virtuous, accomplished, an ally of beauty.
Accomplished, perfect, handsome's compatriot.
الأَديبُthe man of letters الغزّيُّal-Ghazzi نَسْلُdescendant of كِرامٍnoble people
الأَديبُ الغزّيُّ نَسْلُ كِرامٍ
حَيثُsince كانواthey were عَلىover المُلوكِkings مَواليmasters
حَيثُ كانوا عَلى المُلوكِ مَوالي
Al-Ghazzi, the man of letters, descendant of noble men,
The poet of Ghazza, scion of nobles,
for they were masters over kings.
Ever loyal to kings.
مُذْwhen تَرَقَّىhe rose فيin الدّينِreligion أَعلىthe highest كَمالٍperfection
مُذْ تَرَقَّى في الدّينِ أَعلى كَمالٍ
فَلَهُso to him الدّينُreligion قالَsaid أَنتَyou كَماليmy perfection
فَلَهُ الدّينُ قالَ أَنتَ كَمالي
When he rose to the highest perfection in religion,
Since he attained the height of faith's perfection,
religion said to him, 'You are my perfection.'
Faith said: you are my perfection.
وَلِذاand therefore سمّاهُnamed him الكمالُPerfection اِفتِخاراًproudly
وَلِذا سمّاهُ الكمالُ اِفتِخاراً
وكسَاهُand clothed him بهَيْبةٍin awe وجَلالِand majesty
وكسَاهُ بهَيْبةٍ وجَلالِ
And so Perfection proudly named him,
So Perfection named him Pride out of esteem
and clothed him in awe and majesty.
And clothed him in awe and majesty.
مُذwhen دَعاهُcalled him داعيthe herald of المَناياdeaths وَلَبّىand he answered
مُذ دَعاهُ داعي المَنايا وَلَبّى
بادرَhe hastened السّيرَthe journey غِبَّafter شَدِّfastening الرّحالِthe saddles
بادرَ السّيرَ غِبَّ شَدِّ الرّحالِ
When death's herald called him and he answered,
When death's caller summoned him, he sped
he hastened on his journey after fastening the saddles.
To journey hard and fast.
وَتَولَّىand he departed إِلىto الجِنانِthe gardens of Paradise شَهيداًas a martyr
وَتَولَّى إِلى الجِنانِ شَهيداً
إِذْwhen رَماهُstruck him طاعونُهُhis plague بِالنّبالِwith arrows
إِذْ رَماهُ طاعونُهُ بِالنّبالِ
And he departed for Paradise's gardens as a martyr,
He turned toward the Gardens a martyr,
when his plague struck him with arrows.
Struck down by its plague with arrows.
قُطِعَتْmay be severed يُمنىthe right hand of طاعِنٍan assailant طَعَنَتْهit stabbed him
قُطِعَتْ يُمنى طاعِنٍ طَعَنَتْه
وَشِمالٌand the left hand لَوif طَعنهhe stabbed him بِالشّمالِwith the left hand
وَشِمالٌ لَو طَعنه بِالشّمالِ
May the assailant's right hand that stabbed him be severed,
The right hand of a piercing assailant pierced him,
and his left, had he stabbed him with the left!
While a left, had it struck, would have pierced.
لَيتَif only شَيئاًsomething يَفديهِransoms him مِنfrom أَسْرِthe captivity of مَوتٍdeath
لَيتَ شَيئاً يَفديهِ مِن أَسْرِ مَوتٍ
كُنتُI would be مِمَّنamong those who يَفديهِransom him فيwith كُلِّevery غالِprecious thing
كُنتُ مِمَّن يَفديهِ في كُلِّ غالِ
If only something could ransom him from death's captivity,
Would that something could ransom him from death's bond!
I would be among those who ransom him with every precious thing.
I would be among those who ransom him, whatever the price.
كانَthere were مِنamong أَهلِهِhis family شموسٌsuns وبَدرٌand a full moon
كانَ مِن أَهلِهِ شموسٌ وبَدرٌ
ثمَّthen نَجمٌa star حَلّواthey inhabited بُروجَthe constellations of المَعاليeminence
ثمَّ نَجمٌ حَلّوا بُروجَ المَعالي
Among his family were suns and a full moon,
Among his family were suns, full moons,
then a star; they dwelt in the constellations of eminence.
Then a star high in the climax of grandeur.
قَدindeed تَولَّواthey departed وَذِكرُهمand their memory دامَendured فيناamong us
قَد تَولَّوا وَذِكرُهم دامَ فينا
لَيسَdoes not يَفنىfade عَلىthrough مَمرِّthe passing of اللَّياليthe nights
لَيسَ يَفنى عَلى مَمرِّ اللَّيالي
They have departed, but their memory has endured among us;
They turned away, but their memory remains with us,
it does not fade as the nights pass.
It does not fade with the passage of nights.
وَعَليهِand for him غارواthey felt jealousy وَغارَand he felt jealousy عَلَيهمfor them
وَعَليهِ غاروا وَغارَ عَلَيهم
وَاِستحبّواand they preferred اِقتِرانَهمtheir union بِالكَمالِwith al-Kamal (Perfection)
وَاِستحبّوا اِقتِرانَهم بِالكَمالِ
They were jealous for him, and he was jealous for them,
They wept for him and he for them,
and they preferred their union with al-Kamal (Perfection).
And they preferred conjunction with perfection.
فَعَليهِso upon him مِنَfrom الكريمِthe Generous One رِضاهُHis pleasure
فَعَليهِ مِنَ الكريمِ رِضاهُ
يَتَوالىcontinues in succession دَوماًforever بِغَيرِwithout اِنفِصالِinterruption
يَتَوالى دَوماً بِغَيرِ اِنفِصالِ
So may the Generous One's pleasure be upon him,
May he be pleased with the generous one,
continuing forever, without interruption.
In unceasing succession forever!
Sol 6.1