لعمريby my life وماand not دهريmy lifelong wont بتأبينgiven to lamenting هالكone who has died
لعمري وما دهري بتأبين هالك
ولاnor جَزِعاًgrief-stricken والدهرُwhile time يَعثَرُtrips up بالفتىa young man
ولا جَزِعاً والدهرُ يَعثَرُ بالفتى
By my life, it is not my wont to lament the dead,
By my life, neither my age nor my fate is inclined to mourn for your loss,
nor to be distraught, though time trips a young man.
Nor to grieve while time trips up even the best of men.
لئنif indeed مالكٌMālik خلّىleft vacant عليَّupon me مكانَهُhis place
لئن مالكٌ خلّى عليَّ مكانَهُ
لفيsurely in أسوةٍa consoling example إنif كانit is ينفعنيit benefits me الأسىconsoling examples
لفي أسوةٍ إن كان ينفعني الأسى
If Mālik has left his place empty for me,
If a protector has abandoned his place to me,
I have consolation, if consoling examples can help me:
There is solace if grief can benefit me.
كهولٌmature men ومُردand beardless youths منfrom بنيthe sons of عمthe paternal uncle of مالكٍMālik
كهولٌ ومُرد من بني عم مالكٍ
وأيسارُand gamesters صَدقٍof true worth لوif تمليتهمyou enjoyed their company at length رضىa delight
وأيسارُ صَدقٍ لو تمليتهم رضى
mature men and beardless youths among Mālik’s cousins,
Old men and oft defeated, the clans of Malik's sons,
and worthy gamesters, a delight if you had enjoyed their company.
And generous hands, though you oblige them, breed disgust.
سقواthey were given drink بالعقارِwith wine الصرفunmixed حتىuntil تتابعواthey followed in succession
سقوا بالعقارِ الصرف حتى تتابعوا
كَدأبِas was the way of ثمودٍThamūd إذwhen رَغاbellowed بكرُهمtheir young male camel ضحىat midmorning
كَدأبِ ثمودٍ إذ رَغا بكرُهم ضحى
They were given unmixed wine until they followed one another in death,
They drank the pure wine till they reeled
like Thamūd, when their young camel bellowed at midmorning.
Like Thamud's revelers when their elite caroused at dawn.
وهَوَّنَand eased وَجديmy anguish بعدماafter كدتُI nearly أنتحيthrow myself
وهَوَّنَ وَجدي بعدما كدتُ أنتحي
علىupon السيفِthe sword حتىso that يبلغَit would reach الجوفthe belly والحشاand the entrails
على السيفِ حتى يبلغَ الجوف والحشا
And my anguish was eased, after I nearly threw myself
My soul softened after I had nearly
upon the sword, so it would reach my belly and entrails,
Fallen on the sword so it pierced belly and vitals.
رجالٌmen أراهمI see them منamong ملوكِkings وسُوقةand commoners
رجالٌ أراهم من ملوكِ وسُوقة
خَبَواthey faded out بعدماafter نالواthey attained السلامةsafety والغنىand wealth
خَبَوا بعدما نالوا السلامة والغنى
by men I see, both kings and commoners,
Men I see whom kings and generals
who faded out after gaining safety and wealth.
Have excelled after gaining safety and wealth.
علىfor مِثلِthe like of اصحابِthe companions of البعوضةal-Baʿūḍah فاخمشيso scratch
على مِثلِ اصحابِ البعوضة فاخمشي
لكِto you الويلُwoe حرَّthe smooth part of الوجهِthe face وليبكِand let him weep منwhoever بكىwept
لكِ الويلُ حرَّ الوجهِ وليبكِ من بكى
For men like the companions of al-Baʿūḍah, scratch—
So beware meeting the same fate as the lice's companions,
woe to you!—the smooth skin of your face, and let whoever weeps weep
Woe to you, hot of face, may those who weep bewail you.
علىfor بَشَرٍmen منهمamong them يسيرٌa gamester وفارسٌand a horseman
على بَشَرٍ منهم يسيرٌ وفارسٌ
اذاwhen ارتدَفَrode upon السبيthe captives الحواركَthe withers والذرىand the humps
اذا ارتدَفَ السبي الحواركَ والذرى
for men among them—a gamester and a horseman—
Of their ilk only a few remain, and the noble horseman
when captives rode upon withers and humps.
When the captives and slaves refrained from the fray.
إذاwhen القومthe people قالواthey said منwho فتىa gallant young man يومَon a day of نَجدةٍvalor
إذا القوم قالوا من فتى يومَ نَجدةٍ
فماthen not كلُّهمall of them يُعنىis meant ولكنّهbut he الفتىthe gallant young man
فما كلُّهم يُعنى ولكنّه الفتى
When the people said, ‘Who is the gallant man on a day calling for valor?’
When the people say who was the hero at Najd's day?
not all of them were meant, but he was the gallant man.
Not all of them are intended but only the hero.
وكلand every امرئman يوماًone day اذاif عاشhe lives حقبةa span of time
وكل امرئ يوماً اذا عاش حقبة
إلىtoward غايةٍa goal يجريhe runs اليهاtoward it ومنتهىand an end
إلى غايةٍ يجري اليها ومنتهى
And every man, one day, if he lives a span of time,
And every man lives for a time, and eventually
runs toward a goal, and toward an end.
Reaches a destined end and terminus.
Sol 6.1