صَحِبَkept company with الناسُthe people قَبلَناbefore us ذاthis الزَماناage
صَحِبَ الناسُ قَبلَنا ذا الزَمانا
وَعَناهُمand troubled them مِنfrom شَأنِهِits affairs ماwhat عَناناtroubled us
وَعَناهُم مِن شَأنِهِ ما عَنانا
People before us kept company with this age,
Men companied with this Age before our days,
And its affairs troubled them as they have troubled us.
And suffered from its ways the pains we suffer.
وَتَوَلَّواand they departed بِغُصَّةٍwith choking grief كُلُّهُمall of them مِنـfrom
وَتَوَلَّوا بِغُصَّةٍ كُلُّهُم مِنـ
ـهُit وَإِنand though سَرَّdelighted بَعضُهُمsome of them أَحياناat times
ـهُ وَإِن سَرَّ بَعضُهُم أَحيانا
And all of them departed with choking grief from
They turned away, all choking on their grief,
it, though it sometimes delighted some of them.
Though for a time it might have pleased a few.
رُبَّماsometimes تُحسِنُdoes well الصَنيعَthe deed لَياليـnights
رُبَّما تُحسِنُ الصَنيعَ لَياليـ
ـهِits وَلَكِنand yet تُكَدِّرُmars الإِحساناthe kindness
ـهِ وَلَكِن تُكَدِّرُ الإِحسانا
Sometimes good deeds are done by the nights
Perchance the nights may offer kindly deeds,
of this age, yet they mar the kindness.
Yet soon enough they muddy every grace.
وَكَأَنّاand as though we لَمnot يَرضَwas content فيناin our case بِرَيبِwith the misfortunes of الـthe
وَكَأَنّا لَم يَرضَ فينا بِرَيبِ الـ
ـدَهرِtime حَتّىuntil أَعانَهُaided it مَنwhoever أَعاناaided us
ـدَهرِ حَتّى أَعانَهُ مَن أَعانا
And as though it were not content to afflict us with the misfortunes of
As though the trials of Time were not enough,
time, until those who aided us aided it.
Till men stepped in to aid the hand of Fate.
كُلَّماwhenever أَنبَتَcaused to grow الزَمانُtime قَناةًa reed
كُلَّما أَنبَتَ الزَمانُ قَناةً
رَكَّبَfitted المَرءُa person فيin القَناةِthe reed سِناناa spearhead
رَكَّبَ المَرءُ في القَناةِ سِنانا
Whenever time brought forth a reed,
Whenever Time puts forth a wooden shaft,
a man fitted a spearhead to the reed.
Man mounts upon the wood a deadly spear.
وَمُرادُand the desire النُفوسِthe souls أَصغَرُsmaller مِنthan أَنto
وَمُرادُ النُفوسِ أَصغَرُ مِن أَن
نَتَعادىwe become enemies فيهِover it وَأَنand to نَتَفانىwe destroy one another
نَتَعادى فيهِ وَأَن نَتَفانى
And what souls desire is too trifling for us
The goals of souls are smaller than they seem,
to become enemies over it and destroy one another.
To warrant such destruction and such feud.
غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat الفَتىthe young man يُلاقيfaces المَناياthe fates of death
غَيرَ أَنَّ الفَتى يُلاقي المَنايا
كالِحاتٍscowling وَلاand not يُلاقيfaces الهَواناhumiliation
كالِحاتٍ وَلا يُلاقي الهَوانا
Yet a young man will face the fates of death,
Yet noble youth would rather meet with death,
with their scowling faces, but will not face humiliation.
Though grim of face, than meet with base disgrace.
وَلَوَand if أَنَّthat الحَياةَlife تَبقىendures لِحَيٍّfor a living being
وَلَوَ أَنَّ الحَياةَ تَبقى لِحَيٍّ
لَعَدَدناwe would surely deem أَضَلَّناthe most misguided among us الشُجعاناthe brave
لَعَدَدنا أَضَلَّنا الشُجعانا
And if life endured for any living being,
And were this life to last for living men,
we would deem the brave the most misguided among us.
We’d count the brave the most misled of all.
وَإِذاand when لَمnot يَكُنthere is مِنَfrom المَوتِdeath بُدٌّescape
وَإِذا لَم يَكُن مِنَ المَوتِ بُدٌّ
فَمِنَthen it is of العَجزِweakness أَنto تَكونَyou be جَباناa coward
فَمِنَ العَجزِ أَن تَكونَ جَبانا
And when there is no escape from death,
But since from death there is no fleeing away,
then it is weakness to be a coward.
’Tis weakness to be found a coward then.
كُلُّevery ماthing that لَمnot يَكُنhas happened مِنَamong الصَعبِthe difficult things فيin الأَنthe souls (word beginning)
كُلُّ ما لَم يَكُن مِنَ الصَعبِ في الأَن
فُسِcompletion of “souls” سَهلٌeasy فيهاin them إِذاwhen هُوَit كاناhas happened
فُسِ سَهلٌ فيها إِذا هُوَ كانا
Every hardship not yet encountered by the
All things that seemed too hard for souls to bear,
souls becomes easy for them once it comes to pass.
Grow easy in the soul when they arrive.
Sol 6.1