منwhoever عاشرَkept company with الدَّهرَTime لاnot يخلوis free منof الهَوَسِmadness
من عاشرَ الدَّهرَ لا يخلو من الهَوَسِ
لِماbecause of what يَرَىhe sees منof دَواهيthe calamities of خُلقِهِits temperament الشكَسِill-tempered
لِما يَرَى من دَواهي خُلقِهِ الشكَسِ
Whoever keeps company with Time is never free of madness,
for the calamities he sees in its ill-tempered nature.
كأنُّهُas though it شاخَgrew old حتىuntil صارَbecame منfrom خَرَفٍsenility
كأنُّهُ شاخَ حتى صارَ من خَرَفٍ
لاnot يُدرِكُdiscerns الفَرْقَthe difference بينَbetween الماءِwater والقَبَسِand a firebrand
لا يُدرِكُ الفَرْقَ بينَ الماءِ والقَبَسِ
It seems to have grown so old that, in its senility,
it cannot tell water from a firebrand.
بِتناwe spent the night نُعاتبُهُreproaching it جَهلاًignorantly ويَلحَظُناand it watches us
بِتنا نُعاتبُهُ جَهلاً ويَلحَظُنا
بعَينِwith the eye of ساهٍa heedless one عَرَتهاovertook it غَفلةُthe stupor of النَعَسِdrowsiness
بعَينِ ساهٍ عَرَتها غَفلةُ النَعَسِ
We spent the night foolishly reproaching it, while it watched us
with a heedless eye, clouded by the stupor of drowsiness.
إذاwhen شَكَوتَyou complained لِمَنْto one who فيin أُذنِهِhis ear صَمَمٌdeafness
إذا شَكَوتَ لِمَنْ في أُذنِهِ صَمَمٌ
رأَيتَyou found لاno فَرقَdifference بينَbetween النُطقِspeech والخَرَسِand muteness
رأَيتَ لا فَرقَ بينَ النُطقِ والخَرَسِ
When you complain to one whose ear is deaf,
you find no difference between speech and muteness.
دَهرٌan age تَرَىyou see كُلَّevery أَمرٍmatter فيهِin it مُلتَبِساًmuddled
دَهرٌ تَرَى كُلَّ أَمرٍ فيهِ مُلتَبِساً
ولاand not تُصادِفُyou encounter حُكماًa judgment غيرَother than مُنعكِسِinverted
ولا تُصادِفُ حُكماً غيرَ مُنعكِسِ
An age in which you see every matter muddled,
and encounter no judgment that is not turned upside down.
تَجريunfold القَضاياaffairs علىaccording to غيرِother than القياسِlogical inference بهِin it
تَجري القَضايا على غيرِ القياسِ بهِ
فانظُرْso look نَتِيجَتَهاtheir outcome واسمَعand listen ولاand do not تَقِسِreason by analogy
فانظُرْ نَتِيجَتَها واسمَع ولا تَقِسِ
Affairs unfold in it contrary to logical inference;
so watch their outcome and listen, and do not reason by analogy.
كمhow many جاهلٍan ignorant man لوif أرادَhe wished الدُرَّpearls يَطبُخُهُhe cooks them
كم جاهلٍ لو أرادَ الدُرَّ يَطبُخُهُ
وعالِمٍand a learned man يشتهيcraves كَفّاًa handful منَof العَدَسِlentils
وعالِمٍ يشتهي كَفّاً منَ العَدَسِ
How many an ignorant man could cook pearls if he wished,
while a learned man craves a handful of lentils!
وذيand one possessing غِنىًwealth لاnot يُساويis worth منهُof it خَرْدَلةًa mustard seed
وذي غِنىً لا يُساوي منهُ خَرْدَلةً
وقارسٍand a bitterly cold one ليسَis not يَسويis worth حافرَthe hoof of الفَرسِthe horse
وقارسٍ ليسَ يَسوي حافرَ الفَرسِ
And a wealthy man not worth a mustard seed of his riches,
and a bitterly cold one not worth a horse's hoof.
لَقدindeed رَضيناwe were content بحُكمِwith the decree of الدَّهرِTime كيفَhowever جَرىit unfolded
لَقد رَضينا بحُكمِ الدَّهرِ كيفَ جَرى
لوif only دامَlasted ماwhat نشتكيwe complain منof عَيشِناour life البَخِسِmeager
لو دامَ ما نشتكي من عَيشِنا البَخِسِ
We would indeed be content with Time's decree, however it went,
if only the meager life we complain of would endure.
صُبحٌdawn يلوحُappears ويأتيand comes بَعدَهُafter it غَلَسٌpredawn gloom
صُبحٌ يلوحُ ويأتي بَعدَهُ غَلَسٌ
ونحنُand we نَذهبُpass away بينَbetween الصُّبحِdawn والغَلَسِand predawn gloom
ونحنُ نَذهبُ بينَ الصُّبحِ والغَلَسِ
A dawn appears, and after it comes the gloom of night,
and we pass away between dawn and gloom.
فيin ذِمَّةِthe keeping of اللهِGod مِنَّاfrom among us راحلٌone departed رَحَلَتْdeparted
في ذِمَّةِ اللهِ مِنَّا راحلٌ رَحَلَتْ
مَعْهُwith him فكَاهةُthe joy of رَغدِthe ease of العَيشِliving والأُنُسِand companionship
مَعْهُ فكَاهةُ رَغدِ العَيشِ والأُنُسِ
In God's keeping is one of us who departed; gone
with him is the joy of a life of ease and fellowship.
وَدَّعتُهُI bade him farewell عِندَat مَسراهُhis night journey فوَدَّعنيthen bade me farewell
وَدَّعتُهُ عِندَ مَسراهُ فوَدَّعني
صبريmy patience وخَلَّفَand left behind ضِيقَconstriction of النَّفسِthe soul والنَّفَسِand the breath
صبري وخَلَّفَ ضِيقَ النَّفسِ والنَّفَسِ
I bade him farewell as he set out by night; then I was bid farewell
by my patience, which left anguish of soul and shortness of breath.
مَلَّتْgrew weary نُجومُthe stars of الدُّجىnight's darkness مِمَّاbecause of how much أُراقبُهاI watch them
مَلَّتْ نُجومُ الدُّجى مِمَّا أُراقبُها
حَتَّىuntil كأَنِّيas though I منَamong الأَرصادِthe lookouts والحَرَسِand the guards
حَتَّى كأَنِّي منَ الأَرصادِ والحَرَسِ
The stars of night have wearied of how much I watch them,
until I seem one of the lookouts and guards.
واستَنكَفَand disdained الشَّوقُlonging منfrom مَثواهُits abode فيin بَدَنٍa body
واستَنكَفَ الشَّوقُ من مَثواهُ في بَدَنٍ
كأَنُّهُas though it طَلَلٌa ruin فيamid الأَربُعِthe dwelling sites الدُّرُسِeffaced
كأَنُّهُ طَلَلٌ في الأَربُعِ الدُّرُسِ
And longing has disdained its abode in a body
that seems a ruin amid effaced dwelling sites.
يَصولُassails وَجدِيmy anguish علىagainst السَّلوَىsolace فيَحِطِمُهاso it crushes her
يَصولُ وَجدِي على السَّلوَى فيَحِطِمُها
مِثلَlike العَجُوزِthe old woman تُجاهَbefore الفاتِكِthe killer الشَّرِسِsavage
مِثلَ العَجُوزِ تُجاهَ الفاتِكِ الشَّرِسِ
My anguish assails solace and crushes her—
like an old woman facing a savage killer.
ظَلَّتْshe kept تَمُدُّextending إليهِtoward him كَفَّthe hand of مُلتَمِسٍa supplicant
ظَلَّتْ تَمُدُّ إليهِ كَفَّ مُلتَمِسٍ
وظَلَّand he kept يُلقِيbringing down عليهاupon her كَفَّthe hand of مُفترِسِa predator
وظَلَّ يُلقِي عليها كَفَّ مُفترِسِ
She kept stretching out to him a supplicant's hand,
and he kept bringing down on her a predator's hand.
حَيَّاmay greet الحَياrain طِيبَthe sweetness of عَصرٍa time مَعْwith أَحِبَّتِناour loved ones
حَيَّا الحَيا طِيبَ عَصرٍ مَعْ أَحِبَّتِنا
قدindeed كانَwas منamong فُرَصِthe opportunities of الأَيَّامِthe days كالخُلَسِlike stolen moments
قد كانَ من فُرَصِ الأَيَّامِ كالخُلَسِ
May rain greet the sweetness of a time with our loved ones,
which was among the days' opportunities, like stolen moments.
أَحلَىsweetest اللياليthe nights الَّتيthose that بالوَصْلِin union نَقطَعُهاwe spend them
أَحلَى الليالي الَّتي بالوَصْلِ نَقطَعُها
وأفضَلُand the best الوَصلِunion ماthat which يخلوis free منَof الدَّنَسِtaint
وأفضَلُ الوَصلِ ما يخلو منَ الدَّنَسِ
The sweetest nights are those we spend in union,
and the best union is that which is free of taint.
Sol 6.1