ياO سائِليyou who ask me عَنabout ذنوبِsins of الدّهرTime آونةًfrom time to time
يا سائِلي عَن ذنوبِ الدّهر آونةً
اِسمعْlisten فَعندِيَfor I have أنباءٌtidings وأخبارُand reports
اِسمعْ فَعندِيَ أنباءٌ وأخبارُ
O you who ask me, now and then, about Time's sins,
listen, for I have tidings and reports.
كُلُّall الرّجالِmen إِذاif لمdo not يخشعواthey humble themselves طمعاًout of greed
كُلُّ الرّجالِ إِذا لم يخشعوا طمعاً
ولمand do not تكدّرهمُtrouble them الآمالُhopes أحرارُfree
ولم تكدّرهمُ الآمالُ أحرارُ
All men, if they do not abase themselves through greed,
and hopes do not trouble them, are free.
إنْif تُضحbecomes دارِيَmy home فيin عمّانَAmman نائيةًdistant
إنْ تُضح دارِيَ في عمّانَ نائيةً
يوماًone day عليَّfrom me فبالخُلصاءِthen among true friends لِيfor me دارُa home
يوماً عليَّ فبالخُلصاءِ لِي دارُ
If my home in Amman should become distant
from me one day, then among true friends I have a home.
لوif لمdid not يكنexist لِيَfor me جارٌa neighbor مِنfrom نِزَارِهِمُtheir Nizar
لو لم يكن لِيَ جارٌ مِن نِزَارِهِمُ
يحنوshows kindness عليَّtoward me فمنthen from قحطانهمْtheir Qahtan جارُa neighbor
يحنو عليَّ فمن قحطانهمْ جارُ
If I had no neighbor among their Nizar
to care for me, I would have a neighbor among their Qahtan.
وإنْand if يضقْgrows narrow خُلُقٌtemper منfrom صاحبa companion سَئِمٍweary
وإنْ يضقْ خُلُقٌ من صاحب سَئِمٍ
فلمyet have not يضقْgrown narrow بِيَaround me فيin ذيthis الأرضearth أقطارُexpanses
فلم يضقْ بِيَ في ذي الأرض أقطارُ
And if a weary friend should grow short-tempered,
yet the expanses of this earth have not closed in on me.
وماand not أبالِيI care ونفسيand my soul ماnot تملّكهاhas possessed it
وما أبالِي ونفسي ما تملّكها
أَسْرُbondage of الغرامِpassionate love أقامَstayed الحيُّthe tribe أمor سارواthey departed
أَسْرُ الغرامِ أقامَ الحيُّ أم ساروا
And I do not care—my soul has not been mastered
by love's bondage—whether the tribe stays or departs.
سَقْياًmay rain fall لقلبٍupon a heart يَعافُspurns الذُّلَّabasement ذِيpossessing أَنَفٍpride
سَقْياً لقلبٍ يَعافُ الذُّلَّ ذِي أَنَفٍ
العارُdisgrace فيin لُبّهِits mind سِيّانare alike والنّارُand fire
العارُ في لُبّهِ سِيّان والنّارُ
May rain bless a proud heart that spurns abasement;
in its mind, disgrace and fire are alike.
يَكسوclothes الجديدَnew garments لمَنfor whoever يَعتامchooses مِنحتَهhis gift
يَكسو الجديدَ لمَن يَعتام مِنحتَه
ولبسُهand his clothing الدّهرَforever أَهدامٌworn-out garments وأطمارُand rags
ولبسُه الدّهرَ أَهدامٌ وأطمارُ
He gives new garments to whoever chooses a gift from him,
while all his life his clothing is tatters and rags.
ذلّis abased الّذيhe who فيin يدthe hand of الحسناءِthe beauty مهجتُهhis heart
ذلّ الّذي في يد الحسناءِ مهجتُه
ومنand whoever لهhas فيfor ذواتِwomen of الخِدْرِthe curtained chamber أوطارُdesires
ومن له في ذواتِ الخِدْرِ أوطارُ
Abased is he whose heart lies in a beauty's hand,
and whoever has desires for women behind the curtain.
وعزّand is exalted مَنhe who لاno هوىًpassion منهfrom him وكانand there was لهfor him
وعزّ مَن لا هوىً منه وكان له
عنهfrom it مدَىthroughout الدّهرall time إقصاءٌkeeping at a distance وإقصارُand abstention
عنه مدَى الدّهر إقصاءٌ وإقصارُ
And exalted is he who feels no passion and has
kept it distant and abstained from it throughout his life.
ماnot سرّنِيpleased me أنّنيthat I أحوِيpossess الغِنىwealth وبداand appeared
ما سرّنِي أنّني أحوِي الغِنى وبدا
فيin كفّthe palm of جارِيَmy neighbor إعسارٌpoverty وإقتارُand want
في كفّ جارِيَ إعسارٌ وإقتارُ
It would not please me to possess wealth while
poverty and want appear in my neighbor's palm;
وأنّand that لِيI have نَصرةًhelp منagainst كلّevery حادثةٍcalamity
وأنّ لِي نَصرةً من كلّ حادثةٍ
وماand not لهfor him منagainst صروفreversals of الدّهرِTime نَصّارُa champion
وما له من صروف الدّهرِ نَصّارُ
nor to have help against every calamity
while he has no champion against Time's reversals;
وأنّنيand that I بالغٌattaining منfrom عيشتِيmy life وَطَراًa wish
وأنّني بالغٌ من عيشتِي وَطَراً
وليسand not تُقضىare fulfilled لهfor him ماas long as عاشhe lives أوطارُwishes
وليس تُقضى له ما عاش أوطارُ
nor to attain a wish in my life
while his wishes go unfulfilled as long as he lives.
لاmay not بارَكَbless اللَّهGod فيin وادِيthe valley of اللّئامِthe ignoble ولاnor
لا بارَكَ اللَّه في وادِي اللّئامِ ولا
سالتْflow بهthrough it عندduring جَدْبِthe drought of العامthe year أمطارُrains
سالتْ به عند جَدْبِ العام أمطارُ
May God not bless the valley of the ignoble, nor
may rains flow through it when the year is barren.
وَالخيرُand goodness كُلفةُa burden هذاthis الخلقِcreation كلّهِمُall of them
وَالخيرُ كُلفةُ هذا الخلقِ كلّهِمُ
والنّاسُand people بالطّبعِby nature والأخلاقِand character أشرارُwicked
والنّاسُ بالطّبعِ والأخلاقِ أشرارُ
And goodness is a burden to all these creatures;
and people are wicked by nature and character.
إنّindeed الّذينthose who أقامواthey dwelt قبلناbefore us زمناًfor a time
إنّ الّذين أقاموا قبلنا زمناً
مُحكّمينgiven authority علىover أيّامهمْtheir days سارواthey departed
مُحكّمين على أيّامهمْ ساروا
Indeed, those who lived before us for a time,
masters over their days, have departed.
خَلتbecame empty منازلُهمْtheir dwellings منهمْof them وشرّدهمْand drove them away
خَلت منازلُهمْ منهمْ وشرّدهمْ
دهرٌTime خؤونٌfaithless لمنto whomever يؤذيهit harms him غدّارُtreacherous
دهرٌ خؤونٌ لمن يؤذيه غدّارُ
Their dwellings stand empty of them; they were driven away
by faithless Time, treacherous to those it harms.
وحطّهمْand brought them low قَدَرٌfate منfrom بعدafter أنthat رُفعِتْwere raised
وحطّهمْ قَدَرٌ من بعد أن رُفعِتْ
منهمْof theirs إلىto قُلّةِthe summit of العلياءِglory أقدارُranks
منهمْ إلى قُلّةِ العلياءِ أقدارُ
And fate brought them low, after they had been raised
in rank to the summit of glory.
Sol 6.1