كَمhow often ذاthis (emphatic) تَطيشُfly wide سِهامُthe arrows of الموتِdeath مُخطئةًmissing
كَم ذا تَطيشُ سِهامُ الموتِ مُخطئةً
نحريmy throat وتُصميand kill outright أَخلّائيmy dear friends وأخدانيand my companions
نحري وتُصمي أَخلّائي وأخداني
How often death’s arrows fly wide, missing
How often do the arrows of death go astray,
my throat, yet striking dead my dear friends and companions!
Piercing my neck and silencing my friends?
ولوand if فطنْتُI understood وقدand already أردَىhad slain الزّمانُTime فتىًa young man
ولو فطنْتُ وقد أردَى الزّمانُ فتىً
عَلِمتُI knew أنّthat الّذيwhat أصماهkilled him outright أصمانيkilled me outright
عَلِمتُ أنّ الّذي أصماه أصماني
And had I understood, when Time had slain a young man,
Had I but known, when time brought down the youths,
I would have known that what slew him had slain me too.
That he who was struck deafened me too,
وكيفand how تبقىsurvive حُشاشاتٌremnants of life تقلّبهاtoss them about
وكيف تبقى حُشاشاتٌ تقلّبها
فيin كلّevery يومٍday يداthe two hands of غَرْثانَone famished ظمآنِthirsty
في كلّ يومٍ يدا غَرْثانَ ظمآنِ
And how can remnants of life survive, tossed about
How can frail creatures tossed
each day by the two hands of one famished and thirsty?
Each day by the thirsty hand of death remain?
أَمor كيفَhow نَأملwe hope أَنْthat يَبقىlive on اِمرؤٌa person أبداًforever
أَم كيفَ نَأمل أَنْ يَبقى اِمرؤٌ أبداً
يفديransoms منfrom الموتِdeath إنساناًone person بإِنسانِwith another person
يفدي من الموتِ إنساناً بإِنسانِ
Or how can we hope that a man will live forever,
Or how can we hope that any man will live forever
ransoming one person from death with another?
And ransom from death one man with another?
سودٌblack ones وبيضٌand white ones منamong الأيّامِthe days لونُهماtheir color
سودٌ وبيضٌ من الأيّامِ لونُهما
لاnot يستحيلُchanges وقدand yet بدّلْنَthey have changed ألوانيmy colors
لا يستحيلُ وقد بدّلْنَ ألواني
Black days and white—their color
Black and white are their days’ colors,
does not change, though they have changed my colors.
Unchanging, though mine have changed.
هيهاتَfar from it! حُكِّمَwas made arbiter فيناover us أزْلَمٌTime (an epithet) جَذَعٌever-young
هيهاتَ حُكِّمَ فينا أزْلَمٌ جَذَعٌ
يُفنِيannihilates الورىhumankind بينbetween جُذعانٍthe young (young beasts) وقُرحانِand the mature (full-grown horses)
يُفنِي الورى بين جُذعانٍ وقُرحانِ
Far from it! Ever-young Time has been made our arbiter,
Alas! A strong, stubborn fate rules us
destroying humankind, young and full-grown alike.
And destroys mankind between tree trunk and wound.
فَلاso no حميمٌdear friend لناof ours يُبقيshows mercy الحِمامُDeath بهtoward him
فَلا حميمٌ لنا يُبقي الحِمامُ به
ولاnor جَديدٌanything new لناfor us يُبقيpreserve الجديدانِday and night
ولا جَديدٌ لنا يُبقي الجديدانِ
So Death spares no dear friend of ours,
So we have no intimate who keeps affection alive
nor do day and night preserve anything new for us.
Or new one who keeps newness alive.
يُعطيgives العطيّةَthe gift تتلوهاfollows it رَزِيَّتُهاits grievous loss
يُعطي العطيّةَ تتلوها رَزِيَّتُها
ويُطعِمُand feeds الشّهْدَhoney in the comb ممزوجاًmixed بخُطْبانِwith khutbān (a bitter herb)
ويُطعِمُ الشّهْدَ ممزوجاً بخُطْبانِ
It gives a gift, and its grievous loss follows,
He gives the gift but soon regrets it,
and feeds us honey mixed with khutbān, a bitter herb.
And feeds with honey laced with colocynth.
وربّماand sometimes حُرِمَis denied الرِّزقَsustenance الحريصُthe eager seeker وقدand already
وربّما حُرِمَ الرِّزقَ الحريصُ وقد
أَنضىwore out المطيَّthe mounts ووافىand reached منزلَthe station of الوانِيthe idler
أَنضى المطيَّ ووافى منزلَ الوانِي
And sometimes the eager seeker is denied sustenance, though
Often the greedy is denied sustenance though
he has worn out his mounts and reached the idler’s station.
His riding beast is fat and reaches journey’s end.
Sol 6.1