أيّهاO you السّائلُthe questioner كيso that يَعْhe may know (first part)
أيّها السّائلُ كي يَعْ
لَمcompletion of 'he may know' حالِيmy condition مِنfrom سؤاليquestioning me
لَم حالِي مِن سؤالي
O questioner, seeking to know
O questioner, so you may know
my condition through questioning me:
My state from my questioning
أناI فيin عشرِthe decade of الثّمانيeighty (first part)
أنا في عشرِ الثّماني
نَcompletion of 'eighty' البعيداتfar-reaching الطِّوالِlong
نَ البعيدات الطِّوالِ
I am in my eighth decade—
I am in my twenties
those long, far-stretching years.
From the distant, long ones
كمhow much تخطّيتُI crossed إليهاto reach it
كم تخطّيتُ إليها
منof سهولٍplains ورمالِand sands
من سهولٍ ورمالِ
How much I have passed through to reach it:
How much I strove towards them
plains and sands,
Through plains and sands
وثَراءٍand wealth واِفتقارٍand poverty
وثَراءٍ واِفتقارٍ
واِهتداءٍand finding the right way وضلالِand straying
واِهتداءٍ وضلالِ
wealth and poverty,
And greenery and poverty
guidance and straying.
And guidance and misguidance
حولِيَaround me الآجالُappointed times of death يَفْرِسْthey prey upon (first part)
حولِيَ الآجالُ يَفْرِسْ
نَcompletion of 'they prey upon' نفوساًsouls وحِياليand before me
نَ نفوساً وحِيالي
Around me, death's appointed hours prey
Around me, the terms stalk
on souls, before my very eyes.
Souls and my determination
وأرىand I see مِنfrom حالِthe condition of أحباmy loved ones (first part)
وأرى مِن حالِ أحبا
بِيَcompletion of 'my loved ones' أنموذجَa likeness of حاليmy condition
بِيَ أنموذجَ حالي
And I see in the condition of my loved
And I see in the state of loved ones
ones a likeness of my own.
An example of my state
ليسthere is no بُدٌّescape للّذيfor the one who يسhe strives (first part)
ليس بُدٌّ للّذي يس
عىcompletion of 'he strives' بعيداًfar منfrom كَلالِweariness
عى بعيداً من كَلالِ
There is no escape, for one who strives
There is no escape for one who travels
far, from weariness;
Far from weariness
والّذيand the one who يسكنdwells in داراًa house
والّذي يسكن داراً
مِنfrom زَوالٍdeparture واِنتقالِand moving on
مِن زَوالٍ واِنتقالِ
nor, for one who dwells in a house,
And one who dwells in a house
from departure and moving on.
Of decline and transition
ربّmany a أقوامٍpeople بلاwithout جُرoffense (first part)
ربّ أقوامٍ بلا جُر
مٍcompletion of 'offense' يُريغونthey seek اِرتحاليmy departure
مٍ يُريغون اِرتحالي
Many people, though I have done no wrong,
Many people without crime
seek my departure.
Wander in my travel
والّذيand what يهوَوْنthey desire منّيfrom me
والّذي يهوَوْن منّي
ليسis not فيin أيديthe hands of الرّجالِmen
ليس في أيدي الرّجالِ
And what they want of me
And those who pine for me
is not in men's hands.
Are not in men's hands
لَستُI am not أَقلاهمْI hate them فلمْso why لِيfor me
لَستُ أَقلاهمْ فلمْ لِي
منfrom لدُنْهمْtheir midst كلُّevery قالِhater
من لدُنْهمْ كلُّ قالِ
I do not hate them; why, then, have I
I am not less than them, so why
all these haters from among them?
Do I get all the talk from them
قدّرواthey reckoned نيلَthe attainment of الأمانيwishes (first part)
قدّروا نيلَ الأماني
يِcompletion of 'wishes' رخيصاًcheap وهْوَwhile it is غالِcostly
يِ رخيصاً وهْوَ غالِ
They reckoned the attainment of wishes
They valued attaining wishes
cheap, though it is costly.
Cheap while it is expensive
Sol 6.1