سَلask عَنِabout الماضينَthe departed إِنif نَطَقَتspoke
سَل عَنِ الماضينَ إِن نَطَقَت
عَنهُمُabout them الأَجداثُthe graves وَالبِرَكُand the pools
عَنهُمُ الأَجداثُ وَالبِرَكُ
Ask about the departed, if they speak—
Ask about the past, if the ruins and ponds speak of them,
the graves and pools—of them:
Which abode of affliction did they dwell in,
أَيَّwhich دارٍabode لِلبَلاof decay نَزَلواthey settled
أَيَّ دارٍ لِلبَلا نَزَلوا
أَوor سَبيلٍpath لِلرَدىto death سَلَكواthey trod
أَو سَبيلٍ لِلرَدى سَلَكوا
In what abode of decay did they settle,
Or path of ruin did they tread?
or what path to death did they tread?
They ruled the world, yet death held off
مَلَكواthey possessed الدُنياthe world فَماyet not دَفَعَwarded off الthe
مَلَكوا الدُنيا فَما دَفَعَ ال
مَوتَdeath ماwhat حازواthey amassed وَماand what مَلَكواthey owned
مَوتَ ما حازوا وَما مَلَكوا
They possessed the world, yet could not ward off
Neither their gains nor what they owned.
death with what they amassed and what they owned.
So fate struck them down,
فَتَكَتstruck down مِنهُمfrom among them نَوائِبُهاits calamities
فَتَكَت مِنهُم نَوائِبُها
بِرِجالٍat men طَالَماso often فَتَكواthey struck down
بِرِجالٍ طَالَما فَتَكوا
Its calamities struck down from among them
With men, though long they wrought havoc.
men who had so often struck others down.
They laughed for a while, but sorrow returned
ضَحِكواthey laughed حيناًfor a while فَعادَthen became أَسىًsorrow
ضَحِكوا حيناً فَعادَ أَسىً
وَبُكاءًand weeping ذَلِكَthat الضَحِكُthe laughter
وَبُكاءً ذَلِكَ الضَحِكُ
They laughed awhile; it turned to sorrow
And weeping, such was their laughter.
and weeping—that laughter.
And time's hand stained it with blood,
وَبَرَتهاand fashioned them لِلزَمانِfor Time يَدٌa hand
وَبَرَتها لِلزَمانِ يَدٌ
ماnot عَلَيهاupon it فيconcerning دَمٍbloodshed دَرَكُliability
ما عَلَيها في دَمٍ دَرَكُ
And a hand fashioned them for Time,
With no blood-price on it.
bearing no liability for bloodshed.
O brother of fifty, enraptured with it
ياO أَخاman of الخَمسينَfifty باهِرَهاsurpassing it
يا أَخا الخَمسينَ باهِرَها
وَهوَwhile he فيin دُنياهُhis worldly life مُنهَمِكُengrossed
وَهوَ في دُنياهُ مُنهَمِكُ
O man of fifty, already past that age,
While trapped in his world,
while he is engrossed in his worldly life,
He slept deluded, while fate's ropes
باتَhe spent the night مَغروراًdeluded تُمَدُّare spread لَهُfor him
باتَ مَغروراً تُمَدُّ لَهُ
مِنfrom حِبالاتِsnares of الرَدىdeath شَبَكُnets
مِن حِبالاتِ الرَدى شَبَكُ
he spends the night deluded, while spread for him
Were spreaded out for him as a net,
are nets made from the snares of death.
No! While life is being snatched away
لاfirst part of 'heedless' هِياًcompletion of 'heedless' وَالعُمرُwhile life مُنتَهَبٌplundered
لا هِياً وَالعُمرُ مُنتَهَبٌ
بِيَدِby the hand of الأَيّامِthe days مُنهَتَكُravaged
بِيَدِ الأَيّامِ مُنهَتَكُ
Heedless, while his life is plundered,
By the hands of days, ripped apart,
ravaged by the hand of days.
Stop a little, for you have reached an extent
قِفpause قَليلاًa little قَدalready بَلَغتَyou have reached مَدىًa stage
قِف قَليلاً قَد بَلَغتَ مَدىً
لِلمَناياfor the fates of death فيهِin it مُعتَرَكُa battlefield
لِلمَنايا فيهِ مُعتَرَكُ
Pause a little; you have reached a stage
Where death contends, in it is your place of battle.
where death has its battlefield.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1