أَلقَىI face الكِمَّىthe armored warrior ولاand not أَهابُI fear لِقاءَهُmeeting him
أَلقَى الكِمَّى ولا أَهابُ لِقاءَهُ
ويفُلّand blunts إقداميmy boldness شَبَاthe sharp edges الحَدَثانِmisfortune
ويفُلّ إقدامي شَبَا الحَدَثانِ
I face the armored warrior and do not fear meeting him,
I faced dangers undaunted,
And my boldness blunts the sharp edges of misfortune.
My feet firm though youth still haunted,
وأَكُرُّand I charge فيinto صَدْرِthe forefront الخَمِيسthe army معانِقاًembracing
وأَكُرُّ في صَدْرِ الخَمِيس معانِقاً
لِلموتِdeath حِينwhen يفرّflees كلُّevery جَبانِcoward
لِلموتِ حِين يفرّ كلُّ جَبانِ
And I charge into the army's forefront, embracing
Embracing death on Thursday undismayed,
Death, while every coward flees.
When all the cowardly had fled afraid.
ويزِيدنيand increases me ذلّabasement الخطوبِcalamities تعظُّماًin grandeur
ويزِيدني ذلّ الخطوبِ تعظُّماً
وتسلُّطُand the tyranny الأيّامِof days عِزَّthe honor مكانِof station
وتسلُّطُ الأيّامِ عِزَّ مكانِ
And the abasement of calamities increases my grandeur,
Hardships but gave my glory firmer base,
And the tyranny of days, the honor of my station.
And passing days enhanced my pride of place.
وعلِمتُand I learned أخلاقthe ways الزمانِof time فلمso I did not أَضِقْgrow distressed
وعلِمتُ أخلاق الزمانِ فلم أَضِقْ
ذَرْعاًin endurance بأيّاميwith my days وغَدْرِand the treachery زمانيof my time
ذَرْعاً بأيّامي وغَدْرِ زماني
And I have learned the ways of time, so I have not lost
I’ve learned how Time’s inconstant seasons run.
Patience with my days and my time's treachery.
No fault have I to find with fates I’ve known,
فكماfor just as يَمَلّtires الدهرُtime مِنof إعطائِهits giving
فكما يَمَلّ الدهرُ مِن إعطائِه
فكذاso likewise مَلالتُهits weariness مِنof الحِرْمانِwithholding
فكذا مَلالتُه مِن الحِرْمانِ
For just as time tires of giving,
For even as the days are wont to bring
So too does it tire of withholding.
Their favor, so misfortune sorrowing,
وكماand just as يَكُرit returns لمَعشرٍto a people بسعادةٍwith good fortune
وكما يَكُر لمَعشرٍ بسعادةٍ
فكذاso likewise يَكُرّit returns لمِعشرٍto a people بِهوانِwith humiliation
فكذا يَكُرّ لمِعشرٍ بِهوانِ
And just as it returns to a people with good fortune,
And as for some they joy and glad estate,
So it returns to a people with humiliation.
For others grief and bitterness create.
فإذاso when رماكit strikes you بِشِدّةٍwith hardship فاصبرthen be patient لهاwith it
فإذا رماك بِشِدّةٍ فاصبر لها
فلسوفfor surely it will يأتيcome بعدهاafter it بِليانِwith ease
فلسوف يأتي بعدها بِليانِ
So when it strikes you with hardship, bear it patiently;
Bear thou what comes, and Time’s caprice forgive.
For afterward it will surely bring ease.
Good must succeed the ill he bids thee live.
ولقدand indeed رضِيتُI was content منfrom الزّمانِtime بجَوْرِهwith its injustice
ولقد رضِيتُ من الزّمانِ بجَوْرِه
متحمِّلاًenduring وشرِبتُand I drank ماwhat أَسْقانيit gave me to drink
متحمِّلاً وشرِبتُ ما أَسْقاني
And I have indeed accepted time's injustice,
Yea, though the days have been unjust and rude,
Bearing it patiently, and I have drunk what it gave me to drink.
I’ve borne, and drained the cups Fate proffered, crude.
فيin حادثٍa calamity نُدَمائيَmy drinking companions الأَشجانُsorrows فيin
في حادثٍ نُدَمائيَ الأَشجانُ في
غَمَراتهits engulfing depths وتفكُّرِيand my reflection رَيْحانيmy sweet basil
غَمَراته وتفكُّرِي رَيْحاني
In calamity, sorrows are my drinking companions amid
In hours of bliss, when joy me overflowed,
Its engulfing depths, and my reflection is my sweet basil.
My ardent thoughts were to my friends bestowed.
فَسلِso ask اللياليthe nights عنabout نَفاذِthe penetrating power عِزيمتيof my resolve
فَسلِ الليالي عن نَفاذِ عِزيمتي
وسَلِand ask الحوادثَcalamities عنabout ثبَاتِthe steadfastness جَنانيof my heart
وسَلِ الحوادثَ عن ثبَاتِ جَناني
So ask the nights about my resolve's piercing power,
Go ask the nights if e’er my purpose broke,
And ask calamities about the steadfastness of my heart.
Go ask misfortunes if my soul they shook.
تُخْبِرْكthey will tell you عنِّيabout me أَننيthat I لمdid not أَلقَهاI face them
تُخْبِرْك عنِّي أَنني لم أَلقَها
هَيْنَfeeble العَزائِمِresolves واهيfrail الأركانِfoundations
هَيْنَ العَزائِمِ واهي الأركانِ
They will tell you about me: I never faced them
Their witness is, no weaklings’ plight I shared,
With feeble resolve or frail foundations.
No coward’s portion was the cup I dared.
أَصبحتُI have become لاnot أشتاقI long إلاّexcept للنَّدَىfor generosity
أَصبحتُ لا أشتاق إلاّ للنَّدَى
إِلْفاًas a companion ولاand not أَهوىَI desire سِوَىother than الإِحسانِbenevolence
إِلْفاً ولا أَهوىَ سِوَى الإِحسانِ
I now long only for generosity
I live absorbed in thoughts of coming day,
As a companion, and desire nothing but benevolence.
And only deeds of kindness engage my way.
أَقَوىI am strong enough علىto bear مَضَضِthe pain الشّدائِدِof hardships والوَغَىand battle
أَقَوى على مَضَضِ الشّدائِدِ والوَغَى
وأَذوبُand I melt عندat معَاتِبِthe reproaches الإِخوانِof brothers
وأَذوبُ عند معَاتِبِ الإِخوانِ
I can bear the pain of hardships and battle,
Strong to endure misfortune’s roughest shocks,
Yet I melt at my brothers' reproaches.
Yet in reproaching friends my spirit melts.
وإذاand when السيوفthe swords قَطعْنْthey cut كلَّevery ضريبةٍtarget struck
وإذا السيوف قَطعْنْ كلَّ ضريبةٍ
قَطَعَcuts through السيوفَthe swords القاطِعاتِthat cut لِسانيmy tongue
قَطَعَ السيوفَ القاطِعاتِ لِساني
And when swords cut through every target,
And if the sword cuts every tie in twain,
My tongue cuts through the swords that cut.
It only makes more free my tongue and brain.
Sol 6.1