أَحَبّI love القَرينَةthe companion لَمnot تَصحَبِshe accompanies
أَحَبّ القَرينَة لَم تَصحَبِ
وَحَبلُand the cord اللُبانَةِlonging لَمnot يُقضَبِbe severed
وَحَبلُ اللُبانَةِ لَم يُقضَبِ
I love the companion, though she has not joined me,
The beloved companion did not accompany me,
and the cord of longing has not been severed.
And the rope of affection was not tied.
وَقَدand already وَخَطَflecked الشَيبُgray hair فيin لِمَّتيmy locks
وَقَد وَخَطَ الشَيبُ في لِمَّتي
بِشَيءٍwith some مِنَof الشَعرِhair الأَشهَبِash-gray
بِشَيءٍ مِنَ الشَعرِ الأَشهَبِ
And gray has already flecked my locks
And grey hair has crept into my beard
with a little ash-gray hair.
With some ashen poetry.
وَأَقصَرَand ceased عَنّيfrom me جُنونُmadness الشَباyouth (partial)
وَأَقصَرَ عَنّي جُنونُ الشَبا
بِcompletes 'youth' بَعدَafter غَرانِقِهِits youthful prime المُعجِبِcaptivating
بِ بَعدَ غَرانِقِهِ المُعجِبِ
And the madness of youth has left me
And the madness of youth has evaded me
after its captivating prime.
After its wondrous intoxication.
فَإِنfor if يَأَدُبِinvites اللَهوُdiversion أَهلَthe people of الشَباyouth (partial)
فَإِن يَأَدُبِ اللَهوُ أَهلَ الشَبا
بcompletes 'youth' لاnot أُرىI am seen فيهِمamong them وَلاnor أَلعَبِI play
ب لا أُرى فيهِم وَلا أَلعَبِ
For if diversion invites the young,
So if the reckless youths are disciplined
I am not seen among them, nor do I play.
I do not see myself among them or play.
وَماand what لِلشَبابِfor youth إِذاwhen جالَmoved about دوbefore (partial)
وَما لِلشَبابِ إِذا جالَ دو
نَcompletes 'before' مَيعَتِهِits prime الشَيبُgray hair مِنany مَطلَبِobject of pursuit
نَ مَيعَتِهِ الشَيبُ مِن مَطلَبِ
And what hope is there of youth, when
What is youth when old age comes
gray hair stands in the way of its prime?
Without its company seeking it out?
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَصحَرَتentered open country خَيلُهاits cavalry
لَعَمري لَقَد أَصحَرَت خَيلُها
بِأَكنافِalong the edges of دِجلَةَthe Tigris للمُصعَبِagainst Mus‘ab
بِأَكنافِ دِجلَةَ للمُصعَبِ
By my life, its cavalry came out into open country
By my life, their horses have frolicked
along the banks of the Tigris, against Mus‘ab.
On the banks of the Tigris with difficulty.
وَرَدناwe came to water at الفُراتthe Euphrates وَخابورَهُand its Khabur
وَرَدنا الفُرات وَخابورَهُ
وَكاناand both were هُماthey two ثِقَةَreliability المَشرَبِthe water source
وَكانا هُما ثِقَةَ المَشرَبِ
We reached the Euphrates and its Khabur,
And we returned to the Euphrates and its monk,
and both were dependable watering places.
Which were the refuge of drinking.
عَلىon كُلِّevery رَبوٍrise تَرىyou see مُعلِماًa warrior bearing a battle-mark
عَلى كُلِّ رَبوٍ تَرى مُعلِماً
يُصَرِّفُhe gnashes his teeth كَالجَمَلِlike a camel الأَجرَبِmangy
يُصَرِّفُ كَالجَمَلِ الأَجرَبِ
On every rise you see a warrior bearing a battle-mark,
On every hill you see a teacher
gnashing his teeth like a mangy camel.
Who sifts like a lame camel.
لِضاحِيَةِin the full glare of الشَمسِthe sun فيon رَأسِهِhis head
لِضاحِيَةِ الشَمسِ في رَأسِهِ
شُعاعٌa ray يُلَألِئُsparkles كَالكَوكَبِlike a star
شُعاعٌ يُلَألِئُ كَالكَوكَبِ
In the sun's full glare, upon his head,
For the radiant sun on his head
a ray sparkles like a star.
A ray shines like a planet.
إِذاif ماever (emphatic) مُنافِقُa hypocrite أَهلِthe people of العِراIraq (partial)
إِذا ما مُنافِقُ أَهلِ العِرا
قِcompletes 'Iraq' عوتِبَwas reproached يَوماًone day فَلَمand did not يُعتَبِmake amends
قِ عوتِبَ يَوماً فَلَم يُعتَبِ
If ever a hypocrite among the people of Iraq
If the hypocrite of Iraq is blamed one day
was reproached one day and made no amends,
He is not admonished.
دَلَفناwe advanced إِلَيهِupon him بِذيwith one possessing تُدرَأٍmight
دَلَفنا إِلَيهِ بِذي تُدرَأٍ
قَليلٍlittle التَفَقُّدِchecking لِلغُيَّبِfor those absent
قَليلٍ التَفَقُّدِ لِلغُيَّبِ
we advanced upon him with a mighty force,
We approached him with little inspection
scarcely looking for absent men,
Of the absentee and the covered.
بِجَيشٍwith an army مَتىwhenever هَبَطوthey descended غائِطاًa lowland
بِجَيشٍ مَتى هَبَطو غائِطاً
وَإِنeven if كانَit was ذاpossessing كَلَأٍpasture يَجدِبِit becomes barren
وَإِن كانَ ذا كَلَأٍ يَجدِبِ
with an army that, whenever it entered a hollow,
With an army, whenever they descend to defecate
left it barren, even if it had pasture.
Even if the meadow is barren.
وَماand not قُلتُهاI said it رَهبَةًout of fear إِنَّماonly
وَما قُلتُها رَهبَةً إِنَّما
يَحِلُّbefalls العِقابُpunishment عَلىupon المُذنِبِthe guilty person
يَحِلُّ العِقابُ عَلى المُذنِبِ
And I did not say it out of fear: only
And I did not say it out of fear, but
the guilty suffer punishment.
Punishment is due upon the sinner.
وَلاnor سائِلاًas a petitioner إِنَّindeed عِندَwith الإِلَGod (partial)
وَلا سائِلاً إِنَّ عِندَ الإِلَ
هcompletes 'God' خَيرَthe best المَسائِلِthings asked for وَالمَطلَبِand the object of seeking
ه خَيرَ المَسائِلِ وَالمَطلَبِ
Nor as a petitioner; indeed, with God
Nor asking, for with God is the best
are the best things to ask for and seek.
Of requests and desires.
يُميتُHe causes death وَيُحييand He gives life فَماso there is no لِلرِجاfor men (partial)
يُميتُ وَيُحيي فَما لِلرِجا
لِcompletes 'men' إِلّاexcept إِلىtoward اللَهِGod مِنany مَرغَبِobject of hope
لِ إِلّا إِلى اللَهِ مِن مَرغَبِ
He causes death and gives life; so men have
He gives death and gives life, so what can men hope for
nowhere to turn in hope except to God.
Except to God from whom gifts are sought?
مَتىwhenever يَحمِلِloads اللَهُGod رَحلَthe saddle of اِمرِئٍa man
مَتى يَحمِلِ اللَهُ رَحلَ اِمرِئٍ
عَلىon ظَهرِthe back of مَكروهَةٍa hardship يَركَبِhe rides
عَلى ظَهرِ مَكروهَةٍ يَركَبِ
Whenever God sets a man's saddle
When will God carry the burden of a man
on the back of a hardship, he rides.
On an unpleasant mount he rides?
وَلَيسَand is not اِمرُؤٌa man نائِلاًattaining مِنof هَواdesire
وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ نائِلاً مِن هَوا
هُhis شَيئاًanything إِذاif هُوَit لَمnot يُكتَبِis written
هُ شَيئاً إِذا هُوَ لَم يُكتَبِ
And no man attains anything he desires
And no man attains anything of his desire
unless it has been written.
If it is not written.
Sol 6.1