وَإِنand if أُعطيتَyou are granted سُلطاناًpower
وَإِن أُعطيتَ سُلطاناً
فَحاذِرthen beware صَولَةَthe onslaught of الزَمَنِtime
فَحاذِر صَولَةَ الزَمَنِ
And if you are granted power,
If you are given authority,
then beware the onslaught of time.
Beware the power of time.
أَخوpossessor of السُلطانِpower مَوصوفٌdescribed
أَخو السُلطانِ مَوصوفٌ
بِحُسنِfor soundness of الرَأيِjudgment وَالفِطَنِand keen wits
بِحُسنِ الرَأيِ وَالفِطَنِ
The holder of power is credited
The brother of authority is described
with sound judgment and keen wits.
As having good judgement and wit.
فَساعَةًthen, the moment ماwhen يُزاوِلُهُhe exercises it
فَساعَةً ما يُزاوِلُهُ
رَماهُpelted him الناسُthe people بِاللَعَنِwith curses
رَماهُ الناسُ بِاللَعَنِ
But the moment he exercises it,
Yet in an hour he ceases to possess it,
people pelt him with curses.
And people curse him.
وَيُصبِحُand becomes رَأَيهُhis judgment المَحموthe praised (first part)
وَيُصبِحُ رَأَيهُ المَحمو
دَ(completion of 'praised') مَنسوباًascribed إِلىto الأَفَنِfoolishness
دَ مَنسوباً إِلى الأَفَنِ
And his praised judgment becomes
His praised opinion becomes
ascribed to foolishness.
Attributed to ineptitude.
وَتُبصِرُand you see فيin مَطِيَّتِهِhis mount
وَتُبصِرُ في مَطِيَّتِهِ
سُقوطَthe drooping of العَينِthe eye وَالأُذُنِand the ear
سُقوطَ العَينِ وَالأُذُنِ
And in his mount you see
And you see in his appearance,
the drooping of eye and ear.
The fall of eyes and ears,
كَأَنَّas though بَشاشَةَthe gladness of السُلطاpower (first part)
كَأَنَّ بَشاشَةَ السُلطا
نِ(completion of 'power') حينَwhen تَزولُit vanishes لَمnot (past negation) تَكُنِit was
نِ حينَ تَزولُ لَم تَكُنِ
As though the gladness of power,
As if the joy of authority, when it passes away, had never been.
when it vanishes, had never been.
Partial English translation: 11 of 12 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1