صبراًpatience! علىwith مضضِthe bitterness of الخطوthe calami- (word fragment)
صبراً على مضضِ الخطو
ب-ties (completes 'calamities') وإِنand even if أسَأْنthey did ill بناtoward us صنيعاin treatment
ب وإِن أسَأْن بنا صنيعا
Patience with the bitterness of calamities,
Patience over the bitterness of steps
Patience against the bitterness of misfortune,
Even if they treat us ill.
Even if they did us wrong
Even if it deals with us wretchedly.
يعطيit gives الزَّمانُtime وليتَهand if only it
يعطي الزَّمانُ وليتَه
أعطىit gave ولمand did not ينوِintend الرّجوعاtaking back
أعطى ولم ينوِ الرّجوعا
Time gives—if only it
Time gives and if only it
Time gives, yet would that it
Gave without intending to take back!
Gave and did not intend to return
Gave without intending to take back.
مَنْwho عاذِريone who excuses me مِنfor مَطْمَعٍa longing
مَنْ عاذِري مِن مَطْمَعٍ
أَغدوI remain لَهُto it دَهريmy whole life مُطيعاobedient
أَغدو لَهُ دَهري مُطيعا
Who will excuse me for a longing
Who excuses me from an ambition
Who will excuse me for an ambition
That I obey throughout my life?
For which all my life I obey
To which I remain obedient all my life?
أَفنىit consumed الأصولَthe roots وَلَيتَهand if only it
أَفنى الأصولَ وَلَيتَه
أبقىit spared فلمand so did not يُفنِconsume الفروعاthe branches
أبقى فلم يُفنِ الفروعا
It consumed the roots—if only it
I wasted the roots and if only
It annihilated the roots, and would that it
Had spared the branches instead of consuming them!
It remained and did not waste the branches
Had spared, and not destroyed, the branches.
أَينَwhere الّذينthose who تبوّأُواoccupied
أَينَ الّذين تبوّأُوا
نَشْزَاًa height منin الدُّنياthis world رفيعاlofty
نَشْزَاً من الدُّنيا رفيعا
Where are those who occupied
Where are those who assumed
Where are those who once occupied
A lofty height in this world?
Loftiness from the life sublime
A lofty elevation in this world?
خَلفواthey replaced البدورthe full moons إِذاwhen اِمّحتْthey faded away
خَلفوا البدور إِذا اِمّحتْ
ولَطالماand how often خَلَفواthey replaced الرّبيعاspring
ولَطالما خَلَفوا الرّبيعا
They replaced the full moons when these faded away,
They left the houses when whitened
They took the place of full moons when they waned,
And how often they took the place of spring!
And long they left the spring
And often did they stand in for the spring.
وإذاand when الجسومُthe bodies تدرَّعتْdonned armor
وإذا الجسومُ تدرَّعتْ
جعلواthey made عزائمهمْtheir firm resolves دروعاarmor
جعلوا عزائمهمْ دروعا
And when bodies donned armor,
And when the bodies armored
And when bodies were clad in armor,
They made their resolve their armor.
They made their resolves armors
They made their very determinations their shields.