فليتَSo, if only شِعريmy knowledge عَنconcerning النَّوائبِcalamities مَنwho
فليتَ شِعري عَن النَّوائبِ مَن
أعلَمَهاinformed them أنَّنيthat I بِهاof them عالِمaware
أعلَمَها أنَّني بِها عالِم
If only I knew, concerning calamities, who
informed them that I know them.
فهيَfor they سَواءٌalike عِنديin my eyes ومُعلِمُهاand their informer
فهيَ سَواءٌ عِندي ومُعلِمُها
وظالِمٌand a wrongdoer مَنwhoever سَعىwent إلىto ظَالِمa wrongdoer
وظالِمٌ مَن سَعى إلى ظَالِم
For they and their informer are alike in my eyes,
and a wrongdoer is whoever goes to a wrongdoer.
ماnot هوَhe إلاexcept استَحدَّهاsharpened them فأتَتso they came
ما هوَ إلا استَحدَّها فأتَت
مُطلَقَةunleashed الشَّفرتَينِboth edges كالصَّارِمlike a keen sword
مُطلَقَة الشَّفرتَينِ كالصَّارِم
He merely sharpened them, and they came
with both edges unleashed, like a keen sword.
خائِفٌafraid أنthat تكونَbe تَعلمُknow ماwhat
خائِفٌ أن تكونَ تَعلمُ ما
يَفعَلُdoes مُزرٍa detractor بِفِعلِهاof their deeds لائِمa critic
يَفعَلُ مُزرٍ بِفِعلِها لائِم
I fear that they may know what
a critic who scorns their deeds is doing.
رَضيتُI accepted بَعضَsome الخُطوبِmisfortunes تحكُمpass judgment فيon
رَضيتُ بَعضَ الخُطوبِ تحكُم في
بَعضٍothers إِذاwhen لمnot أجِدI find لهاfor them حاكِمa judge
بَعضٍ إِذا لم أجِد لها حاكِم
I am content to let some misfortunes pass judgment on
others, when I can find no judge for them.
لكلِّfor every وَقتٍtime وقتٌa time يَثورُrises up بهِagainst it
لكلِّ وَقتٍ وقتٌ يَثورُ بهِ
مُزَعزِعاًshaking قاطِعاًcutting off لَهit حاسِمdecisively ending
مُزَعزِعاً قاطِعاً لَه حاسِم
Each time has another time that rises against it,
shaking it, cutting it short, bringing it to an end.
والمرءُand man ما(emphatic particle) بينَbetween ذَينِthose two مدرجَةٌa pathway
والمرءُ ما بينَ ذَينِ مدرجَةٌ
للشرِّfor evil والخَيرِand good يابِسٌparched ناعِمtender
للشرِّ والخَيرِ يابِسٌ ناعِم
And man, between those two, is a pathway
for evil and good—parched and tender.
يودِّعbids farewell to الواخدthe swift strider المجدَّthe hastening one فَلاand not
يودِّع الواخد المجدَّ فَلا
يَرجِعُreturns حتَّىuntil يَستَقبلَwelcomes القادِمthe newcomer
يَرجِعُ حتَّى يَستَقبلَ القادِم
He bids the swift, hastening traveler farewell, and does not
return until he welcomes the newcomer.
وفيand in تَصارِيفِvicissitudes حالَتَيهِhis two states فَماso how
وفي تَصارِيفِ حالَتَيهِ فَما
أقربَهُnear he is مِنto نَدىbounty أبيAbu (father of) القاسِمal-Qasim
أقربَهُ مِن نَدى أبي القاسِم
And amid the turns of his two states, how
near he is to Abu al-Qasim's bounty!
لاnot يُحسنُknows how to offer ابنُIbn (son of) الحُسينِal-Husayn مَعذرةًan excuse
لا يُحسنُ ابنُ الحُسينِ مَعذرةً
تُسمعُis heard منهُfrom him أوunless يُوجِدَhe enriches الغارِمthe debtor
تُسمعُ منهُ أو يُوجِدَ الغارِم
Ibn al-Husayn can offer no excuse
that is heard from him, without enriching the debtor.
كُنتُI was كَماlike what فيin يَدَيهِhis two hands منof نَشَبٍwealth
كُنتُ كَما في يَدَيهِ من نَشَبٍ
فيin عَطَبٍruin لاnot يَغِبُّنيleaves me for a day لازِمa clinging affliction
في عَطَبٍ لا يَغِبُّني لازِم
I was like the wealth in his hands,
in ruin, with a clinging affliction that never left me,
حتَّىuntil إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) حَضَرتُI came to حَضرَتَهُhis presence
حتَّى إِذا ما حَضَرتُ حَضرَتَهُ
صرتُI became كأنِّيas though I were مِنpart of عِرضِهhis honor سالِمsafe
صرتُ كأنِّي مِن عِرضِه سالِم
until, when I came into his presence,
I became safe, as though I were part of his honor.