ليfor me أربعونforty منof السِّنيـthe years (continued)
لي أربعون من السِّنيـ
ـنcompletion of 'years' وأربعونand forty منof الولدْchildren
ـن وأربعون من الولدْ
I have forty years,
I have reached forty years,
and forty children.
And forty children as well.
لاno بلrather عَلَيَّagainst me وليسand is not ليfor me
لا بل عَلَيَّ وليس لي
ماwhat بانَparted منِّيfrom me فانْفَرَدْand so became separate
ما بانَ منِّي فانْفَرَدْ
No—rather against me, and not mine,
No, but I am burdened with more,
is what parted from me and so stood apart.
Beyond what's been counted and told.
أوor ليسis not ماwhat عدَّتْهُcounted it ليfor me
أو ليس ما عدَّتْهُ لي
أيديhands الحسابreckoning منof العَدَدْthe count
أيدي الحساب من العَدَدْ
Or is not what was counted as mine
As if what was tallied for me
by the hands of reckoning in the tally,
By the hands of accountants,
مُتَخَوَّناًbeing eroded مُتَنَقَّصاًbeing diminished
مُتَخَوَّناً مُتَنَقَّصاً
منِّيfrom me مزيداًadded فيto الأبَدْeternity
منِّي مزيداً في الأبَدْ
being eroded, being diminished
Was stored and diminished
from me, and added to eternity?
With more from me through the ages.
أوor ماnot أرىI see ولديmy children قُوىًpowers
أو ما أرى ولدي قُوىً
منِّيfrom me بنقْضيthrough my undoing تُسْتَجَدْare renewed
منِّي بنقْضي تُسْتَجَدْ
Or do I not see my children as powers
Or as if I don't see my children
from me, renewed through my undoing,
Supported by my demise.
جُعِلَتْwere made وكانتand had been كلُّهاall of them
جُعِلَتْ وكانت كلُّها
حَبْلاًa rope حِبَالاتٍsnares بَدَدْscattered
حَبْلاً حِبَالاتٍ بَدَدْ
made—though all were once
They were all but ropes and cords
one rope—into scattered snares?
Scattered, divided and frayed.
كمhow much منof سُرورٍjoy ليfor me بِمَوْin a newborn (continued)
كم من سُرورٍ لي بِمَوْ
لُودٍcompletion of 'newborn' أُؤمِّلُهُI cherish hopes for him لِغَدْfor tomorrow
لُودٍ أُؤمِّلُهُ لِغَدْ
How much joy I have in a newborn
How much joy I had for a newborn
on whom I set my hopes for tomorrow!
I waited for in hopes one day,
وبأنand through the fact that يَهُدَّنيَlays me low الزماtime (continued)
وبأن يَهُدَّنيَ الزما
نُcompletion of 'time' رأيتI have seen مُنَّتَهُhis strength تُشَدْis strengthened
نُ رأيت مُنَّتَهُ تُشَدْ
And as time lays me low,
And that time would guide me to see
I have seen his strength grow firm.
Its gifts stretched before me to display.
ومنand among العجائبthe wonders أنthat أُسَرI am gladdened (continued)
ومن العجائب أن أُسَر
رَcompletion of 'I am gladdened' بماby what يُشَدُّis strengthened بأَنْthrough the fact that أَهَدْI am broken
رَ بما يُشَدُّ بأَنْ أَهَدْ
And among the wonders is that I rejoice
It's strange that I'm made happy
in what is strengthened through my being broken.
By what makes me most decay.
دعleave ذاthis فَخَلْفَكso behind you أربعوforty (continued)
دع ذا فَخَلْفَك أربعو
نcompletion of 'forty' ضحىmornings طويلاتُlong المُددْthe durations
ن ضحى طويلاتُ المُددْ
Leave this: behind you lie forty
Leave this, for past you remains
mornings of long duration.
Forty dawnings, long in their stay,
تلْتجُّresounds tumultuously فيهاwithin them نفخةٌa blast
تلْتجُّ فيها نفخةٌ
للصورof the Trumpet تَنخبunnerves ذاone possessing الجلدْfortitude
للصور تَنخب ذا الجلدْ
A blast resounds within them,
In which a blow is released
from the Trumpet, unnerving the stouthearted,
For the horn, emptying all breath and health away.
شنعاءُdreadful فيin الآذانthe ears تُقunsettles (continued)
شنعاءُ في الآذان تُق
لقcompletion of 'unsettles' كلَّevery روحٍsoul فيin جسدْa body
لق كلَّ روحٍ في جسدْ
dreadful to the ears, unsettling
O you racing in vanity,
every soul within a body.
Wait, for you have reached your lifespan.
ياO راكضاًone racing فيin لهوهhis amusement
يا راكضاً في لهوه
مهلاًslow down فقدfor indeed جُزْتَyou have passed الأمَدْthe limit
مهلاً فقد جُزْتَ الأمَدْ
O one racing in his amusement,
In your forties three times over
slow down, for you have passed the limit.
Are lessons for those bound in shackles.
فيin الأربعيناتthe forties الثلاthe three (continued)
في الأربعينات الثلا
ثcompletion of 'three' مَواعظadmonitions لذويfor possessors of العُقَدْunderstanding
ث مَواعظ لذوي العُقَدْ
In the three forties
How many forties and forty years again
are admonitions for those of understanding.
Will say, the misguided must now be led?
كمhow many أربعينforty وأربعيـand forty (continued)
كم أربعين وأربعيـ
ـنcompletion of 'forty' وأربعونand forty تقولsay قدْenough!
ـن وأربعون تقول قدْ
How many a forty, and forty—
In them are advices
and forty—say, 'Enough!'
That call the straying to righteousness instead.
فيin كلهنَّall of them مواعظٌadmonitions
في كلهنَّ مواعظٌ
تدعوcall الغَوِيَّthe wayward one إلىto الرشدْright guidance
تدعو الغَوِيَّ إلى الرشدْ
In all of them are admonitions
With sincere repentance
calling the wayward to right guidance.
To the One, the Single, the Eternal Head.
فَقَدٍso, enough! بتوبةٍwith repentance مخلصٍof one sincerely devoted
فَقَدٍ بتوبةٍ مخلصٍ
للواحدto the One الأحدthe Unique الصَمَدْthe Self-Sufficient
للواحد الأحد الصَمَدْ
So enough—with the repentance of one devoted
to the One, the Unique, the Self-Sufficient.
Partial English translation: 32 of 34 Arabic lines translated.