اعللI console القلبthe heart اليفcompanion of الحزنsorrow
اعلل القلب اليف الحزن
بصحوةwith the awakening of الزمانtime وهوwhile it ينثنىturns away
بصحوة الزمان وهو ينثنى
I console the heart, companion of sorrow,
The heart is saddened by the troubles of time,
With time's awakening, as it turns away.
As it bends and folds with the turns of fate.
يقولit says قولthe saying of العمريal-ʿUmarī الفطنthe discerning
يقول قول العمري الفطن
ماwhat لزمانيwith my age دونunlike كلall الازمنthe ages
ما لزماني دون كل الازمن
It speaks the words of the discerning al-ʿUmarī:
The wise elder says with reason and rhyme,
What ails my age, unlike all other ages?
My time is no different than times of late.
اوقعهmay He afflict it اللهGod بداءwith a disease مزمنchronic
اوقعه الله بداء مزمن
بالسوءwith evil شانit marred شأنthe standing of ذيone possessing الخلقcharacter السنيnoble
بالسوء شان شأن ذي الخلق السني
May God afflict it with a chronic disease!
May God afflict it with illness sublime,
With evil it marred the standing of one of noble character,
For its ways have led good men to hate.
وضعضعand brought low الشهمthe noble-hearted يعيشhe lives خشنin hardship
وضعضع الشهم يعيش خشن
وراحand became وهوwhile it is عيبةa storehouse للفتنfor strife
وراح وهو عيبة للفتن
And brought the noble-hearted low, to live in hardship.
The proud are humbled in their mortal climb,
And it has become a storehouse of strife.
And the vile exalted, to virtues ingrate.
يقصيit banishes العليthe lofty ويقربand draws near الدنيthe base
يقصي العلي ويقرب الدني
وبغتنىand one dispenses (reading uncertain) عنهwith it وفيهand concerning it يعتنىcare is taken
وبغتنى عنه وفيه يعتنى
It banishes the lofty and draws the base near.
It raises up the fool and blocks the wise,
One dispenses with it, yet still attends to it.
To me it shows malice without disguise.
منحهits gifts مشوبةmingled بالمحنwith afflictions
منحه مشوبة بالمحن
وسرهand its hidden side لشرهbecause of its evil كالعلنlike what is open
وسره لشره كالعلن
Its gifts are mingled with afflictions,
With misfortune it fills my joyful cup,
And, through its wickedness, its hidden side is like its open side.
Its secret evil plain for all to see.
قدindeed ابرزit has shown القبحugliness بشكلin a form حسنbeautiful
قد ابرز القبح بشكل حسن
فكلso every طاوسṬāwūs (literally, peacock) طويسṬuways المدنيof Medina
فكل طاوس طويس المدني
It has indeed shown ugliness in a beautiful form.
Each peacock of the cities seems a crow,
So every Ṭāwūs is Ṭuways of Medina,
And every horned viper coils below.
وكلand every قرنانcuckold اويسUways القرنيal-Qaranī
وكل قرنان اويس القرني
ياoh ليتif only لوif انيthat I بهin it لمnot اكنI had been
يا ليت لو اني به لم اكن
And every cuckold is Uways al-Qaranī.
Would that I had not lived to see this day,
Oh, if only I had not been in it!
When time itself has turned my sight away.
فانهfor indeed it صارhas become قذاءgrit الاعينthe eyes
فانه صار قذاء الاعين
كمhow many خانit betrayed ذاone possessing امانةtrustworthiness لمnot يخنbetray
كم خان ذا امانة لم يخن
For it has become grit in the eyes.
Many who were true have learned betrayal,
How many a trustworthy man who never betrayed has it betrayed!
My age, my clan - cause of constant wail.
منfrom زمنيmy age وأحربيand alas for my ruin واحزنيand alas for my sorrow
من زمني وأحربي واحزني
واalas اسفيmy regret والهفيand alas for my anguish منover زمنan age
وا اسفي والهفي من زمن
From my age—alas for my ruin, alas for my sorrow!
Oh my sorrow and grief for this time,
Oh, my regret and my anguish over such an age!
That cheated and ruined this life of mine!