إِنَّindeed الفَناءَpassing away مِنَto البَقاءِliving on قَريبُnear
إِنَّ الفَناءَ مِنَ البَقاءِ قَريبُ
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime إِذاwhen رَمىshoots لَمُصيبُsurely hits the mark
إِنَّ الزَمانَ إِذا رَمى لَمُصيبُ
Indeed, passing away is close to living on.
Death and life are closely intertwined
Indeed, when Time shoots, it surely hits.
Time's arrow never misses its mark
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime لِأَهلِهِto its people لَمُؤَدَّبٌsurely a disciplinarian
إِنَّ الزَمانَ لِأَهلِهِ لَمُؤَدَّبٌ
لَوif only كانَwas يَنفَعُbenefits فيهِمُamong them التَأديبُdiscipline
لَو كانَ يَنفَعُ فيهِمُ التَأديبُ
Indeed, Time is a disciplinarian to its people,
Time trains those who live through it
if only discipline could benefit them.
Though training cannot temper its sting
صِفَةُdescription الزَمانِof time حَكيمَةٌwise وَبَليغَةٌand eloquent
صِفَةُ الزَمانِ حَكيمَةٌ وَبَليغَةٌ
إِنَّindeed الزَمانَtime لَشاعِرٌsurely a poet وَخَطيبُand an orator
إِنَّ الزَمانَ لَشاعِرٌ وَخَطيبُ
Time's description is wise and eloquent;
Time's nature is wise and eloquent
indeed, Time is surely a poet and an orator.
Time is a poet and orator
وَأَراكَand I see you تَلتَمِسُyou seek البَقاءَcontinued life وَطولُهُand its duration
وَأَراكَ تَلتَمِسُ البَقاءَ وَطولُهُ
لَكَfor you مُهرِمٌaging وَمُعَذِّبٌand tormenting وَمُذيبُand wasting away
لَكَ مُهرِمٌ وَمُعَذِّبٌ وَمُذيبُ
And I see you seeking continued life, though its length
Yet I see you seek longevity and more days
ages you, torments you, and wastes you away.
It has for you ruin, torment and decay
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأَيتُكَI have seen you لِلزَمانِof time مُجَرِّباًtesting
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُكَ لِلزَمانِ مُجَرِّباً
لَوif only كانَwas يُحكِمُmakes sound رَأيَكَyour judgment التَجريبُexperience
لَو كانَ يُحكِمُ رَأيَكَ التَجريبُ
And indeed I have seen you put Time to the test,
I've seen you test time, try to uncover its secrets
if only experience could make your judgment sound.
If reason guided you, you'd abandon this endeavor
وَلَقَدand indeed يُكَلِّمُكَspeaks to you الزَمانُtime بِأَلسُنٍin tongues
وَلَقَد يُكَلِّمُكَ الزَمانُ بِأَلسُنٍ
عَرَبِيَّةٍArabic وَأَراكَand I see you لَستَyou are not تُجيبُyou answer
عَرَبِيَّةٍ وَأَراكَ لَستَ تُجيبُ
And indeed Time speaks to you in tongues
Time speaks to you in clear Arabic
that are Arabic, yet I see you do not answer.
Yet I see you make no reply
لَوif كُنتَyou were تَفهَمُyou understand عَنfrom زَمانِكَyour time قَولَهُits speech
لَو كُنتَ تَفهَمُ عَن زَمانِكَ قَولَهُ
لَعَراكَwould surely befall you مِنهُfrom it تَفَجُّعٌanguish وَنَحيبُand sobbing
لَعَراكَ مِنهُ تَفَجُّعٌ وَنَحيبُ
If you understood what your Time says,
If you understood time's words about you
you would be seized by anguish and sobbing because of it.
You'd be filled with sadness and tears
أَلحَحتَyou persisted فيin طَلَبِpursuit of الصِباyouth وَضَلالِهِand its waywardness
أَلحَحتَ في طَلَبِ الصِبا وَضَلالِهِ
وَالمَوتُand death مِنكَto you وَإِنand even if كَرِهتَyou hate it قَريبُnear
وَالمَوتُ مِنكَ وَإِن كَرِهتَ قَريبُ
You have persisted in pursuing youth and its waywardness,
You clung to youth and its misguidance
yet death is near you, even though you hate it.
But death is coming to you, no matter how much you despise it
وَلَقَدand indeed عَقَلتَyou have reasoned وَماand not أَراكَI see you بِعاقِلٍas wise
وَلَقَد عَقَلتَ وَما أَراكَ بِعاقِلٍ
وَلَقَدand indeed طَلَبتَyou have sought وَماand not أَراكَI see you تُصيبُyou hit the mark
وَلَقَد طَلَبتَ وَما أَراكَ تُصيبُ
And indeed you have reasoned, yet I do not see you as wise;
You gained wisdom but I see no wise man
and indeed you have sought, yet I do not see you hit the mark.
You sought but I see you attain nothing
وَلَقَدand indeed سَكَنتَyou have dwelt صُحونَcourtyards دارِof a house تَقَلُّبٍof change
وَلَقَد سَكَنتَ صُحونَ دارِ تَقَلُّبٍ
أَبلىwore out وَأَفنىand destroyed دارَكَyour house التَقليبُupheaval
أَبلى وَأَفنى دارَكَ التَقليبُ
And indeed you have dwelt in the courtyards of a house of change;
You dwelt in the valleys of a changing world
upheaval has worn out and destroyed your house.
That changes and ruins the dwellings of all
أَمَعَis it with المَماتِdeath يَطيبُis sweet عَيشُكَyour life ياO أَخيmy brother
أَمَعَ المَماتِ يَطيبُ عَيشُكَ يا أَخي
هَيهاتَfar from it لَيسَis not مَعَwith المَماتِdeath يَطيبُsweet
هَيهاتَ لَيسَ مَعَ المَماتِ يَطيبُ
Can your life be sweet with death, my brother?
Can life be sweet with death looming near?
Far from it! With death, it is not sweet.
Never! Death and sweetness never combine
زُغturn aside كَيفَhowever شِئتَyou wish عَنِfrom البِلىdecay فَلَهُso it has عَلىover
زُغ كَيفَ شِئتَ عَنِ البِلى فَلَهُ عَلى
كُلَّevery اِبنِson of أُنثىa woman حافِظٌa guardian وَرَقيبُand a watcher
كُلَّ اِبنِ أُنثى حافِظٌ وَرَقيبُ
Turn from decay however you wish; it has over
Flee from decay if you wish, but it pursues
every son of a woman a guardian and a watcher.
Each child of womankind, and watches closely
كَيفَhow اِغتَرَرتَyou were deceived بِصَرفِby the turns of دَهرِكَyour time ياO أَخيmy brother
كَيفَ اِغتَرَرتَ بِصَرفِ دَهرِكَ يا أَخي
كَيفَhow اِغتَرَرتَyou were deceived بِهِby it وَأَنتَwhile you are لَبيبُdiscerning
كَيفَ اِغتَرَرتَ بِهِ وَأَنتَ لَبيبُ
How were you deceived by the turns of your time, my brother?
How could you be fooled by your vanishing days?
How were you deceived by it, when you are discerning?
When you are smart, how could time deceive you?
وَلَقَدand indeed حَلَبتَyou milked الدَهرَtime أَشطُرَthe teats of دَرِّهِits flowing milk
وَلَقَد حَلَبتَ الدَهرَ أَشطُرَ دَرِّهِ
حِقَباًfor ages وَأَنتَwhile you are مُجَرِّبٌexperienced وَأَريبُand shrewd
حِقَباً وَأَنتَ مُجَرِّبٌ وَأَريبُ
And indeed you have drawn milk from Time's teats
You tasted life's wine time and again
for ages, experienced and shrewd as you are.
Testing, examining, trying to understand
وَالمَوتُand death يَرتَصِدُlies in wait for النُفوسَsouls وَكُلُّناand all of us
وَالمَوتُ يَرتَصِدُ النُفوسَ وَكُلُّنا
لِلمَوتِfor death فيهِin him وَلِلتُرابِand for the dust نَصيبُa share
لِلمَوتِ فيهِ وَلِلتُرابِ نَصيبُ
And death lies in wait for souls, and every one of us
Death lies in wait to seize all souls
has within him a share for death and for the dust.
For death we're destined; to dust, our fate
إِنif كُنتَyou are لَستَyou are not تُنيبُyou repent إِنif وَثَبَpounces البِلىdecay
إِن كُنتَ لَستَ تُنيبُ إِن وَثَبَ البِلى
بَلbut ياO أَخيmy brother فَمَتىthen when أَراكَI see you تُنيبُyou repent
بَل يا أَخي فَمَتى أَراكَ تُنيبُ
If you do not repent when decay pounces,
If ruin leaps forth, will you not repent?
then, my brother, when shall I see you repent?
No! For when will I see you repent?
لِلَّهِto God دَرُّكَyour excellence عائِباًa faultfinder مُتَسَرِّعاًhasty
لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ عائِباً مُتَسَرِّعاً
أَيَعيبُdoes he find fault مَنone who هُوَhe is بِالعُيوبِwith faults مَعيبُflawed
أَيَعيبُ مَن هُوَ بِالعُيوبِ مَعيبُ
God bless you, hasty faultfinder!
How strange your blaming, quarrelsome ways
Does one marred by faults find fault?
Does one full of faults see the faults of others?
وَلَقَدand indeed عَجِبتُI have marveled لِغَفلَتيat my heedlessness وَلِغِرَّتيand at my delusion
وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ لِغَفلَتي وَلِغِرَّتي
وَالمَوتُand death يَدعونيcalls me غَداًtomorrow فَأُجيبُso I answer
وَالمَوتُ يَدعوني غَداً فَأُجيبُ
And indeed I have marveled at my heedlessness and my delusion,
I'm astonished at my heedlessness and folly
while death will call me tomorrow, and so I will answer.
That death calls me tomorrow and I will respond
وَلَقَدand indeed عَجِبتُI have marveled لِطولِat the length of أَمنِfeeling safe from مَنِيَّتيmy death
وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ لِطولِ أَمنِ مَنِيَّتي
وَلَهاand it has إِلَيَّtoward me تَوَثُّبٌpouncing وَدَبيبُand creeping
وَلَها إِلَيَّ تَوَثُّبٌ وَدَبيبُ
And indeed I have marveled at how long I feel safe from my death,
I'm astonished that I thought death so distant
while it pounces and creeps toward me.
When it creeps up on me, pouncing, prowling
لِلَّهِto God عَقليmy mind ماnot يَزالُceases يَخونَنيbetrays me
لِلَّهِ عَقلي ما يَزالُ يَخونَني
وَلَقَدand indeed أَراهُI see it وَإِنَّهُand indeed it لَصَليبُsurely strong
وَلَقَد أَراهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَصَليبُ
God help my mind—it never ceases to betray me,
My mind still fails and betrays me
and indeed I see it, though it is surely strong.
Though I see it clearly, a heavy cross to bear
لِلَّهِto God أَيّامٌdays نَعِمتُI enjoyed comfort بِلينِهاin their gentleness
لِلَّهِ أَيّامٌ نَعِمتُ بِلينِها
أَيّامَdays when ليfor me غُصنُthe branch of الشَبابِyouth رَطيبُfresh and tender
أَيّامَ لي غُصنُ الشَبابِ رَطيبُ
God bless the days whose gentleness I enjoyed,
Days once caressed me with their softness
days when my branch of youth was tender and fresh.
When youth's boughs brought sweetest scents
إِنَّindeed الشَبابَyouth لَنافِقٌsurely in demand عِندَamong النِساwomen
إِنَّ الشَبابَ لَنافِقٌ عِندَ النِسا
ماnot لِلمَشيبِfor gray hair مِنَamong النِساءِwomen حَبيبُa lover
ما لِلمَشيبِ مِنَ النِساءِ حَبيبُ
Indeed, youth is surely in demand among women;
Youth is fickle with women
gray hair has no lover among women.
While age finds no love from women
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.