قُلsay لِلجَليدِto the hardy man المَنيعِthe unassailable لَستَyou are not مِنَfrom الthe
قُل لِلجَليدِ المَنيعِ لَستَ مِنَ ال
دُنياworld بِذيpossessed of مِنعَةٍprotection وَلاnor جَلَدِendurance
دُنيا بِذي مِنعَةٍ وَلا جَلَدِ
Tell the hardy, unassailable man: 'You have, against the
Tell the impervious ice, you have no real firmness or strength,
world, neither protection nor endurance.'
O short-lived one, be not heedless of death that severs hopes,
ياO صاحِبَpossessor of المُدَّةِthe lifespan القَصيرَةِshort لاdo not
يا صاحِبَ المُدَّةِ القَصيرَةِ لا
تَغفُلbe heedless عَنِof المَوتِdeath قاطِعِcutting short المُدَدِlifespans
تَغفُل عَنِ المَوتِ قاطِعِ المُدَدِ
O you whose lifespan is short, do not
Leave off blaming others and begin to blame the faults within yourself,
be heedless of death, which cuts lifespans short.
O Death, how many you have partnered with loss but they decreased not nor increased,
دَعleave عَنكَaway from yourself تَقويمَcorrecting مَنthe one whom تُقَوِّمُهُyou correct him
دَع عَنكَ تَقويمَ مَن تُقَوِّمُهُ
وَابدَأand begin فَقَوِّمthen set straight ماwhat فيكَwithin you مِنof أَوَدِcrookedness
وَابدَأ فَقَوِّم ما فيكَ مِن أَوَدِ
Leave off correcting the one you are correcting,
Death has filled every land and moves from one country to another,
and begin by straightening the crookedness within you.
ياO مَوتُDeath كَمhow many زائِدٍone on the rise قَرَنتَyou paired بِهِwith him الthe
يا مَوتُ كَم زائِدٍ قَرَنتَ بِهِ ال
نَقصَdecline فَلَمso did not يَنتَقِصdiminish وَلَمand did not يَزِدِincrease
نَقصَ فَلَم يَنتَقِص وَلَم يَزِدِ
O Death, how many a man on the rise have you paired with
decline, so that he neither diminished nor increased!
قَدindeed مَلَأَhas filled المَوتُdeath كُلَّevery أَرضٍland وَماand does not
قَد مَلَأَ المَوتُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ وَما
يَنزِعُdepart مِنfrom بَلدَةٍa town إِلىto بَلَدِa town
يَنزِعُ مِن بَلدَةٍ إِلى بَلَدِ
Death has indeed filled every land, and does not
depart from one town for another.
Partial English translation: 5 of 10 Arabic lines translated.