لَيسَthere is no لِلمَرءِfor a man عُصرَةٌrefuge مِنfrom وَقَاعِassaults of الدَّtime (first fragment of الدهر)
لَيسَ لِلمَرءِ عُصرَةٌ مِن وَقَاعِ الدَّ
هرِtime (completion of الدهر) تُغنيavails عَنهُfor him سَنَامُthe summit of عَنَاقِʿAnāq
هرِ تُغني عَنهُ سَنَامُ عَنَاقِ
A man has no refuge from the blows of Fate—
A man has no refuge from the assaults of
no mountain summit can save him from them.
time; the summit of ʿAnāq cannot save him.
قَدindeed تَبَيَّنتُI have examined فيin الخُطُوبِthe calamities الَّتيwhich
قَد تَبَيَّنتُ في الخُطُوبِ الَّتي
قَبليbefore me فماso nothing بَعدهاafter them إلَىuntil اليَومِtoday باقيremaining
قَبلي فما بَعدها إلَى اليَومِ باقي
I have discerned, through the calamities that came
I have examined the calamities that came
before me—nothing after them has endured to this day.
before me: nothing after them remains to this day.
وأَرَىand I see الشَّاهِقَthe lofty peak المُدِلَّtaking pride بهِin it الأَرthe mountain goats (first fragment of الأروى)
وأَرَى الشَّاهِقَ المُدِلَّ بهِ الأَر
وَىmountain goats (completion of الأروى) دُوَينَjust beneath السَّحابِthe clouds وَعرَrugged الَمراقيthe ascents
وَى دُوَينَ السَّحابِ وَعرَ الَمراقي
I behold the soaring peak where mountain goats strut proudly,
And I see the lofty peak in which the mountain
just beneath the clouds, its ascents forbidding;
goats take pride, just beneath the clouds, with rugged ascents;
وَدِلاَلُand the pride of العَزيزِthe mighty man بالَجمعِin the host ذيpossessing الأَرthe pillars (first fragment of الأركان)
وَدِلاَلُ العَزيزِ بالَجمعِ ذي الأَر
كانِpillars (completion of الأركان) كُلاٍّeach مَعاذُهُhis refuge غَيرُnot واقيprotecting
كانِ كُلاٍّ مَعاذُهُ غَيرُ واقي
and the mighty man’s proud reliance on his host, firm-pillared—
and the mighty man's pride in his host, with its
each such refuge proves no protection.
pillars—each one's refuge offers no protection.
لاdoes not يُعرِّيspare رَيبُthe vicissitudes of الَمنُونِdeath ذَويthose possessing العَيlife (first fragment of العيش)
لا يُعرِّي رَيبُ الَمنُونِ ذَوي العَي
شِlife (completion of العيش) ولاnor مِنone who (contextually مَن) حَياتهِhis life بِرِمَاقwith a last remnant of life
شِ ولا مِن حَياتهِ بِرِمَاق
The vicissitudes of death exempt neither those blessed with life,
Death's vicissitudes spare neither those who enjoy
nor one whose life is but a dying flicker.
life nor one whose life has only a last breath left.
كُلُّevery حَيٍّliving being تَقُودُهُleads him كَفُthe hand of هَادٍa guide
كُلُّ حَيٍّ تَقُودُهُ كَفُ هَادٍ
جِنَّhidden from عَينٍthe eye يُغشيهِbrings upon him ماwhat هُوَhe لاقيis to encounter
جِنَّ عَينٍ يُغشيهِ ما هُوَ لاقي
Every living being is led by a guiding hand,
Every living being is led by the hand of a guide,
hidden from sight; what he is destined to meet overtakes him.
hidden from sight, who brings upon him what he must face.
