أيهاO you الغرّthe naive one بالزماabout time (word continues)
أيها الغرّ بالزما
نcompletes 'time' وتاثيرand the effect عكسهits reversals
ن وتاثير عكسه
O you who are naive about time
O stranger to the days and the opposite effect of time
and the effect of its reversals,
You have experienced time in its ups and downs
قدindeed بلوتI have tested الزمانtime بلtesting (word continues)
قد بلوت الزمان بل
وىcompletes 'testing' عليمone who knows well بنكسهabout its setbacks
وى عليم بنكسه
I have tested time
And observed its happiness
as one who knows its setbacks.
From the twists of its misfortune
وتأمّلتand I have pondered سعدهits good fortune
وتأمّلت سعده
منfrom تصاريفvicissitudes نحسهits ill fortune
من تصاريف نحسه
And I have pondered its good fortune
From the flickers of its full moon
through the vicissitudes of its ill fortune,
And the succession of its sun
لتكاريرfor the repeated returns بدرهits full moon
لتكارير بدره
وتراديدand the recurring rounds شمسهits sun
وتراديد شمسه
through the repeated returns of its full moon
Each day comes and it is unlike yesterday
and the recurring rounds of its sun.
Yesterday passed either flourishing or withering
كلevery يومday يجيءcomes فهso it (word continues)
كل يوم يجيء فه
وcompletes 'so it' خلافdifferent لأمسهfrom its yesterday
و خلاف لأمسه
Every day that comes
And nothing remains of it except wishes
is different from its yesterday.
And wishes are like guesses
قدalready مضىhas passed أمسyesterday ذاهباdeparting
قد مضى أمس ذاهبا
زاكياflourishing أوor بوكسهwith its loss
زاكيا أو بوكسه
Yesterday has already passed away,
You have this day while you are in the shade of its intimacy
flourishing or with its loss.
So prepare with piety before the grave and its inscription
وبقيand remained دونهbehind it المنىhopes
وبقي دونه المنى
والمنىand hopes مثلlike حدسهconjecture about it
والمنى مثل حدسه
And hopes remained behind it,
Do not trust any human
and hopes are like conjecture about it.
Who is not of your kind
لكfor you منfrom يومكyour day الذيwhich
لك من يومك الذي
انتyou فيin ظلthe shade أنسهits comfort
انت في ظل أنسه
You have a share of your day,
Except those you are certain of
in whose comforting shade you dwell;
Other than them, trust their misfortune
فتزوّدso take provisions منfrom التقىpiety
فتزوّد من التقى
قبلbefore قبرa grave ورمسهand its covering earth
قبل قبر ورمسه
so take provisions of piety
The summary of the whole matter
before a grave and the earth that covers it.
Is to explain its ambiguity
لاdo not تثقtrust فيهwithin it بامرىءin a man
لا تثق فيه بامرىء
لستyou are not منof أهلthose belonging to جنسهhis kind
لست من أهل جنسه
Trust no man within it
There is none on earth who wants you
whose kind you do not belong to,
Except for themselves
دونapart from منone whom لستyou are not واثقاtrusting
دون من لست واثقا
منهin him إلاexcept بنحسهin his ill fortune
منه إلا بنحسه
apart from one you cannot trust
except in his ill fortune.
جملةthe sum الأمرthe matter كلهall of it
جملة الأمر كله
عنby way of بيانclarification للبسهof its obscurity
عن بيان للبسه
The sum of the whole matter,
by way of clarifying its obscurity:
ليسthere is no فيon الأرضthe earth منanyone who يريwants (word continues)
ليس في الأرض من يري
دكcompletes 'wants' and adds 'you' إلاexcept لنفسهfor himself
دك إلا لنفسه
No one on earth wants
you except for his own sake.
Partial English translation: 20 of 26 Arabic lines translated.