أُريدُI desire لِيانَease of العَيشِliving فيin دارِan abode of شِقوَةٍmisery
أُريدُ لِيانَ العَيشِ في دارِ شِقوَةٍ
وَتَأبىand refuse اللَياليthe nights غَيرَanything but بُخلٍstinginess وَلَيانِand delay
وَتَأبى اللَيالي غَيرَ بُخلٍ وَلَيانِ
I desire ease of living in an abode of misery.
Yet the nights refuse anything but stinginess and delay.
وَيُعجِبُنيand please me شَيآنِtwo things خَفضٌease وَصَحَّةٌand health
وَيُعجِبُني شَيآنِ خَفضٌ وَصَحَّةٌ
وَلَكِنَّand yet رَيبَthe vicissitudes of الدَهرِtime غَيَّرَaltered شَيّانيmy red dye (dragon’s blood)
وَلَكِنَّ رَيبَ الدَهرِ غَيَّرَ شَيّاني
Two things please me: ease and health.
But time’s vicissitudes have altered my crimson pigment.
وَماand not جَبَلُMount الرَيّانِal-Rayyan عِنديto me بِطائِلٍof any worth
وَما جَبَلُ الرَيّانِ عِندي بِطائِلٍ
وَلاnor أَناI مِنfrom خودِtender maidens الحِسانِthe beautiful ones بِرَيّانِthirst-quenched
وَلا أَنا مِن خودِ الحِسانِ بِرَيّانِ
Mount al-Rayyan is of no worth to me.
Nor is my thirst quenched by tender, beautiful maidens.
وَأَحيانِيَand kept me alive اللَهُGod القَديرُthe Almighty مَلاوَةًfor a long while
وَأَحيانِيَ اللَهُ القَديرُ مَلاوَةً
فَهَلّاthen why not بِخَوفِin fear of اللَهِGod أَقطَعُI spend أَحيانيmy days
فَهَلّا بِخَوفِ اللَهِ أَقطَعُ أَحياني
God Almighty has kept me alive for a long while.
Then why do I not spend my days in fear of God?
وَإِنَّand indeed بَنيthe sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyan أَخمَلُeclipsed عِزَّهُمtheir glory
وَإِنَّ بَني الدَيّانِ أَخمَلُ عِزَّهُم
قِيامُthe rise of عَميدٍa chieftain مِنfrom خُزَيمَةَKhuzaymah دَيّانِruling
قِيامُ عَميدٍ مِن خُزَيمَةَ دَيّانِ
Indeed, the glory of the sons of al-Dayyan was eclipsed
By the rise of a ruling chieftain from Khuzaymah.
وَماand not اِقتَتَلَfought one another الحَيّانِthe two clans إِلّاexcept سَفاهَةًout of folly
وَما اِقتَتَلَ الحَيّانِ إِلّا سَفاهَةً
وَلَوand if صَحَّwere genuine وُدّيmy affection لِلمُحارِبِfor the warrior حَيّانيhe greeted me
وَلَو صَحَّ وُدّي لِلمُحارِبِ حَيّاني
The two clans fought only out of folly.
And had my affection for the warrior been genuine, he would have greeted me.
وَتَهلِكُand perish أَعيانُthe notables of الرِجالِmen وَإِنَّماand indeed
وَتَهلِكُ أَعيانُ الرِجالِ وَإِنَّما
مَصارِعُthe deaths of أَعيارٍasses كَمَصرَعِlike the death of أَعيانِnotables
مَصارِعُ أَعيارٍ كَمَصرَعِ أَعيانِ
And eminent men perish; indeed,
The deaths of asses are like the death of the eminent.
وَلَمand did not يُشوِmiss حَتفٌdeath أُمَّthe mother of عُفرٍa gazelle fawn بِوَهدَةٍin a hollow
وَلَم يُشوِ حَتفٌ أُمَّ عُفرٍ بِوَهدَةٍ
وَلاnor أُمَّthe mother of غُفرٍan ibex kid بَينَamong آسٍmyrtle وَظَيّانِand wild jasmine
وَلا أُمَّ غُفرٍ بَينَ آسٍ وَظَيّانِ
And death did not miss the mother of a gazelle fawn in a hollow,
Nor the mother of an ibex kid among myrtle and wild jasmine.
أُريدُI desire عَلِيّاتِthe loftiest of المَراتِبِranks ضِلَّةًin folly
أُريدُ عَلِيّاتِ المَراتِبِ ضِلَّةً
وَخَرطُand stripping قَتادِthorn-trees اللَيلِthe night دونَbefore عُلَيّانِ‘Ulayyan
وَخَرطُ قَتادِ اللَيلِ دونَ عُلَيّانِ
In folly I desire the loftiest ranks,
Yet before ‘Ulayyan lies the stripping of night’s thorn-tree.
Translation model: Sol 6.1