سَكَنتُI felt at ease إِلىwith الدُنياthe world فَلَمّاbut when عَرَفتُهاI knew it
سَكَنتُ إِلى الدُنيا فَلَمّا عَرَفتُها
تَمَنَّيتُI wished أَنّيthat I لَستُam not فيهاin it بِساكِنِa dweller
تَمَنَّيتُ أَنّي لَستُ فيها بِساكِنِ
I felt at ease in this world, but when I came to know it,
I wished I were not dwelling in it.
وَماand it has not فَتِئَتceased تَرميshooting الفَتىthe young man عَنfrom قُسِيَّهاits bows
وَما فَتِئَت تَرمي الفَتى عَن قُسِيَّها
بِكُلِّwith every الرَزاياcalamity مِنfrom جَميعِall الأَماكِنِdirections
بِكُلِّ الرَزايا مِن جَميعِ الأَماكِنِ
It has never ceased to shoot at a young man from its bows
every kind of calamity, from every direction.
وَماand it has not سَمَحَتgranted لّزائِراتِto visiting women بِأَمنِهاits safety
وَما سَمَحَت لّزائِراتِ بِأَمنِها
وَلاnor لِلمَواكيto the mourners فيin أَقاصيthe farthest parts المَواكِنِof the dwellings
وَلا لِلمَواكي في أَقاصي المَواكِنِ
It has granted no safety to its visitors,
nor to the mourners in the farthest dwellings.
رَكَنّاwe leaned إِلَيهاtoward it إِذwhen رَكَوناthey leaned أُمورَهاits affairs
رَكَنّا إِلَيها إِذ رَكَونا أُمورَها
فَقُلso speak فيof سَفاهٍfolly لِلرَواكيto those who lean الرَواكِنِthose who settle
فَقُل في سَفاهٍ لِلرَواكي الرَواكِنِ
We leaned toward it when we trusted its affairs;
speak, then, of the folly of those who lean on it and settle.
فَأَينَso where are الشُموسُthe suns اليَعرُبِيّاتُthe Arab women قَبلَناbefore us
فَأَينَ الشُموسُ اليَعرُبِيّاتُ قَبلَنا
بِهاin it كُنَّthey were فَاِسأَلso ask عَنabout مَآلِthe fate of البَهاكِنِthe splendid women
بِها كُنَّ فَاِسأَل عَن مَآلِ البَهاكِنِ
Where are the Arab suns who came before us?
They once lived here; ask what became of those splendid women.
زَكَنَّthey discerned المَناياdeaths أَنthat زَكَونَthey flourished فَنِعمَةٌso a blessing
زَكَنَّ المَنايا أَن زَكَونَ فَنِعمَةٌ
مِنَfrom اللَهِGod دامَتendured لِلزَواكيfor the flourishing women الزَواكِنِthe discerning women
مِنَ اللَهِ دامَت لِلزَواكي الزَواكِنِ
They foresaw death; that they flourished was a blessing
from God, enduring for the flourishing, discerning women.
جُمِعناwe were gathered بِقُدرٍby fate وَاِفتَرَقناand we were parted بِمِثلِهِby its like
جُمِعنا بِقُدرٍ وَاِفتَرَقنا بِمِثلِهِ
وَتِلكَand those قُبورٌare graves بُدِّلَتwere substituted مِنfor مَساكِنِdwellings
وَتِلكَ قُبورٌ بُدِّلَت مِن مَساكِنِ
We were brought together by fate and parted by the same;
those graves have replaced our dwellings.
نَفَتناdrove us away قُوىًforces لاnot مُضرَباتٌstriking لِسالِمٍfor one unharmed
نَفَتنا قُوىً لا مُضرَباتٌ لِسالِمٍ
بَلابِلَanxieties وَلاnor مُستَدرَكاتٌremediable بِلَكِنِwith ‘but’
بَلابِلَ وَلا مُستَدرَكاتٌ بِلَكِنِ
Powers drove us away, beyond the anxieties they strike in one who is safe,
and beyond anything that can be set right with a ‘but.’
Translation model: Sol 6