إِذاif شِئتَyou wish أَنthat يَرضىapprove سَجاياكَyour character traits رَبُّهاtheir Lord
إِذا شِئتَ أَن يَرضى سَجاياكَ رَبُّها
فَلاthen do not تُمسِend your day مِنbecause of فِعلِthe workings of المَقاديرِfate's decrees مُغضَباangered
فَلا تُمسِ مِن فِعلِ المَقاديرِ مُغضَبا
If you wish the Lord of your dispositions to be pleased with them,
If you wish the Lord of your traits to approve them,
then do not reach evening angered by the workings of fate.
Then do not end your day angered by the workings of fate.
فَإِنَّfor indeed قُرونَhorns الخَيلِthe horses أَولَتكَhave bestowed on you ناطِحاًone that butts
فَإِنَّ قُرونَ الخَيلِ أَولَتكَ ناطِحاً
وَإِنَّand indeed الحُسامَthe sword العَضبَkeen-edged لَقّاكَhas brought you face to face with أَعضَباone whose horn is broken
وَإِنَّ الحُسامَ العَضبَ لَقّاكَ أَعضَبا
For indeed the horns of the cavalry have given you a butting adversary,
For the horses' horns have bestowed on you one that butts,
and indeed the keen-edged sword found you sharper still.
And the keen-edged sword has brought you face to face with one whose horn is broken.
خَضَبتَyou dyed بَياضاًwhite hair بِالصَبيبِwith dye juice صَبابَةًout of longing
خَضَبتَ بَياضاً بِالصَبيبِ صَبابَةً
بَيضاءَa fair-skinned woman عَدَّتكَshe reckoned you البَنانَthe fingertips المُخَضَّباdye-stained
بَيضاءَ عَدَّتكَ البَنانَ المُخَضَّبا
You dyed your white hair, lovesick for the beloved—
You dyed your white hair with dye, out of longing
for a fair woman who reckoned you henna-stained fingertips.
For a fair woman who reckoned you a dye-stained fingertip.
وَماand not كانَwas حَبلُthe cord of العَيشِlife إِلّاexcept مُعَلَّقاًsuspended
وَما كانَ حَبلُ العَيشِ إِلّا مُعَلَّقاً
بِعُروَةِby the loop of أَيّامِthe days of الصِباyouth فَتَقَضَّباthen it snapped
بِعُروَةِ أَيّامِ الصِبا فَتَقَضَّبا
Life’s rope had only ever hung
And life's cord was only ever suspended
from the handhold of youth’s days—then it was severed.
From the loop of youth's days—then it snapped.
