جَيرِindeed أَنَّthat الفَتىthe young man لَفيindeed in النَصبِhardship الأَعthe greatest (beginning)
جَيرِ أَنَّ الفَتى لَفي النَصبِ الأَع
ظَمِgreatest (completion) بَينَamong الأَهلَينِthe two families وَالجيرانِand the neighbors
ظَمِ بَينَ الأَهلَينِ وَالجيرانِ
Indeed, a young man endures the greatest hardship
among the two families and the neighbors.
وَحِرانُand the balking الجَوادِof the steed كَالحَتفِlike death لِلهاfor the fugitive (beginning)
وَحِرانُ الجَوادِ كَالحَتفِ لِلها
رِبِfugitive (completion) قُدّامَbefore ثائِرٍan avenger حَرّانِraging
رِبِ قُدّامَ ثائِرٍ حَرّانِ
And a steed's balking is like death to one
fleeing before a raging avenger.
أَناI أَدرانِيَhas taught me الرَشادُsound judgment بِأَنَّof the fact that الإِنhuman beings (beginning)
أَنا أَدرانِيَ الرَشادُ بِأَنَّ الإِن
سَhuman beings (completion) مَخلوقَةٌcreated مِنَfrom الأَدرانِimpurities
سَ مَخلوقَةٌ مِنَ الأَدرانِ
As for me, sound judgment has taught me that human
beings are created from impurities.
إِنif يَكُنbe أَبرَأَhas cured القَضاءُfate الضَنىwasting sickness فَهthen it (beginning)
إِن يَكُن أَبرَأَ القَضاءُ الضَنى فَه
وَبَرانيit wore me away (pronoun completed) مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen أَبرانيcreated me
وَبَراني مِن بَعدِ ما أَبراني
If fate has cured the wasting sickness, it
has worn me away after creating me.
لاno كَرىًslumber نائِمٌsleeping بِجَفنيin my eyelid وَلاand not أَعI proclaimed (beginning)
لا كَرىً نائِمٌ بِجَفني وَلا أَع
لَمتُI proclaimed (completion) فيin الدَهرِtime فِتنَةًtemptation بِكِرانِwith a lute
لَمتُ في الدَهرِ فِتنَةً بِكِرانِ
No slumber sleeps in my eyelid, nor have I
ever proclaimed temptation with a lute.
قَدhas أَرانيshown me القِياسُanalogy أَنَّthat لُيوثَlions الthe
قَد أَراني القِياسُ أَنَّ لُيوثَ ال
غابِthickets فيماin what يَنوبُbefalls مِثلُlike الإِرانِthe coffin
غابِ فيما يَنوبُ مِثلُ الإِرانِ
Analogy has shown me that the lions of the
thickets, amid what befalls them, are like a coffin.
خَوَّفوناthey frightened us مِنَof القِرانِthe planetary conjunction وَلاand no بُدَّescape
خَوَّفونا مِنَ القِرانِ وَلا بُدَّ
لِنَفسٍfor a soul مَعَwith الرَدىdeath مِنfrom قِرانِa conjunction
لِنَفسٍ مَعَ الرَدى مِن قِرانِ
They frightened us with the conjunction; yet there is no escape
for a soul from conjunction with death.
كَمhow many جِبالٍmountains مِنَof الجُيوشِthe armies تَرادىhave fallen
كَم جِبالٍ مِنَ الجُيوشِ تَرادى
وَالَّذيand the one who أوضِعَتwere driven at speed لَهُfor him الحِجرانِthe two mares
وَالَّذي أوضِعَت لَهُ الحِجرانِ
How many mountains of armies have fallen,
and so has he for whom the two mares were driven at speed!
مَرَّpassed آنٌa moment مِنَof الزَمانِtime عَلىover الشَخthe person (beginning)
مَرَّ آنٌ مِنَ الزَمانِ عَلى الشَخ
صِperson (completion) فَقَدso indeed خِلتُI thought أَنَّthat دَهراًan age مَرانيmilked me
صِ فَقَد خِلتُ أَنَّ دَهراً مَراني
A moment of time passed over this man;
and I thought an entire age had milked me.
وَعَرانيand befell me خَطبٌa calamity أَرادَtargeted العَرانيthe noses or chiefs (beginning)
وَعَراني خَطبٌ أَرادَ العَراني
نَnoses or chiefs (completion) بِذُلٍّwith humiliation وَكُلُّهاand all of them فيin عِرانِa wooden nose-peg
نَ بِذُلٍّ وَكُلُّها في عِرانِ
And a calamity befell me, targeting the proud
noses with humiliation; all are held by a nose-peg.
زَعَمَclaimed الناسُthe people أَنَّthat قَوماًa group مِنَamong الأَبthe righteous (beginning)
زَعَمَ الناسُ أَنَّ قَوماً مِنَ الأَب
رارِrighteous (completion) عولواsoared بِالجَوِّthrough the air بِالطَيَرانِby flying
رارِ عولوا بِالجَوِّ بِالطَيَرانِ
People claimed that a group of the righteous
soared through the air in flight,
وَمَشَواand walked فَوقَabove صَفحَةِthe surface of الماءِthe water هَذاthis الإِفfalsehood (beginning)
وَمَشَوا فَوقَ صَفحَةِ الماءِ هَذا الإِف
كُfalsehood (completion) هَيهاتَimpossible! ماas long as جَرىrun on العَصرانِday and night
كُ هَيهاتَ ما جَرى العَصرانِ
and walked upon the water's surface. This falsehood—
impossible, as long as day and night run on!
ماnot مَشىwalked فَوقَabove لُجَّةِthe depths of الماءِthe water لاneither السَعthe two Saʿds (beginning)
ما مَشى فَوقَ لُجَّةِ الماءِ لا السَع
دانِtwo Saʿds (completion) فيماin what مَضىhas passed وَلاand not العُمَرانِthe two ʿUmars
دانِ فيما مَضى وَلا العُمَرانِ
No one walked upon the water's depths—not the two
Saʿds in times past, nor the two ʿUmars.
أَقرانيserved me as a guest ذاكَthat المُضَيِّفُthe host ماwhat أَكI loathe (beginning)
أَقراني ذاكَ المُضَيِّفُ ما أَك
رَهُI loathe (completion) وَاللَهُand God غالِبُconqueror of الأَقرانِrivals
رَهُ وَاللَهُ غالِبُ الأَقرانِ
That host served me what I
loathe; and God overcomes all rivals.
لَمdid not أَبِتI spend the night غافِلاًheedless فَأَشرانيso spurred me on الحِرgreed (beginning)
لَم أَبِت غافِلاً فَأَشراني الحِر
صُgreed (completion) إِلىuntil أَنthat أَعودَI become كَالأَشرانِlike the exuberant man
صُ إِلى أَن أَعودَ كَالأَشرانِ
I did not pass the night heedless; greed spurred me on
until I become like an exuberant man.