ياO نَفسُsoul آهِalas لِمَتجَرٍfor a trade مُتَنَزِّرِyielding little
يا نَفسُ آهِ لِمَتجَرٍ مُتَنَزِّرِ
جَرَّبتُهُI tried it فَرَجَعتُso I returned عَينَthe very embodiment of المُخسَرِthe loser
جَرَّبتُهُ فَرَجَعتُ عَينَ المُخسَرِ
O soul—alas for so paltry a trade!
O soul, alas for a trade of meager returns!
I tried it and returned the very image of the loser.
I tried it and came back an utter loser.
أَعلىis it against اِبنِthe son of أُدٍّUdd يَفتَرونَthey fabricate lies كَماjust as اِفتَرَتfabricated lies
أَعلى اِبنِ أُدٍّ يَفتَرونَ كَما اِفتَرَت
قِدَماًlong ago عَلىagainst النَمروزِNamruz شَأنَthe tale of الأَنسُرِthe eagles
قِدَماً عَلى النَمروزِ شَأنَ الأَنسُرِ
Do they forge lies against Ibn Udd, as once they forged
Do they invent lies about the son of Udd, as lies were invented
against Nimrod, long ago, the tale of the eagles?
Long ago about Namruz—the tale of the eagles?
سِرٌّa secret سَيُعلَنُwill be revealed وَالحَياةُand life مُعارَةٌlent
سِرٌّ سَيُعلَنُ وَالحَياةُ مُعارَةٌ
وَلِتُقضِيَنَّand shall surely be repaid بِهاwith it دُيونُthe debts of المُعسِرِthe insolvent
وَلِتُقضِيَنَّ بِها دُيونُ المُعسِرِ
A secret will be disclosed, while life is only on loan,
A secret will be revealed, and life is lent,
and through it the insolvent man’s debts shall surely be paid.
And with it the insolvent's debts shall surely be repaid.
كَخَبيءِlike the hidden pronoun of نِعمَexcellent is وَبِئسَand wretched is يَخبَأُlies concealed فيهِماwithin them both
كَخَبيءِ نِعمَ وَبِئسَ يَخبَأُ فيهِما
وَيَكونَand is ذاكَthat عَلىsubject to اِشتِراطِthe requirement of مُفَسِّرِan explanatory term
وَيَكونَ ذاكَ عَلى اِشتِراطِ مُفَسِّرِ
Like what lies hidden in niʿma and biʾsa, concealed within the two,
Like the hidden pronoun in 'excellent is' and 'wretched is,' concealed within them,
according to the condition laid down by an interpreter.
And that is conditional on an explanatory term.
أَناI فيin إِسارِthe bondage of الدَهرِTime لَستُI am not بِمُطَلَّقٍreleased
أَنا في إِسارِ الدَهرِ لَستُ بِمُطَلَّقٍ
أَبَداًever فَأَسرِso travel by night أَخاO man of الطَلاقَةِfreedom أَوor سِرِtravel
أَبَداً فَأَسرِ أَخا الطَلاقَةِ أَو سِرِ
I am a captive of Time; I shall never be released.
I am in Time's bondage, not to be released,
So take the free-spirited man captive—or move on.
Ever; so travel by night, O free man, or journey on.
وَالعَيشُand life جِسرٌa bridge نالَattained his goal مَنone who هُوَhe جاسِرٌdaring
وَالعَيشُ جِسرٌ نالَ مَن هُوَ جاسِرٌ
أَوor كادَnearly did فيهِupon it وَخابَand failed مَنone who لَمdid not يَجسُرِdare
أَو كادَ فيهِ وَخابَ مَن لَم يَجسُرِ
Life is a bridge: the daring man gains his end,
And life is a bridge: the bold man attained his goal,
or nearly does upon it; he who does not dare is thwarted.
Or nearly did so upon it; he who did not dare failed.
وَإِذاand when قَرَنتَyou attach بِلامِto the lām of مِلكٍpossession مُضمَراًa pronoun
وَإِذا قَرَنتَ بِلامِ مِلكٍ مُضمَراً
فُتِحَتit takes an a-vowel بِهِthrough it فَكَأَنَّهاso, as though it لَمhad not تُكسَرِtaken an i-vowel
فُتِحَت بِهِ فَكَأَنَّها لَم تُكسَرِ
When you join a hidden pronoun to a possessive lām,
And when you attach a pronoun to the possessive lām,
it takes fatḥa through it, as though it had never taken kasra.
Through it, the lām takes an a-vowel, as though it had never taken an i-vowel.
وَكَأَنَّand as though مَنone who بَلَغَreached العُلاthe heights لَمhad not يَنخَفِضbeen low
وَكَأَنَّ مَن بَلَغَ العُلا لَم يَنخَفِض
وَكَأَنَّand as though مَنone who فَقَدَlost الغِنىwealth لَمhad not يوسِرِbeen wealthy
وَكَأَنَّ مَن فَقَدَ الغِنى لَم يوسِرِ
As though whoever reached the heights had never descended,
And as though he who reached the heights had never been low,
and whoever lost wealth had never prospered.
And as though he who lost his riches had never been wealthy.
وَيَدُلُّنيand shows me أَنَّthat المَماتَdeath فَضيلَةٌa virtue
وَيَدُلُّني أَنَّ المَماتَ فَضيلَةٌ
كَونُthe fact that التَريقِthe path إِلَيهِto it غَيرَnot مُيَسَّرِmade easy
كَونُ التَريقِ إِلَيهِ غَيرَ مُيَسَّرِ
What tells me that death is a virtue
And what shows me that death is a virtue
is that the road to it is not made easy.
Is that the path to it is not made easy.
لَولاwere it not for نَفاسَتُهُits preciousness لَسُهِّلَwould surely be made easy نَهجُهُits path
لَولا نَفاسَتُهُ لَسُهِّلَ نَهجُهُ
كَأَذىlike harming الضَعيفِthe weak عَلىfor اللَئيمِthe base person المَكسِرِin disposition
كَأَذى الضَعيفِ عَلى اللَئيمِ المَكسِرِ
Were it not so precious, its path would have been smoothed,
Were it not precious, its path would be made easy,
as harming the weak comes easily to the ignoble brute.
As harming the weak is easy for one of base disposition.
آلَيتُI swore لَوif رُزِقَwere granted العَديمُthe destitute man فَطانَةًdiscernment
آلَيتُ لَو رُزِقَ العَديمُ فَطانَةً
لَنَفىhe would surely dispel الهُمومَcares وَباتَand pass the night غَيرَnot مُحَسَّرِregret-stricken
لَنَفى الهُمومَ وَباتَ غَيرَ مُحَسَّرِ
I swear: if the destitute were endowed with discernment,
I swear, were the destitute man granted discernment,
he would forget his cares and pass the night unwearied.
He would banish his cares and pass the night free of regret.
وَلَئِنand even if يُعَدَّhe is reckoned هَمامَةًa coward خَيرٌbetter لَهُfor him
وَلَئِن يُعَدَّ هَمامَةً خَيرٌ لَهُ
مِنthan أَنthat يُضافَhe be classed إِلىwith ذَواتِthose possessing المَنسَرِa raptor's beak
مِن أَن يُضافَ إِلى ذَواتِ المَنسَرِ
To be counted high-hearted would be better for him
And even if he is deemed a coward, that is better for him
than to be numbered among the taloned kind.
Than to be numbered among the birds with hooked beaks.
وَإِذاand if المُعَلّىthe Muʿallā arrow عادَends up أَكثَرَmore مُغَرَّماًburdened with payment
وَإِذا المُعَلّى عادَ أَكثَرَ مُغَرَّماً
فَاِقنَعthen be content بِفَذِّكَwith your Fadhdh arrow مِنamong قِداحِthe lot-arrows of المَيسَرِgambling
فَاِقنَع بِفَذِّكَ مِن قِداحِ المَيسَرِ
And if al-Muʿallā comes back most burdened with loss,
And if the Muʿallā ends up bearing the heaviest forfeit,
then be content with your fadhdh among the arrows of maysir.
Be content with your Fadhdh among the gambling arrows.
