قَدalready أَشرَعَتhas leveled سُنبُسٌSunbus ذَوابِلَهاits slender spears
قَد أَشرَعَت سُنبُسٌ ذَوابِلَها
وَأَرهَفَتand has sharpened بُحتُرٌBuhtur مَعابِلَهاits broad arrowheads
وَأَرهَفَت بُحتُرٌ مَعابِلَها
Sunbus has already leveled its slender spears,
and Buhtur has sharpened its broad arrowheads,
لِفِتنَةٍfor a strife لاnot تَزالُceases باعِثَةًsending forth
لِفِتنَةٍ لا تَزالُ باعِثَةً
رامِحَهاits spearman فيinto الوَغىbattle وَنابِلَهاand its archer
رامِحَها في الوَغى وَنابِلَها
for a strife that never ceases to send
its spearman into battle, and its archer.
حَسّانُHassan فيin المُلكِroyal power لاnot يَحَسُّfeels concern لَهاfor it
حَسّانُ في المُلكِ لا يَحَسُّ لَها
تُزجيit drives onward إِلىtowards مَوتِهاtheir death قَنابِلَهاits squadrons
تُزجي إِلى مَوتِها قَنابِلَها
Hassan, in power, feels no concern for it
as it drives its squadrons towards their death.
خَلِّleave وَدُنياكَwith your world أَهلَthe people of عِزَّتِهاits might
خَلِّ وَدُنياكَ أَهلَ عِزَّتِها
فَكَمfor many a شَكَتhas lamented مُهجَةٌa heart بَلابِلَهاits sorrows
فَكَم شَكَت مُهجَةٌ بَلابِلَها
Leave the mighty to your world;
for many a heart has bewailed its sorrows.
وَجاوَزَتنيand have passed me by سَحائِبٌclouds سُكُبٌpouring rain
وَجاوَزَتني سَحائِبٌ سُكُبٌ
تَحرِمُنيdenying me طَلَّهاtheir drizzle وَوابِلَهاand their downpour
تَحرِمُني طَلَّها وَوابِلَها
And rain-pouring clouds have passed me by,
denying me their drizzle and their downpour.
عِندِيَI have فَاِعلَمso know نَصيحَةٌa piece of advice عَجَبٌstrange
عِندِيَ فَاِعلَم نَصيحَةٌ عَجَبٌ
وَماand not إِخالُI think السَفيهَthe fool قابِلَهاaccepting it
وَما إِخالُ السَفيهَ قابِلَها
I have—know this—a strange piece of advice,
and I do not think the fool will accept it.
أُسكُتbe silent فَإِنَّfor indeed السُكوتَsilence مَنقَبَةٌa virtue
أُسكُت فَإِنَّ السُكوتَ مَنقَبَةٌ
تَأمَنyou are safe from بِهِthrough it إِنسَهاits people وَخابِلَهاand its demons
تَأمَن بِهِ إِنسَها وَخابِلَها
Be silent, for silence is a virtue:
through it you are safe from the world's people and demons.
تَرضىyou acquiesce بِحُكمِin the judgment of القَضاءِfate فيin سَخَطٍresentment
تَرضى بِحُكمِ القَضاءِ في سَخَطٍ
وَهَلand do تُحِبُّlove الظِباءُgazelles حابِلَهاtheir snarer
وَهَل تُحِبُّ الظِباءُ حابِلَها
You accept fate's decree, though resentful—
and do gazelles love their snarer?
جِبِلَّةٌan innate nature بِالفَسادِwith corruption واشِجَةٌinterwoven
جِبِلَّةٌ بِالفَسادِ واشِجَةٌ
إِنif لامَهاhe blames it المَرءُa person لامَhe blames جابِلَهاits maker
إِن لامَها المَرءُ لامَ جابِلَها
A nature interwoven with corruption:
if a person blames it, he blames its maker.
فَاِجزَأso make do وَإِنand even if كُنتَyou are فيin ذَميمِgrievous صَدىًthirst
فَاِجزَأ وَإِن كُنتَ في ذَميمِ صَدىً
فَماfor not تَذُمُّblame الوُحوشُwild beasts آبِلَهاthose among them that go without water
فَما تَذُمُّ الوُحوشُ آبِلَها
So make do, even amid grievous thirst;
for wild beasts do not blame those among them that go without water.
أَينَwhere is لَبيدٌLabid وَأَينَand where is أُسرَتُهُhis kin
أَينَ لَبيدٌ وَأَينَ أُسرَتُهُ
تَزخَرُoverflow عِندَat الضُحىmidmorning مَسابِلَهاtheir large cups
تَزخَرُ عِندَ الضُحى مَسابِلَها
Where is Labid, and where are his kin,
whose great cups brim at midmorning?
يَحُلُّlodges in أَجسامَهاtheir bodies المُدامُwine إِذاwhen
يَحُلُّ أَجسامَها المُدامُ إِذا
ماemphatic particle فارَقَتit has left قَنصَهاits Qans وَبابِلَهاand its Babylon
ما فارَقَت قَنصَها وَبابِلَها
Wine takes lodging in their bodies when
it has left its Qans and its Babylon.