هِيَthey are طُرقٌpaths فَمِنthen through ظُهورٍloins وَأَرحاand wombs (first part)
هِيَ طُرقٌ فَمِن ظُهورٍ وَأَرحا
مٍcompletion of “wombs” وَدُنياand a world أَتَتcame بِظُلمٍwith injustice وَقَمرِand gambling
مٍ وَدُنيا أَتَت بِظُلمٍ وَقَمرِ
These are paths: through loins and wombs,
and a world that came with injustice and gambling.
كُنتُI was طِفلاًan infant فيin المَهدِthe cradle وَالآنَand now لاnot أَهI long (first part)
كُنتُ طِفلاً في المَهدِ وَالآنَ لا أَه
وىcompletion of “I long” رُجوعاًa return إِلَيهِto it فَاِعجَبso marvel لِأَمريat my state
وى رُجوعاً إِلَيهِ فَاِعجَب لِأَمري
I was an infant in the cradle; now I do not long
to return to it—so marvel at my state.
وَلَعَلّيand perhaps I كَذاكَlikewise فيin داريmy abode الأُخthe other (first part)
وَلَعَلّي كَذاكَ في داري الأُخ
رىcompletion of “the other” إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِدَّكَرتُI recalled ريَّقَthe first freshness of عِمريmy life
رى إِذا ما اِدَّكَرتُ ريَّقَ عِمري
And perhaps I shall be likewise in my other abode,
when I recall the first freshness of my life.
طَلَwent unrewarded مِنّيfrom me تَحَمُّلٌendurance خِلتُI thought أَنّيthat I
طَلَ مِنّي تَحَمُّلٌ خِلتُ أَنّي
قابِضٌgripping مِنfrom أَذاتِهِits hurt فَوقَover جَمرِlive coals
قابِضٌ مِن أَذاتِهِ فَوقَ جَمرِ
My endurance went unrewarded; I thought I was
clutching live coals, from the hurt it caused.
كَمhow many أُعانيI endure لِلدَهرِfrom Time بيضاًwhite days وَسوداًand black days
كَم أُعاني لِلدَهرِ بيضاً وَسوداً
بَينَamid خُضرٍgreen ones مِنَof السِنينَthe years وَحُمرِand red ones
بَينَ خُضرٍ مِنَ السِنينَ وَحُمرِ
How many white days and black I endure from Time,
amid green years and red.
كَيفَhow ليfor me بِالفَلاةِto the wilderness تُنضيwears out المَطاياthe mounts
كَيفَ لي بِالفَلاةِ تُنضي المَطايا
بِضَميرٍwith an inward resolve يَكسوclothes جَلابيبَcloaks of ضُمُرِleanness
بِضَميرٍ يَكسو جَلابيبَ ضُمُرِ
How can I reach the wilderness that wears out mounts,
with an inward resolve that clothes them in cloaks of leanness,
بِنَوىwith the pits of تَمرِيَmy dates الَّذيwhich غُذِّيَتهُthey were fed it
بِنَوى تَمرِيَ الَّذي غُذِّيَتهُ
لِنَواهاfor its remoteness الَّتيwhich مِنَfrom البُعدِdistance تَمريmilks
لِنَواها الَّتي مِنَ البُعدِ تَمري
with the pits of my dates on which they were fed,
for its remoteness, which milks distance?
زَمَرَتpiped رُبدُهاits gray ostriches وَغَنَّتand sang بِهاin it الوُرthe gray doves (first part)
زَمَرَت رُبدُها وَغَنَّت بِها الوُر
قُcompletion of “the gray doves” وَلاand no حَوبَsin فيin غِناءٍsinging وَزَمرِand piping
قُ وَلا حَوبَ في غِناءٍ وَزَمرِ
Its gray ostriches piped, and there the gray doves sang;
and there is no sin in singing and piping.
إِلزَمِkeep to الصَمتَsilence إِنif أَرَدتِyou desire نَجاةًsalvation
إِلزَمِ الصَمتَ إِن أَرَدتِ نَجاةً
لَيسَis not ضَحضاحُa shallow pool مَنطِقٍof speech مِثلَlike غَمرِdeep water
لَيسَ ضَحضاحُ مَنطِقٍ مِثلَ غَمرِ
Keep to silence if you desire salvation:
a shallow pool of speech is not like deep water.
لَفظَةٌa word قُلتُهاI uttered it وَإِنeven though هِيَit هانَتwas slight
لَفظَةٌ قُلتُها وَإِن هِيَ هانَت
جاوَزَتsurpassed فيamong الأَنامِhumankind حُسوَةَa sip خَمرِof wine
جاوَزَت في الأَنامِ حُسوَةَ خَمرِ
A word I uttered, though it was slight,
surpassed, among mankind, a sip of wine.
تُنفِدُyou use up الوَقتَthe time غَيرَwithout جالِبِbringing نَفَعٍbenefit
تُنفِدُ الوَقتَ غَيرَ جالِبِ نَفَعٍ
خائِضاًwading فيinto حَديثِtalk of زَيدٍZayd وَعَمَرِوand ʿAmr
خائِضاً في حَديثِ زَيدٍ وَعَمَرِو
You exhaust your time, bringing no benefit,
wading into talk of Zayd and ʿAmr.
Translation model: Sol 6.1