إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَسَنَّgrows old الشَيخُthe old man أَقصاهُcasts him out أَهلُهُhis family
إِذا ما أَسَنَّ الشَيخُ أَقصاهُ أَهلُهُ
وَجارَand acts unjustly عَلَيهِاagainst him لنَجلُthe son وَالعَبدُand the slave وَالعِرسُand the wife
وَجارَ عَلَيهِا لنَجلُ وَالعَبدُ وَالعِرسُ
When the old man advances in age, his family casts him out,
and son, slave, and wife treat him unjustly.
وَصارَand becomes كَبِنتِlike the daughter of المومِwax تَسهَرُstays awake فيin الدَُجىthe darkness
وَصارَ كَبِنتِ المومِ تَسهَرُ في الدَُجى
بُكاهُhis weeping لَهُfor him طَبعٌa natural disposition وَلِمَّتُهُand his locks بِرسُcotton
بُكاهُ لَهُ طَبعٌ وَلِمَّتُهُ بِرسُ
He becomes like wax's daughter, keeping vigil in the dark;
weeping comes naturally to him, and his locks are cotton.
وَأَكثَرَand increased قَولاًspeech وَالصَوابُand what is right لِمِثلِهِfor one like him
وَأَكثَرَ قَولاً وَالصَوابُ لِمِثلِهِ
عَلىdespite فَضلِهِhis merit أَنthat لاnot يُحَسُّbe perceived لَهُfrom him جَرَسُa sound
عَلى فَضلِهِ أَن لا يُحَسُّ لَهُ جَرَسُ
He speaks at length, though what befits one like him,
despite his merit, is that no sound of his be heard.
يُسَبِّحُglorifies God كَيماso that يَغفِرُmay forgive اللَهُGod ذَنبَهُhis sin
يُسَبِّحُ كَيما يَغفِرُ اللَهُ ذَنبَهُ
رُوَيدَكَhold on فيin عَهدِthe days of الصِباyouth مُلِىءَwas filled الطِرسُthe parchment
رُوَيدَكَ في عَهدِ الصِبا مُلِىءَ الطِرسُ
He glorifies God so that God may forgive his sin.
Not so fast: in the days of youth, the parchment was filled.
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe was مِنَamong فُرسانِthe horsemen of حَربٍbattle وَغارَةٍand a raid
وَقَد كانَ مِنَ فُرسانِ حَربٍ وَغارَةٍ
فَلَمyet did not يُغنِavail عَنهُhim السَيفُthe sword وَالرُمحُand the spear وَالتِرسُand the shield
فَلَم يُغنِ عَنهُ السَيفُ وَالرُمحُ وَالتِرسُ
He had been among the horsemen of battle and raid,
yet sword, spear, and shield availed him nothing.
وَأَصبَحَand became عِندَin the eyes of الغانِياتِbeautiful women مُبَغَّضاًdetested
وَأَصبَحَ عِندَ الغانِياتِ مُبَغَّضاً
كَأَنَّas though خَزُّهُhis silk-and-wool cloth خِزيٌdisgrace وَعَنبَرُهُand his ambergris كِرسُdung
كَأَنَّ خَزُّهُ خِزيٌ وَعَنبَرُهُ كِرسُ
He has become detested by beautiful women,
as though his silk were shame and his ambergris dung.
عَجِبتُI marveled لِقَبرٍat a grave فيهِin it ضيقٌnarrowness تَزاحَمَتcrowded together
عَجِبتُ لِقَبرٍ فيهِ ضيقٌ تَزاحَمَت
عَلىfor الكَونِdwelling فيهِwithin it العُربُthe Arabs وَالرومُand the Romans وَالفُرسُand the Persians
عَلى الكَونِ فيهِ العُربُ وَالرومُ وَالفُرسُ
I marvel at a cramped grave: they have jostled
to dwell within it—Arabs, Romans, and Persians.
مَتّىwhenever يَأكُلِit consumes الجُثمانَthe body يَسكُنهُinhabits it غَيرُهanother in its place
مَتّى يَأكُلِ الجُثمانَ يَسكُنهُ غَيرُه
يَدَthroughout الدَهرِtime حَرَساًone age جاءَcame مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter it حَرسُanother age
يَدَ الدَهرِ حَرَساً جاءَ مِن بَعدِهِ حَرسُ
Whenever it consumes a body, another inhabits it,
for all time, one age followed by another.
وَكَمand how many دَرَسَتhas effaced هَذيthis البَسيطَةُearth عالَماًa world of people
وَكَم دَرَسَت هَذي البَسيطَةُ عالَماً
وَعالَمُand the world of جيلٍa generation مِنamong عَوائِدِهِits customary ways الدَرسُeffacement
وَعالَمُ جيلٍ مِن عَوائِدِهِ الدَرسُ
How many a world of people has this earth effaced!
And a generation's world is wont to pass away.
لَقَدindeed فَرَسَتslew تِلكَthose الأُسودُlions طَوائِفاًgroups
لَقَد فَرَسَت تِلكَ الأُسودُ طَوائِفاً
أَنيساًhumans وَوَحشاًand wild beasts ثُمَّthen أَدرَكَهاovertook them الفَرسُslaughter
أَنيساً وَوَحشاً ثُمَّ أَدرَكَها الفَرسُ
Indeed, those lions slew many bands—
humans and wild beasts—then slaughter overtook them.
وَماand not بَرِحَceased الإِنسانُman فيin البُؤسِmisery مُذsince جَرَتflowed
وَما بَرِحَ الإِنسانُ في البُؤسِ مُذ جَرَت
بِهِthrough him الرَوحُthe spirit لاnot مُذsince زالَdeparted عَنfrom رَأسِهِhis head الغِرسُthe birth membrane
بِهِ الرَوحُ لا مُذ زالَ عَن رَأسِهِ الغِرسُ
Man has never been free of misery, since there flowed
through him the spirit—not since the birth-membrane left his head.
فَلاso do not تَعذُليناreproach us كُلُّناall of us اِبنُa son of لَئيمَةٍa base woman
فَلا تَعذُلينا كُلُّنا اِبنُ لَئيمَةٍ
وَهَلand can تَعذُبُbe sweet الأَثمارُthe fruits إِنif لُؤمَis base الغَرسُthe planted stock
وَهَل تَعذُبُ الأَثمارُ إِن لُؤمَ الغَرسُ
So do not reproach us: each of us is a base woman's son.
And can fruits be sweet if the stock is base?
طَفَوناwe floated وَنَرسوand we anchor الآنَnow لاmay not سُرَّbe gladdened أَسوَديmy heart's dark core
طَفَونا وَنَرسو الآنَ لا سُرَّ أَسوَدي
بِمِلكِby dominion over البَراياmankind ماwhat is العِراقُIraq وَماand what is النَرسُNars
بِمِلكِ البَرايا ما العِراقُ وَما النَرسُ
We floated; now we anchor. May my heart's dark core find no joy
in dominion over mankind—what are Iraq and Nars?
فَإِنّيfor I أَرىsee الكافورَcamphor وَالطيبَand perfume كُلَّهُall of it
فَإِنّي أَرى الكافورَ وَالطيبَ كُلَّهُ
يَزولُvanishes بِمَوتٍthrough death جاءَcame فيin يَدِهِits hand وَرسُyellow dyestuff
يَزولُ بِمَوتٍ جاءَ في يَدِهِ وَرسُ
For I see camphor and every perfume
vanish through death, which comes with yellow dye in its hand.
مَضىpassed away الناسُthe people إِلّاexcept أَنَّناthat we فيin صُبابَةٍa little remnant
مَضى الناسُ إِلّا أَنَّنا في صُبابَةٍ
كَآخَرِlike the last of ماwhat تُبقيleave behind الحِياضُthe basins أَوor الخَرسُthe jars
كَآخَرِ ما تُبقي الحِياضُ أَو الخَرسُ
People have passed away; we remain only as a little remnant,
like the last drops left by basins or jars.
وَلَمand did not يَسمَعواthey hear قَولاًany speech أَمِنis it from صَمَمٍdeafness بِهِمin them
وَلَم يَسمَعوا قَولاً أَمِن صَمَمٍ بِهِم
وَلَمand did not يَفهَمواthey understand رَجعاًa reply كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were خُرسُmute
وَلَم يَفهَموا رَجعاً كَأَنَّهُمُ خُرسُ
They heard no speech—is it because of deafness in them?
And they understood no reply, as though they were mute.
Translation model: Sol 6.1