إِذاwhen ماتَبَيَّنّاwe examine الأُمورَaffairs تَكَشَّفَتthey reveal themselves
إِذا ماتَبَيَّنّا الأُمورَ تَكَشَّفَت
لَناto us وَأَميرُand the ruler القَومِof the people لِلقَومِto the people خادِمُa servant
لَنا وَأَميرُ القَومِ لِلقَومِ خادِمُ
Whenever we discern affairs, they reveal themselves
When we examine affairs, they reveal themselves
to us—and the people's prince is the people's servant.
to us, and the people's ruler is the people's servant.
أَقَلُّthe least بَنيchildren of الدُنِياthis world هُموماًworries وَحَسرَةًand regret
أَقَلُّ بَني الدُنِيا هُموماً وَحَسرَةً
فَقيدُbereft of غِنىًwealth لِلمالِof money وَالرُشدِand sound judgment عادِمُdevoid
فَقيدُ غِنىً لِلمالِ وَالرُشدِ عادِمُ
Least burdened, among the children of this world, by worry and regret
The least burdened by worries and regret among this world's children
is one bereft of material self-sufficiency and devoid of sound judgment.
is one bereft of wealth, lacking money and sound judgment.
وَماand not هِيَit إِلّاexcept مَنزِلٌa dwelling غَيرُwithout طائِلٍworth
وَما هِيَ إِلّا مَنزِلٌ غَيرُ طائِلٍ
فَمُرتَحِلٌso one departing عَنهُfrom it وَآخَرُand another قادِمُarriving
فَمُرتَحِلٌ عَنهُ وَآخَرُ قادِمُ
It is nothing but a dwelling that will not last:
And it is nothing but a dwelling of little worth,
one traveler departs from it, and another arrives.
so one departs from it, and another arrives.
تُبَكّيyou lament عَلىover المَيتِthe deceased الجَديدِnew لِأَنَّهُbecause he
تُبَكّي عَلى المَيتِ الجَديدِ لِأَنَّهُ
حَديثٌrecent وَيُنسىand is forgotten مَيتُكَyour dead one المُتَقادِمُlong-dead
حَديثٌ وَيُنسى مَيتُكَ المُتَقادِمُ
You weep for the newly dead because he is
You weep over the newly dead because he
recent, while your dead of long ago is forgotten.
has only just died, while your long-dead one is forgotten.
وَلَوand if أَنَّنيthat I وافَيتُهاI came to it بِتَخَيُّرٍby choice
وَلَو أَنَّني وافَيتُها بِتَخَيُّرٍ
لَأَدمىwould have bloodied البَنانَthe fingertips العَشرَthe ten بِالأَزمِby biting نادِمُa remorseful person
لَأَدمى البَنانَ العَشرَ بِالأَزمِ نادِمُ
Had I come to it by my own choosing,
And had I come to it by choice,
I would, remorseful, have bloodied all ten fingertips by biting them.
a remorseful man would have bloodied his ten fingertips by biting them.
سَيُسليكَwill console you أَنَّthat القابِضَthe one who withholds باسِطٌa giver
سَيُسليكَ أَنَّ القابِضَ باسِطٌ
وَأَنَّand that الَّذيthe one who شادَbuilt البَنِيَّةَthe building هادِمُa destroyer
وَأَنَّ الَّذي شادَ البَنِيَّةَ هادِمُ
It will console you that the one who takes away also gives,
It will console you that he who withholds also gives,
and that the one who raised the edifice is its destroyer.
and that he who raised the building is its destroyer.
