خَبِرَhas experienced الحَياةَlife شُرورَهاits evils وَسُرورَهاand its joy
خَبِرَ الحَياةَ شُرورَها وَسُرورَها
مَنwhoever عاشَhas lived عِدَّةَthe count of أَوَّلِthe first المُتَقارِبِthe mutaqārib meter
مَن عاشَ عِدَّةَ أَوَّلِ المُتَقارِبِ
Whoever has known life—its evils and its joys—
He has known life, its evils and its joy,
has lived the number of the first letter of mutaqārib.
who has lived as many years as the count of the first mutaqārib pattern.
وافىhas reached بِذَلِكَby that أَربَعينَforty فَماso no لَهُfor him
وافى بِذَلِكَ أَربَعينَ فَما لَهُ
عُذرٌexcuse إِذاif أَمسىhas become قَليلَhaving few تَجارُبِexperiences
عُذرٌ إِذا أَمسى قَليلَ تَجارُبِ
By that reckoning he has reached forty; therefore he has
He has thereby reached forty, so he has no
no excuse if evening finds him scant in experience.
excuse if he ends up with little experience.
ياO ضارِبَstriker of العَودِthe old camel البَطيءِthe slow وَظَهرُهُand its back
يا ضارِبَ العَودِ البَطيءِ وَظَهرُهُ
لاno وِزرَburden of sin يَحمِلُهُit bears it كَوِزرِlike the guilt of الضارِبِthe striker
لا وِزرَ يَحمِلُهُ كَوِزرِ الضارِبِ
O you who strike the slow old camel, though its back
O you who beat the slow old camel, while its back
bears no burden like the burden borne by its striker—
bears no burden of sin like the striker's.
أُرفُقbe gentle بِهِwith it فَشَهِدتُfor I have testified أَنَّكَthat you are ظالِمٌunjust
أُرفُق بِهِ فَشَهِدتُ أَنَّكَ ظالِمٌ
فيamong ظالِمينَwrongdoers أَباعِدٍstrangers وَأَقارِبِand relatives
في ظالِمينَ أَباعِدٍ وَأَقارِبِ
be gentle with it, for I testify that you are a wrongdoer
Be gentle with it, for I testify that you are unjust
among wrongdoers, those distant and those near.
among wrongdoers, strangers and kin.
قُلsay لِلمُدامَةِto wine وَهيَand it is ضِدٌّa foe لِلنُهىto reason
قُل لِلمُدامَةِ وَهيَ ضِدٌّ لِلنُهى
تَنضوit unsheathes لَهاagainst it أَبَداًalways سُيوفَswords مُحارِبِof a warrior
تَنضو لَها أَبَداً سُيوفَ مُحارِبِ
Say to wine, though she is reason’s foe:
Say to wine, which is a foe of reason,
Against her you forever draw a warrior’s swords.
forever drawing a warrior's swords against it:
لَوif كانَit were لَمnot يَحظُركِforbid you غَيرَexcept أَذيَّةٍharm
لَو كانَ لَم يَحظُركِ غَيرَ أَذيَّةٍ
شَيءٌanything لَبِتِّyou would have been مُباحَةًpermissible لِلشارِبِfor the drinker
شَيءٌ لَبِتِّ مُباحَةً لِلشارِبِ
If nothing but the harm a thing can do had barred you,
If nothing but harm had forbidden you,
you would still be lawful for the drinker.
you would have been lawful for the drinker.
لَكِنbut حَماكِforbade you العَقلُreason وَهوَand it is مُؤَمَّرٌappointed ruler
لَكِن حَماكِ العَقلُ وَهوَ مُؤَمَّرٌ
فَاِنأَيso withdraw وَراءَكِbehind you فيinto التُرابِthe earth التارِبِdusty
فَاِنأَي وَراءَكِ في التُرابِ التارِبِ
But reason, vested with authority, has barred you;
But reason has forbidden you, and it is set in command;
so keep far away—back with you, into the dust-covered earth.
so withdraw, back into the dusty earth.
