دَولاتُكُمyour reigns شَمَعاتٌcandles يُستَضاءُlight is sought بِهاby them
دَولاتُكُم شَمَعاتٌ يُستَضاءُ بِها
فَبادِروهاso hasten to use them إِلىuntil أَنthat تُطفَأَbe extinguished الشَمَعُthe candles
فَبادِروها إِلى أَن تُطفَأَ الشَمَعُ
Your reigns are candles by which light is sought;
so make haste with them before the candles are extinguished.
وَالنَفسُand the soul تَفنىperishes بِأَنفاسٍthrough breaths مُكَرَّرَةٍrepeated
وَالنَفسُ تَفنى بِأَنفاسٍ مُكَرَّرَةٍ
وَساطِعُand the blaze of النارِthe fire تُخبيconceal نورَهُits light اللُمَعُthe flashes
وَساطِعُ النارِ تُخبي نورَهُ اللُمَعُ
The soul perishes through breaths repeated,
and the blazing fire has its light concealed by flashes.
كَمhow many a سامِعِhearer اللَفظِthe speech قَوّالٌmuch-speaking كَأَنَّهُمُas though they
كَم سامِعِ اللَفظِ قَوّالٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ
تَحتَbeneath البَسيطَةِthe earth ماnot قالواthey spoke وَلاnor سَمِعواthey heard
تَحتَ البَسيطَةِ ما قالوا وَلا سَمِعوا
How many a hearer of speech is a great talker—as though they,
beneath the earth, had neither spoken nor heard.
وَالعِلمُand knowledge يُدرِكُperceives أَنَّthat المَرءَa person مُختَلَسٌsnatched away
وَالعِلمُ يُدرِكُ أَنَّ المَرءَ مُختَلَسٌ
مِنَfrom الحَياةِlife وَلَكِنyet يَغلِبُprevails الطَمَعُgreed
مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلَكِن يَغلِبُ الطَمَعُ
Knowledge perceives that a person is snatched
from life, yet greed prevails.
وَقَدand indeed سَقَتهُمwatered them غَماماتٌclouds بَكَتwept زَمَناًfor an age
وَقَد سَقَتهُم غَماماتٌ بَكَت زَمَناً
بِلاwithout اِبتِسامٍsmiling فَماyet they did not جادواgive generously وَلاnor دَمِعواshed tears
بِلا اِبتِسامٍ فَما جادوا وَلا دَمِعوا
Clouds have watered them, weeping for an age
without smiling; yet they neither gave generously nor shed tears.
لاdo not تَجمَعواamass المالَwealth وَاِحبوهُand bestow it مُوالِيَهُupon those entitled to it
لا تَجمَعوا المالَ وَاِحبوهُ مُوالِيَهُ
فَالمُمسِكونَfor the hoarders تُراثٌan inheritance كُلَّall of ماwhat جَمَعواthey amassed
فَالمُمسِكونَ تُراثٌ كُلَّ ما جَمَعوا
Do not amass wealth; bestow it upon those entitled to it,
for hoarders leave all they amassed as an inheritance.
وَالوَقتُand time لِلَّهِbelongs to God وَالدُنِّياand the world مُخَلَّفَةٌis left behind
وَالوَقتُ لِلَّهِ وَالدُنِّيا مُخَلَّفَةٌ
مِنَafter بَعدِناus وَتَساوىand became equal الهامُthe skulls وَالزَمَعُand the dewclaws
مِنَ بَعدِنا وَتَساوى الهامُ وَالزَمَعُ
Time belongs to God, and the world is left behind
after us, while skulls and dewclaws become equal.
وَلَيسَand does not يَثبُتُremain لِلأَيّامِfor the days مِنany شَرَفٍhonor
وَلَيسَ يَثبُتُ لِلأَيّامِ مِن شَرَفٍ
إِذاwhen تَفاخَرَتِboasted against one another الآحادُthe Sundays وَالجُمَعُand the Fridays
إِذا تَفاخَرَتِ الآحادُ وَالجُمَعُ
No honor remains fixed for the days
when Sundays and Fridays vie in pride.
وَرُبَّand many a أَبيَضٍfair-skinned man كانَwas الوَشِيُbrocade مُبتَذَلاًfreely expended
وَرُبَّ أَبيَضٍ كانَ الوَشِيُ مُبتَذَلاً
فيfor صَونِهِsafeguarding him أَكَلَتهُate him أَضبُعٌhyenas خُمُعُlimping
في صَونِهِ أَكَلَتهُ أَضبُعٌ خُمُعُ
Many a fair-skinned man had brocade freely spent
to keep him safe, only for limping hyenas to eat him.
Translation model: Sol 5.6