منamong عادةِthe customs of الدُنياthe world الدنيّهbase; lowly
من عادةِ الدُنيا الدنيّه
إذلالُhumiliating ذيone possessing النفسِa soul الأبِيَّهproud; unyielding
إذلالُ ذي النفسِ الأبِيَّه
It is the way of this base world
to humble the man of unbowed spirit.
والمرءُand a person فيin دنياهُhis worldly life مِنbecause of
والمرءُ في دنياهُ مِن
تَعَبِthe weariness of المطامِعِambitions فيin بَليّهaffliction
تَعَبِ المطامِعِ في بَليّه
And man, in his worldly life, through
the weariness of ambition, is in distress.
ببناهُwith his buildings يَرتقبُhe awaits المنىwishes
ببناهُ يَرتقبُ المنى
حتىuntil تَخَطَّفهsnatched him away المنيّهdeath
حتى تَخَطَّفه المنيّه
With his buildings, he awaits his hopes’ fulfillment,
until death snatches him away.
تَباًruin! لدهرٍupon an age دينُهُits creed
تَباً لدهرٍ دينُهُ
إخمالُconsigning to obscurity ذيone possessing الهِمَمِaspirations العَليَّهlofty
إخمالُ ذي الهِمَمِ العَليَّه
Ruin upon an age whose creed is
to cast the lofty-minded into obscurity!
فالحُرُّfor the noble man منfrom دونapart from الوَرىmankind
فالحُرُّ من دون الوَرى
لرماحِfor the spears of قسوتهِits cruelty دَريّهa target
لرماحِ قسوتهِ دَريّه
For the noble man, of all mankind,
is a target for the spears of its cruelty.
وخطوبُهand its calamities بذويupon those possessing الفَضاvirtues (first part)
وخطوبُه بذوي الفَضا
ئلِvirtues (completion) دونَto the exclusion of غيرهمُothers besides them غَرِيَّهeagerly attached
ئلِ دونَ غيرهمُ غَرِيَّه
And its calamities cling to people of
virtue, to the exclusion of others.
قدindeed كانthere was ليfor me ياO بنَson of الهدُىguidance
قد كان لي يا بنَ الهدُى
والوحيِand revelation والعِتَرِand the lineages الزَّكِيَّهpure
والوحيِ والعِتَرِ الزَّكِيَّه
I had, O son of guidance
and revelation and the pure lineages,
بَيَّتُّI harbored مُذsince عزَمتُI resolved هthis (first part)
بَيَّتُّ مُذ عزَمتُ ه
ذاthis (completion) الأمرَthe undertaking فيin التحفيفِtrimming; cutting back نِيَّهan intention
ذا الأمرَ في التحفيفِ نِيَّه
harbored, since I resolved upon
this undertaking, an intention to cut back.
ورأيتُand I deemed مسألةَasking الرجاmen (first part)
ورأيتُ مسألةَ الرجا
لِmen (completion) حطامَهُمtheir worldly dross حالاًa state رديّهwretched
لِ حطامَهُم حالاً رديّه
And I deemed asking men
for their worldly dross a wretched state;
وأنِفتُand I disdained منُfrom ذلِّthe abasement of السؤاbegging (first part)
وأنِفتُ منُ ذلِّ السؤا
لِbegging (completion) بعزِّwith the pride of نفسٍa soul هاشميّهHashimite
لِ بعزِّ نفسٍ هاشميّه
and I scorned the abasement of begging,
with the pride of a Hashimite soul.
وظننتُand I thought أنّيthat I فيin غِنىfreedom from need
وظننتُ أنّي في غِنى
عنfrom قصدِseeking حضرتِكَyour presence العليّهexalted
عن قصدِ حضرتِكَ العليّه
And I thought I had no need
to seek your exalted presence.
فاغتالَنيthen struck me down صرفُthe reversals of الزماtime (first part)
فاغتالَني صرفُ الزما
نِtime (completion) فبعتُso I sold شعريmy poetry بالنَسِيَّهon credit
نِ فبعتُ شعري بالنَسِيَّه
But time’s reversals struck me down,
so I sold my poetry on credit.