لاmay not جرتْflow عَبْرةُthe tear of الوزيرِthe vizier بنِson of حَمْدٍHamd
لا جرتْ عَبْرةُ الوزيرِ بنِ حَمْدٍ
غَلَطاًin error بعدَهَاafter it علىfor انْسَانِa human being
غَلَطاً بعدَهَا على انْسَانِ
May the vizier Ibn Hamd's tear never flow
in error, after this one, for any human being.
فالرزاياfor calamities معدودةare reckoned فيamong العطاياgifts
فالرزايا معدودة في العطايا
يومَon the day of وضعِsetting down الكتابِthe Book والميزَانِand the Balance
يومَ وضعِ الكتابِ والميزَانِ
For calamities are counted among gifts
on the day the Book and the Balance are set down.
خدعتwas deceived نفسُthe soul of واثقٍone who trusts لمdid not يوطنprepare
خدعت نفسُ واثقٍ لم يوطن
هاit علىfor طارقٍa sudden visitor منof الحَدَثَانِmisfortune
ها على طارقٍ من الحَدَثَانِ
Deceived is the soul of a trusting man who has not steeled
it against a sudden visitation of misfortune.
كيفhow تُرجىis hoped for هَوادةُthe leniency of الدهرِTime والدهand Time (begins)
كيف تُرجى هَوادةُ الدهرِ والده
رُcompletion of 'Time' أَبوthe father of الحادثاتِcalamities والالوانِand shifting colors
رُ أَبو الحادثاتِ والالوانِ
How can Time's leniency be hoped for, when Time
is the father of calamities and fortune's shifting colors?
مرضٌan illness واحدٌsingle يَميتُit kills بهwith it الاثthe two (begins)
مرضٌ واحدٌ يَميتُ به الاث
نينِcompletion of 'the two' بالريثِthrough slowness منهfrom it والسِرعَانِand swiftness
نينِ بالريثِ منه والسِرعَانِ
A single sickness, by which it kills both—
one slowly, the other swiftly.
فاذاthen if لمتَهyou reproach it أَحالَit shifts علىonto بَهْBahram, Mars (begins)
فاذا لمتَه أَحالَ على بَهْ
رامcompletion of 'Bahram' بالذنبِwith the blame أَوْor علىonto كَيْوَنِKaywan, Saturn
رام بالذنبِ أَوْ على كَيْوَنِ
And if you reproach it, it lays upon Bahram
the blame, or upon Kaywan.
لوif تجافتْhad turned aside صروفَهits vicissitudes عنfrom مليكٍa king
لو تجافتْ صروفَه عن مليكٍ
لتجافينَthey would surely have turned aside عنfrom ابىAbu, father of الريَّانِal-Rayyan
لتجافينَ عن ابى الريَّانِ
Had its vicissitudes spared a king,
they would surely have spared Abu al-Rayyan.
ولهand his was الامرcommand بينَbetween يَعْبُورَYa'bur والنَّهْand prohibition (begins)
وله الامر بينَ يَعْبُورَ والنَّهْ
يُcompletion of 'prohibition' الىto بابلBabylon الىto القِيرَوانِQayrawan
يُ الى بابل الى القِيرَوانِ
His were command and prohibition, from Ya'bur
to Babylon, to Qayrawan.
وعظَhas admonished الدهرُTime منwhoever رأَىsees كلَّevery يَومٍday
وعظَ الدهرُ من رأَى كلَّ يَومٍ
نَقْضُهُits undoing فيin اللجينِsilver والعِقْيَانِand pure gold
نَقْضُهُ في اللجينِ والعِقْيَانِ
Time has admonished whoever sees each day
its undoing of silver and pure gold.
لاnot علىupon الدرِّthe pearls واليواقيتِand the rubies فيin التيthe crowns (begins)
لا على الدرِّ واليواقيتِ في التي
جانِcompletion of 'the crowns' يُبقىit spares ولاnor ذَوىthe possessors of التِّيجَانِthe crowns
جانِ يُبقى ولا ذَوى التِّيجَانِ
It spares neither the pearls and rubies in the crowns
nor those who wear the crowns.
وسؤولٍand many an inquirer لمnot يدرِknow حينَwhen رأَىhe saw الايthe iwan (begins)
وسؤولٍ لم يدرِ حينَ رأَى الاي
وانَcompletion of 'the iwan' منwho كانَhad been صاحبَthe master of الايوَانِthe iwan
وانَ من كانَ صاحبَ الايوَانِ
And many an inquirer did not know, on seeing the iwan,
who had been the master of the iwan.
بقيتْremained فيthroughout البلادِthe lands آثارُthe monuments of بَرْوِيْParviz (begins)
بقيتْ في البلادِ آثارُ بَرْوِيْ
زَcompletion of 'Parviz' وبرويزُand Parviz ضاعَwas lost فيin النسيّانِoblivion
زَ وبرويزُ ضاعَ في النسيّانِ
Parviz's monuments remained throughout the lands,
while Parviz was lost in oblivion.
ولَعَمرُand by the life of الالهِGod لوif خافَhe feared أَنْthat يُنbe forgotten (begins)
ولَعَمرُ الالهِ لو خافَ أَنْ يُن
سىcompletion of 'be forgotten' بماwith what شادَهُhe erected it منof البنيَانِbuildings
سى بما شادَهُ من البنيَانِ
By the life of God, had he feared being forgotten
despite the buildings he had raised,
لتعدىhe would have turned instead الىto الثناءpraise فانfor indeed الthe
لتعدى الى الثناء فان ال
خلدَimmortality فيin المكرماتِnoble deeds والاحْسَانِand beneficence
خلدَ في المكرماتِ والاحْسَانِ
he would have turned instead to praise; for
immortality lies in noble deeds and beneficence.
تَنْقَضِيcomes to an end عَبرتىmy tear ولاbut not يَتَقَضَّىcomes to an end
تَنْقَضِي عَبرتى ولا يَتَقَضَّى
عَجبىmy wonder يفin (apparent typo) الحياةِlife منat بكْرَانِBakran
عَجبى يف الحياةِ من بكْرَانِ
My tears cease, but never ceases
my wonder in this life at Bakran.
ولهand he had منthrough خؤولةِmaternal kinship الملكِthe king والدَّيْand the Daylamites (begins)
وله من خؤولةِ الملكِ والدَّيْ
لمِcompletion of 'Daylamites' عِزٌّmight مؤيدُbuttressed السُّلْطَانِsovereign power
لمِ عِزٌّ مؤيدُ السُّلْطَانِ
Through maternal kinship with the king and the Daylamites he had
a might buttressed by sovereign power.
حضرتْwas present لاهجLahij (uncertain reading) فلمbut did not تُغْنِavail أَيْhands (begins)
حضرتْ لاهج فلم تُغْنِ أَيْ
دِيَهَاcompletion of 'its hands' عنَّاfor us أَغنتْهavailed him أَيدىthe hands of الغَوانِيfair women
دِيَهَا عنَّا أَغنتْه أَيدى الغَوانِي
Lahij was present, but its hands did not avail
us; the hands of fair women availed him.
كَفَّنُوهُthey shrouded him وماand not حَبوهُthey favored him بشيءٍwith anything
كَفَّنُوهُ وما حَبوهُ بشيءٍ
غيرexcept حَثْوِscattering الثَّرىearth علىupon الاكْفَانِthe shrouds
غير حَثْوِ الثَّرى على الاكْفَانِ
They shrouded him, and bestowed on him nothing
save earth scattered over the shrouds,
ودموعٍand tears تزورvisit أَعينهمtheir eyes بيwhite (begins)
ودموعٍ تزور أَعينهم بي
ضاًcompletion of 'white' ولكنbut تَحْمَرُّturn red فيin الأَجْفَانِthe eyelids
ضاً ولكن تَحْمَرُّ في الأَجْفَانِ
and tears that visit their eyes white,
but turn red within the eyelids.
ياO مُغصَّyou who choked البَيْداءِthe desert كيفَhow تبدَّلْyou exchanged (begins)
يا مُغصَّ البَيْداءِ كيفَ تبدَّلْ
تَcompletion of 'you exchanged' بهاin exchange for it ضيقاًa narrow one منamong الاوطَانِdwellings
تَ بها ضيقاً من الاوطَانِ
O you who choked the desert, how have you exchanged
it for so narrow a dwelling?
فلمنagainst whom, then كنتَwere you تستعدpreparing رماحَthe spears of الthe
فلمن كنتَ تستعد رماحَ ال
خطِّKhatt والمرهفاتِand the keen blades كالنَّيّرَانِlike flames
خطِّ والمرهفاتِ كالنَّيّرَانِ
Against whom, then, were you preparing the spears of
al-Khatt, and the keen blades like flames,
وبناتِand the daughters of الغصينal-Ghusayn يلعبنَthey play بالهَاwith skulls (begins)
وبناتِ الغصين يلعبنَ بالهَا
مِcompletion of 'skulls' ويوماًand one day يلعبنَthey play بالارسَانِwith halters
مِ ويوماً يلعبنَ بالارسَانِ
and al-Ghusayn's daughters, playing with skulls,
and one day playing with halters?
أَلأعدَىagainst one more hostile? منthan المنيةِdeath أَعدَدْyou prepared (begins)
أَلأعدَى من المنيةِ أَعدَدْ
تَcompletion of 'you prepared' طِعانَthe spear-thrusts of الحُماةِthe defenders والأَعوَانِand the helpers
تَ طِعانَ الحُماةِ والأَعوَانِ
Was it against a greater foe than death that you readied
the spear-thrusts of defenders and helpers?
ياO ابنَson of حمدٍHamd عهديmy knowledge بصبركof your patience لاnot تقmar (begins)
يا ابنَ حمدٍ عهدي بصبرك لا تق
دَحُcompletion of 'mar' فيهin it نوائبthe calamities of الازمَانِthe ages
دَحُ فيه نوائب الازمَانِ
O Ibn Hamd, I know your patience cannot be marred
by the calamities of the ages.
ومتىand when كنتَwere you جازعاًdistraught فتعزىthat you should be consoled
ومتى كنتَ جازعاً فتعزى
ومتىand when كنتَwere you عرضةًan object للتهانِيfor congratulations
ومتى كنتَ عرضةً للتهانِي
And when were you ever distraught, to need consolation?
And when were you ever an object of congratulations?
انماonly انتَyou للزمانِto Time مكانُthe place of الthe
انما انتَ للزمانِ مكانُ ال
قلبِheart منin relation to وحيthe messages of سَمعِهِits hearing والعَيَانِand sight
قلبِ من وحي سَمعِهِ والعَيَانِ
You are to Time just what
the heart is to the messages of its hearing and sight:
مُقلةٌan eye تُطْبَقُare closed الجفونُthe eyelids عليهاover it
مُقلةٌ تُطْبَقُ الجفونُ عليها
وفؤادٌand a heart تحنوbend tenderly عليهover it الحَوانِيthe curving ribs
وفؤادٌ تحنو عليه الحَوانِي
an eye over which the eyelids are closed,
and a heart over which the ribs bend tenderly.
دمْlive on وحافظْand hold fast علىto وفائكَyour loyalty فالصبfor patience (begins)
دمْ وحافظْ على وفائكَ فالصب
رُcompletion of 'patience' جميلٌis beautiful الاَّexcept عنin separation from الاخوَانِbrothers
رُ جميلٌ الاَّ عن الاخوَانِ
Live on, and preserve your loyalty; for patience
is beautiful, save in separation from brothers.
Translation model: Sol 6.1