مَاذَاwhat يُريدُwants الشِّعْرُpoetry مِنِّيfrom me
مَاذَا يُريدُ الشِّعْرُ مِنِّي
أَخْنَىlaid waste عَلَيْهِupon it عُلُوُّadvancement سِنِّيmy age
أَخْنَى عَلَيْهِ عُلُوُّ سِنِّي
What does poetry want of me?
What does poetry want from me
My advancing years have laid it waste.
Now that I lament my advanced age
هَلْquestion marker كَانَexisted مَاwhat ذَهَبَتْwent away بِهِwith it الthe
هَلْ كَانَ مَا ذَهَبَتْ بِهِ ال
أَيَّامُdays مِنْof أَدَبِيmy letters وَفَنِّيand my art
أَيَّامُ مِنْ أَدَبِي وَفَنِّي
Did it ever exist—what the days carried away
Did the days take with them
of my letters and my art?
My literary taste and art
أَحْسَنْتI made favorable ظَنِّيmy expectation واللَّيَاand the nights (first part)
أَحْسَنْت ظَنِّي واللَّيَا
لِيnights (completion) لَمْdid not تُوَافِقْmatch حُسْنَgoodness ظَنِّيmy expectation
لِي لَمْ تُوَافِقْ حُسْنَ ظَنِّي
I cherished good hopes, but the nights
I wished well but days
did not live up to my good hopes.
Did not fulfill my wish
وَرَجَعْتُand I returned مِنْfrom سُوقٍa market عرَضْoffered (first part)
وَرَجَعْتُ مِنْ سُوقٍ عرَضْ
تُI (verb ending) بِضَاعَتِيmy wares فِيهَاin it بِغَبْنِat a loss
تُ بِضَاعَتِي فِيهَا بِغَبْنِ
And I returned from a market where I had offered
I returned from a market where
my wares at a loss.
I offered my goods at a loss
أَفَكَانَso, was it? ذَلِكَthat ذَنْبَهَاits fault
أَفَكَانَ ذَلِكَ ذَنْبَهَا
أَمْor كَانَwas ذَنْبِيmy fault لاdo not تَسَلْنِيask me
أَمْ كَانَ ذَنْبِي لا تَسَلْنِي
Was that, then, its fault,
Was that the market's fault
or was it mine? Do not ask me.
Or my fault, do not ask me
خَمَدَتْdied down بِيَwithin me النَّارُthe fire الَّتِيwhich
خَمَدَتْ بِيَ النَّارُ الَّتِي
رَفَعَتْraised بِعَيْنِin the eye of العَصْرِthe age شَأْنِيmy standing
رَفَعَتْ بِعَيْنِ العَصْرِ شَأْنِي
The fire within me has died down—the fire that
The fire that raised my status
raised my standing in the eyes of the age.
In the eyes of the era has dimmed in me
هِيَit شُعْلَةٌa flame كَانَتْused to تُثِstir (first part)
هِيَ شُعْلَةٌ كَانَتْ تُثِ
يرُstir (completion) قَرِيحَتِيmy poetic gift وَتُنِيرُand illuminates ذِهْنِيmy mind
يرُ قَرِيحَتِي وَتُنِيرُ ذِهْنِي
It is a flame that used to stir
It was a flame that stirred
my poetic gift and light my mind,
My talent and enlightened my mind
أَيَّامَin the days when لِيI had طَرَبٌrapture وَقَلْand heart (first part)
أَيَّامَ لِي طَرَبٌ وَقَلْ
بِيmy heart (completion) مَوْقِعُthe seat of المُرِنِّthe ringing voice
بِي مَوْقِعُ المُرِنِّ
in days when I knew rapture, and my heart
Days when I had fervor and
was the seat of the ringing voice.
My heart leapt at verse
لاdo not تَنْدُبَنِّيsummon me لِلعَظَاfor great deeds (first part)
لا تَنْدُبَنِّي لِلعَظَا
ئِمِgreat deeds (completion) بَعْدَهَاafter that لاdo not تَنْدُبَنِّيsummon me
ئِمِ بَعْدَهَا لا تَنْدُبَنِّي
Do not summon me to great deeds
Do not blame me for the calamities
after that; do not summon me.
After that, do not blame me
يَاO مَنْyou who يُحَمِّلُنِيburdens me تَكَاdemands (first part)
يَا مَنْ يُحَمِّلُنِي تَكَا
لِيفَdemands (completion) الشَّبَابِyouth ارْفُقْbe gentle بِوَهْنِيwith my frailty
لِيفَ الشَّبَابِ ارْفُقْ بِوَهْنِي
O you who burden me with the demands
O you who burden me with
of youth, be gentle with my frailty.
The costs of youth, be gentle with my weakness
زَمَنِيmy time تَوَلَّىpassed away وَالأُولَىand those who
زَمَنِي تَوَلَّى وَالأُولَى
عَمَرُوهُthey filled it with life مِنْamong صَحْبِيmy companions فَدَعْنِيso leave me
عَمَرُوهُ مِنْ صَحْبِي فَدَعْنِي
My time has passed, and so have those
My time has passed and it was better
among my friends who filled it with life; leave me be.
For it to spend my company, so leave me
وَلَّىdeparted الرَّبِيعُspring وَجَفَّand dried up عُوbranch (first part)
وَلَّى الرَّبِيعُ وَجَفَّ عُو
دِيmy branch (completion) وَانقَضَىand ended عَهْدُthe age of التَّغَنِيsinging
دِي وَانقَضَى عَهْدُ التَّغَنِي
Spring has gone, and my branch has withered;
Spring has gone and my return is over
the age of singing has ended.
And the era of singing has ended
وَعَدِمْتُand I lost لَذَّاتِthe delights of الرُّؤىvisions
وَعَدِمْتُ لَذَّاتِ الرُّؤى
وَعَدِمْتُand I lost لَذَّاتِthe delights of التَّمَنِّيwishing
وَعَدِمْتُ لَذَّاتِ التَّمَنِّي
And I have lost the delights of visions,
I lost the pleasures of visions
and I have lost the delights of wishing.
And the pleasures of wishing
إِنِّيindeed I خَتَمْتُbrought to a close العَيْشَlife فِيin
إِنِّي خَتَمْتُ العَيْشَ فِي
وَادِيthe valley of المخِيلَةِimagination أَوْor كَأَنِّيas though I had
وَادِي المخِيلَةِ أَوْ كَأَنِّي
I have brought life to a close in
I have finished living
the valley of imagination—or as though I had.
In the valley of imaginations, or as if I did
فَإذَاso if بَدَتْappears لَكَto you هِمَّةٌresolve
فَإذَا بَدَتْ لَكَ هِمَّةٌ
مِنْfrom دَائِبٍa tireless worker يَشْقَىtoils وَيَبْنِيand builds
مِنْ دَائِبٍ يَشْقَى وَيَبْنِي
So if resolve appears to you
So if an effort occurs to you
in a tireless man who toils and builds,
From a hard worker who suffers and builds
فَعَذِيرُهُthen his excuse خَوْفُfear of التَّشْبِيهِbeing likened
فَعَذِيرُهُ خَوْفُ التَّشْبِيهِ
بِالرَّحَىto a millstone مِنْfrom غَيْرِabsence of طِحْنِgrist
بِالرَّحَى مِنْ غَيْرِ طِحْنِ
his excuse is fear of being likened
His excuse is fear of resemblance
to a millstone with no grist.
To a mill without grinding
وَيَكُدُّand he toils كَدَّthe toil of النَّحْلِthe bees وَهْwhile they (first part)
وَيَكُدُّ كَدَّ النَّحْلِ وَهْ
يَthey (completion) لِغَيْرِهَاfor others than themselves تَسْعَىstrive وَتَجْنِيand gather
يَ لِغَيْرِهَا تَسْعَى وَتَجْنِي
And he toils as bees toil, while they
He struggles like the struggle of bees
strive and gather for others.
Which strive and reap for others
أَرْضَىI am content بِأَنْthat تُقْضَىbe fulfilled مُنىًwishes
أَرْضَى بِأَنْ تُقْضَى مُنىً
لِلآخَرينَfor others وَإِنْeven if عَدَتْنِيpass me by
لِلآخَرينَ وَإِنْ عَدَتْنِي
I am content that wishes be fulfilled
I am content that others' wishes
for others, even if they pass me by.
Be fulfilled even if I am denied
أًُخْلِيI vacate مَكَانِيmy place لِلَّذِيfor whoever
أًُخْلِي مَكَانِي لِلَّذِي
يَسْمُوrises إِلَيْهِto it بِغَيْرِwithout حُزْنِgrief
يَسْمُو إِلَيْهِ بِغَيْرِ حُزْنِ
I yield my place to whoever
I make way for those
rises to it, without grief.
Who aspire without sorrow
وَلَقَدْand indeed أَهَشُّI gladly welcome لِمَنْtoward whoever يُطَاrivals (first part)
وَلَقَدْ أَهَشُّ لِمَنْ يُطَا
ولُنِيrivals me (completion) وَإِنْeven if يَكُhe is تَحْتَbeneath ضِبْنِيmy armpit
ولُنِي وَإِنْ يَكُ تَحْتَ ضِبْنِي
And indeed I gladly welcome whoever rivals
And I surely quiver to those
me, even if he is beneath my arm.
Who blame me even if they are beneath me
إَِنَّindeed الحَقِيقَةَthe truth حِينَwhen نَبْwe reach (first part)
إَِنَّ الحَقِيقَةَ حِينَ نَبْ
لُغُهَاreach it (completion) لَتَكْفِينَاsurely suffices us وَتُغْنِيand enriches
لُغُهَا لَتَكْفِينَا وَتُغْنِي
Indeed, the truth, when we reach
The truth is that when
it, surely suffices us and enriches us.
We attain it, it suffices us and enriches us
فِيهَاin it الجَلالُgrandeur بِكُلِّin all of مَعْنَmeaning (first part)
فِيهَا الجَلالُ بِكُلِّ مَعْنَ
اهُits meaning (completion) وَفِيهَاand in it كُلُّevery حُسْنِbeauty
اهُ وَفِيهَا كُلُّ حُسْنِ
In it is grandeur in all its
In it is all glory in every
meaning, and in it is every beauty.
Sense and in it is all beauty
تَتَشَابَهُare alike التَّرِكَاتُthe legacies فِيin
تَتَشَابَهُ التَّرِكَاتُ فِي
أَنَّاthat we نُعِدُّwe prepare لَهَاfor them وَنَقْنِيand acquire possessions
أَنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهَا وَنَقْنِي
Legacies are alike in
Inheritances are similar in
that we prepare for them and gather possessions.
That we prepare for them and harvest
فَإذَاso when تَوَلَّيْنَاwe depart فَهَلْthen, will...?
فَإذَا تَوَلَّيْنَا فَهَلْ
أَسْمَاؤُنَاour names مِنَّاin our place سَتُغْنِيwill suffice
أَسْمَاؤُنَا مِنَّا سَتُغْنِي
So when we depart, will
So when we are gone, will
our names suffice in our place?
Our names suffice us
إِنْif نَبْقَwe remain وَالأَرْوَاحُwhile the souls قَدْalready
إِنْ نَبْقَ وَالأَرْوَاحُ قَدْ
ذَهَبَتْhave departed فَمَاthen what الأَسْمَاءُthe names تَعْنِيmean
ذَهَبَتْ فَمَا الأَسْمَاءُ تَعْنِي
If we remain, though the souls have already
If we remain while spirits have
departed, what do names mean?
Gone, what do names mean
لَوْif لَمْnot يَكُنْthere were فِيin الذِّكْرِremembrance لِلfor the
لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الذِّكْرِ لِل
أَعْقَابِposterity نَفْعٌbenefit لَمْwould not يَشُقْنِيstir my longing
أَعْقَابِ نَفْعٌ لَمْ يَشُقْنِي
If remembrance held no benefit for
Had there been no benefit to progeny
posterity, it would not stir my longing.
In remembrance, it would not have pained me
أَمَّاas for الجَزَاءُreward فَإِنَّيthen indeed I اسْreceived in full (first part)
أَمَّا الجَزَاءُ فَإِنَّي اسْ
تَوْْفَيْتُI received in full (completion) مِنْهُof it فَوْقَmore than وَزْنِيmy weight
تَوْْفَيْتُ مِنْهُ فَوْقَ وَزْنِي
As for reward, I have received
As for reward, I have already
more than my own weight of it.
Received beyond my worth
فِيin الحَاضِرِthe present اسْتسْلَفْتُI borrowed in advance مَاwhat
فِي الحَاضِرِ اسْتسْلَفْتُ مَا
سَيَقُولُهُwill say it التَّالُونَthose who come after عَنِّيabout me
سَيَقُولُهُ التَّالُونَ عَنِّي
In the present I have borrowed in advance what
In the present I borrowed what
those who come after will say of me.
Reciters will say about me
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.