تَصَابَيْتُI played the youth بَعْدَafter الْحِلْمِsober judgment وَاعْتَادَنِيand revisited me زَهْوِيmy vanity
تَصَابَيْتُ بَعْدَ الْحِلْمِ وَاعْتَادَنِي زَهْوِي
وَأَبْدَلتُand I exchanged مَأْثُورَlong-established النَّزَاهَةِvirtue بِاللَّهْوِfor amusement
وَأَبْدَلتُ مَأْثُورَ النَّزَاهَةِ بِاللَّهْوِ
I played the youth after sober wisdom, and my vanity returned,
And traded my long-established virtue for amusement.
وَمَاand not كُنْتُI was أَخْشَىI fear أَنْthat تَعُودَwould return غَوَايَتِيmy waywardness
وَمَا كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَنْ تَعُودَ غَوَايَتِي
إِلَيَّto me وَلَكِنْand yet نَظْرَةٌa glance حَرَّكَتْstirred شَجْوِيmy heartache
إِلَيَّ وَلَكِنْ نَظْرَةٌ حَرَّكَتْ شَجْوِي
I had not feared that my waywardness would return
To me—but a glance stirred my heartache.
عَلَىdespite أَنَّنِيthe fact that I غَالَبْتُI struggled against شَوْقِيmy longing فَعَزَّنِيbut it overpowered me
عَلَى أَنَّنِي غَالَبْتُ شَوْقِي فَعَزَّنِي
وَنَادَيْتُand I called حِلْمِيmy sober judgment أَنْto يَعُودَreturn فَلَمْbut did not يَلْوِturn back
وَنَادَيْتُ حِلْمِي أَنْ يَعُودَ فَلَمْ يَلْوِ
Though I struggled against my longing, it overpowered me,
And I called my sober judgment back, but it would not return.
وَمَاذَاand what عَلَىupon مَنْwhoever خَامَرَpossessed الْحُبُّlove قَلْبَهُhis heart
وَمَاذَا عَلَى مَنْ خَامَرَ الْحُبُّ قَلْبَهُ
إِذَاif مَالَhe inclines مَعْهُwith it لِلْخَلاعَةِtoward abandon وَالْصَّبْوِand amorous yearning
إِذَا مَالَ مَعْهُ لِلْخَلاعَةِ وَالْصَّبْوِ
And what blame falls on one whose heart love has possessed,
If, following it, he turns to abandon and amorous yearning?
إِذَاif الْمَرْءُa man لَمْnot يُعْطِgives الْحَيَاةَlife نَصِيبَهَاits share
إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يُعْطِ الْحَيَاةَ نَصِيبَهَا
مِنَof اللَّهْوِamusement قَادَتْهُled him الْهُمُومُcares إِلَىto الشَّكْوِcomplaint
مِنَ اللَّهْوِ قَادَتْهُ الْهُمُومُ إِلَى الشَّكْوِ
If a man does not give life its share
Of amusement, cares will lead him to complaint.
وَهَلْand is there فِيin الصِّبَاyouthful passion وَاللَّهْوِand amusement عَارٌshame عَلَىupon الْفَتَىa young man
وَهَلْ فِي الصِّبَا وَاللَّهْوِ عَارٌ عَلَى الْفَتَى
إِذَاif الْعِرْضُhonor لَمْnot يَدْنَسْis stained بِإِثْمٍby sin وَلاnor بَعْوِwrongdoing
إِذَا الْعِرْضُ لَمْ يَدْنَسْ بِإِثْمٍ وَلا بَعْوِ
And is there shame for a young man in youthful passion and amusement,
If his honor is stained by neither sin nor wrongdoing?
لَعَمْرُكَby your life مَاnot قَارَفْتُI committed فِيin الْحُبِّlove زَلَّةًa lapse
لَعَمْرُكَ مَا قَارَفْتُ فِي الْحُبِّ زَلَّةً
وَلاnor قَادَنِيled me مَعَهَاwith it إِلَىto سَوْءَةٍa shameful deed خَطْوِيmy steps
وَلا قَادَنِي مَعَهَا إِلَى سَوْءَةٍ خَطْوِي
By your life, I have committed no lapse in love,
Nor have my steps in its company led me to disgrace.
وَلَكِنَّنِيand yet I أَهْوَىI love الْخَلاعَةَabandon وَالصِّبَاand youthful passion
وَلَكِنَّنِي أَهْوَى الْخَلاعَةَ وَالصِّبَا
وَأَتْبَعُand I follow آثَارَthe footsteps of الفَضِيلَةِvirtue وَالسَّرْوِand nobility
وَأَتْبَعُ آثَارَ الفَضِيلَةِ وَالسَّرْوِ
Yet I love abandon and youthful passion,
And follow the footsteps of virtue and nobility.
سَجِيَّةُthe disposition نَفْسٍof a soul أَدْرَكَتْit attained مَاwhat تُرِيدُهُit desires it
سَجِيَّةُ نَفْسٍ أَدْرَكَتْ مَا تُرِيدُهُ
مِنَfrom الدَّهْرِlife فَاعْتَاضَتْso it exchanged عَنِin place of السُّكْرِintoxication بِالصَّحْوِfor sobriety
مِنَ الدَّهْرِ فَاعْتَاضَتْ عَنِ السُّكْرِ بِالصَّحْوِ
Such is the nature of a soul that has attained what it desires
From life, and so traded intoxication for sobriety.
وَإِنِّيand indeed I مِنَamong الْقَوْمِthe people الَّذِينَwho إِذَاwhen انْتَوَوْاthey set their sights
وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ إِذَا انْتَوَوْا
مَهُولاًsomething fearsome مِنَamong الأَخْطَارِdangers بَاؤُواthey returned عَلَىwith بَأْوِpride
مَهُولاً مِنَ الأَخْطَارِ بَاؤُوا عَلَى بَأْوِ
And I belong to a people who, when they set their sights
On some fearsome danger, return in pride.
أُنَاسٌa people إِذَاwhen مَاindeed أَجْمَعُواthey resolved upon الأَمْرَthe matter أَصْبَحُواthey rose at dawn
أُنَاسٌ إِذَا مَا أَجْمَعُوا الأَمْرَ أَصْبَحُوا
وَمَاand not هُمْthey بِنَظَّارِينَconstant watchers لِلْغَيْمِfor clouds وَالصَّحْوِand clear skies
وَمَا هُمْ بِنَظَّارِينَ لِلْغَيْمِ وَالصَّحْوِ
A people who, once they resolve upon a course, rise at dawn,
Never waiting to see whether skies are cloudy or clear.
إِذَاwhen غَضِبُواthey grew angry رَدُّواthey restored الأُمُورَaffairs لأَصْلِهَاto their origin
إِذَا غَضِبُوا رَدُّوا الأُمُورَ لأَصْلِهَا
كَمَاjust as بَدَأَتْthey began وَاسْتَفْتَحُواand they opened up الأَرْضَthe earth بِالْغَزْوِthrough invasion
كَمَا بَدَأَتْ وَاسْتَفْتَحُوا الأَرْضَ بِالْغَزْوِ
When angered, they return affairs to their origins,
Just as they began, and open the earth through conquest.
وَإِنْand if حَارَتِwere bewildered الأَبْصَارُeyes فِيin مُدْلَهِمَّةٍa deep gloom
وَإِنْ حَارَتِ الأَبْصَارُ فِي مُدْلَهِمَّةٍ
مِنَof الأَمْرِaffairs جَاؤُواthey came بِالإِنَارَةِwith illumination وَالضَّحْوِand daylight
مِنَ الأَمْرِ جَاؤُوا بِالإِنَارَةِ وَالضَّحْوِ
And if eyes grow bewildered in some deep gloom
Of affairs, they bring illumination and daylight.
شَدَدْتُI strengthened بِهِمْthrough them أَزْرِيmy back وَأَحْكَمْتُand I made firm مِرَّتِيmy strength
شَدَدْتُ بِهِمْ أَزْرِي وَأَحْكَمْتُ مِرَّتِي
وَأَطْلَقْتُand I let out مِنْsome of حَبْلِيmy rope وَأَبْعَدْتُand I went far فِيin شَأْوِيmy course
وَأَطْلَقْتُ مِنْ حَبْلِي وَأَبْعَدْتُ فِي شَأْوِي
Through them I strengthened my back and steeled my resolve,
And let out my rope, and ranged far on my course.
أَصْبَحْتُI became مَرْهُوبَfeared اللِّسَانِthe tongue كَأَنَّنِيas though I
أَصْبَحْتُ مَرْهُوبَ اللِّسَانِ كَأَنَّنِي
سَعَرْتُI kindled لَظَىًa blaze بَيْنَbetween الْحَضَارَةِsettled folk وَالْبَدْوِand the nomads
سَعَرْتُ لَظَىً بَيْنَ الْحَضَارَةِ وَالْبَدْوِ
I became feared for my tongue, as though I
Had kindled a blaze among townsfolk and nomads.
فَيَاoh, then عَجَبَاًwhat a wonder لِلْقَوْمِat the people يَبْغُونَthey seek خُطَّتِيmy station
فَيَا عَجَبَاً لِلْقَوْمِ يَبْغُونَ خُطَّتِي
وَمَاand not خَطْوُهُمْtheir stride خَطْوِيmy stride وَلاnor عَدْوُهُمْtheir running عَدْوِيmy running
وَمَا خَطْوُهُمْ خَطْوِي وَلا عَدْوُهُمْ عَدْوِي
So how strange these people who seek my station,
When their stride is not mine, nor their running my running!
يَرُومُونَthey aspire to مَسْعَاتِيmy distinction وَدُونَand short of مَنَالِهَاits attainment
يَرُومُونَ مَسْعَاتِي وَدُونَ مَنَالِهَا
مَرَاقٍascents تَظَلُّkeep الطَّيْرُthe birds مِنْbecause of بُعْدِهَاtheir remoteness تَهْوِيfalling
مَرَاقٍ تَظَلُّ الطَّيْرُ مِنْ بُعْدِهَا تَهْوِي
They aspire to my distinction, yet short of attaining it
Lie ascents so remote that birds keep plunging down.
فَإِنْthen if تَكُis سِنِّيmy age مَاnot تَطَاوَلَhas stretched far بَاعُهَاits reach
فَإِنْ تَكُ سِنِّي مَا تَطَاوَلَ بَاعُهَا
فَإِنِّيthen indeed I جَدِيرٌcapable بِالإِصَابَةِof hitting the mark فِيin الأَتْوِadvancing
فَإِنِّي جَدِيرٌ بِالإِصَابَةِ فِي الأَتْوِ
Though the reach of my years has not grown long,
I am well able to hit the mark as I advance.
وَشَتَّانَand how great the difference مَاindeed بَيْنَbetween امْرِئِa man of الْقَوْمِthe people الَّذِيwho
وَشَتَّانَ مَا بَيْنَ امْرِئِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِي
إِذَاwhen رَامَhe seeks أَمْرَاًa goal لَمْnot يَجُزْhe passes beyond سَاحَةَthe courtyard of الْبَهْوِthe hall
إِذَا رَامَ أَمْرَاً لَمْ يَجُزْ سَاحَةَ الْبَهْوِ
And what a gulf between me and the man among them who,
When he seeks a goal, never passes beyond his hall's courtyard.
لَقُلْتُindeed I spoke وَقَالُواand they spoke فَاعْتَلَوْتُso I rose high وَخَفَّضُواand they sank low
لَقُلْتُ وَقَالُوا فَاعْتَلَوْتُ وَخَفَّضُوا
وَلَيْسَand is not أَخُوa man of صِدْقٍtruth كَمَنْlike one who جَاءَcame بِاللَّغْوِwith idle talk
وَلَيْسَ أَخُو صِدْقٍ كَمَنْ جَاءَ بِاللَّغْوِ
Indeed, I spoke and they spoke; I rose high, and they sank low;
A man of truth is not like one who brings idle talk.
وَمَاand not ذَاكَthat إِلَّاexcept أَنَّنِيthat I بِتُّI spent the night سَاهِراًawake
وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلَّا أَنَّنِي بِتُّ سَاهِراً
وَنَامُواand they slept وَمَاand not عُقْبَىthe outcome التَّيَقُّظِof vigilance كَالغَفْوِlike slumber
وَنَامُوا وَمَا عُقْبَى التَّيَقُّظِ كَالغَفْوِ
And that is only because I spent the night awake,
While they slept; the outcome of vigilance is not that of slumber.
فَأَصْبَحْتُso I became مَشْبُوبَfiery الزَّئِيرِin roaring وَأَصْبَحَتْand they became
فَأَصْبَحْتُ مَشْبُوبَ الزَّئِيرِ وَأَصْبَحَتْ
كَأَكْلُبِlike the dogs of حَيٍّa tribe بَيْنَamong دَارَاتِهِits dwellings تَلْوِيturning about
كَأَكْلُبِ حَيٍّ بَيْنَ دَارَاتِهِ تَلْوِي
So I became fiery in my roaring, while they became
Like a tribe's dogs, turning about among its dwellings.
Translation model: Sol 6.1