هَلْis there? بِالْحِمَىin the protected precincts عَنْaway from سَريرِthe throne الْمُلْكِkingship مَنْanyone who يَزَعُwards off
هَلْ بِالْحِمَى عَنْ سَريرِ الْمُلْكِ مَنْ يَزَعُ
هَيهَاتَfar from it! قَدْalready ذَهَبَhas gone الْمَتْبُوعُthe leader وَالتَبَعُand the followers
هَيهَاتَ قَدْ ذَهَبَ الْمَتْبُوعُ وَالتَبَعُ
Is there anyone in the protected precincts to guard the royal throne?
Far from it! The leader and his followers are gone.
هَذِيthis الْجَزِيرَةُthe island فَانْظُرْso look هَلْwhether تَرَىyou see أَحَداًanyone
هَذِي الْجَزِيرَةُ فَانْظُرْ هَلْ تَرَى أَحَداً
يَنْأَىmoves away بِهِwith him الْخَوْفُfear أَوْor يَدْنُوdraws near بِهِwith him الطَّمَعُgreed
يَنْأَى بِهِ الْخَوْفُ أَوْ يَدْنُو بِهِ الطَّمَعُ
This is the island: look—do you see anyone
whom fear drives away, or greed draws near?
أَضْحَتْit became خَلاءًdeserted وَكَانَتْand it was قَبْلُformerly مَنْزِلَةًa dwelling
أَضْحَتْ خَلاءً وَكَانَتْ قَبْلُ مَنْزِلَةً
لِلْمُلْكِfor kingship مِنْهَاfrom it لِوَفْدِfor the guests الْعِزِّglory مُرْتَبَعُa springtime retreat
لِلْمُلْكِ مِنْهَا لِوَفْدِ الْعِزِّ مُرْتَبَعُ
It has become deserted, though once it was a dwelling
for royalty, with a springtime retreat for glory's guests.
فَلاso no مُجِيبَrespondent يَرُدُّreturns الْقَوْلَspeech عَنْabout نَبَإٍnews
فَلا مُجِيبَ يَرُدُّ الْقَوْلَ عَنْ نَبَإٍ
وَلاnor سَمِيعَa listener إِذَاwhen نَادَيْتَyou call يَسْتَمِعُlistens
وَلا سَمِيعَ إِذَا نَادَيْتَ يَسْتَمِعُ
So none answers with any tidings,
nor is there anyone to listen when you call.
كَانَتْit was مَنَازِلَdwellings أَمْلاكٍkings إِذَاwhen صَدَعُواthey proclaimed
كَانَتْ مَنَازِلَ أَمْلاكٍ إِذَا صَدَعُوا
بِالأَمْرِwith the command كَادَتْalmost قُلُوبُthe hearts النَّاسِthe people تَنْصَدِعُsplit asunder
بِالأَمْرِ كَادَتْ قُلُوبُ النَّاسِ تَنْصَدِعُ
It was the dwelling-place of kings who, when they proclaimed
a command, the hearts of men would almost split asunder.
عَاثُواthey wrought havoc بِهَاin it حِقْبَةًfor an age حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen نَهَضَتْrose
عَاثُوا بِهَا حِقْبَةً حَتَّى إِذَا نَهَضَتْ
طَيْرُthe birds الْحَوادِثِcalamities مِنْfrom أَوْكَارِهَاtheir nests وَقَعُواthey fell
طَيْرُ الْحَوادِثِ مِنْ أَوْكَارِهَا وَقَعُوا
They wrought havoc there for an age, until there rose
the birds of calamity from their nests, and they fell.
لَوْif أَنَّهُمْthat they عَلِمُواhad known مِقْدَارَthe measure مَاwhat فَغَرَتْopened their jaws
لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ عَلِمُوا مِقْدَارَ مَا فَغَرَتْ
بِهِwith it الْحَوَادِثُcalamities مَاnot شَادُواthey built وَلاnor رَفَعُواthey raised
بِهِ الْحَوَادِثُ مَا شَادُوا وَلا رَفَعُوا
Had they known the measure of what lay in the gaping jaws
of calamity, they would neither have built nor raised anything.
دَارَتْturned عَلَيْهِمْupon them رَحَىthe millstone الأَيَّامِthe days فَانْشَعَبُواso they scattered
دَارَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ رَحَى الأَيَّامِ فَانْشَعَبُوا
أَيْدِيclans (literally, hands) سَبَاSaba وَتَخَلَّتْand withdrew عَنْهُمُfrom them الشِّيَعُthe partisans
أَيْدِي سَبَا وَتَخَلَّتْ عَنْهُمُ الشِّيَعُ
The millstone of days turned upon them, and they scattered
like Saba's dispersed clans; their partisans deserted them.
كَانَتْthere were لَهُمْfor them عُصَبٌbands يَسْتَدْفِعُونَthey sought to repel بِهَاthrough them
كَانَتْ لَهُمْ عُصَبٌ يَسْتَدْفِعُونَ بِهَا
كَيْدَthe schemes الْعَدُوِّthe enemy فَمَاyet not ضَرُّواthey harmed وَلاnor نَفَعُواthey helped
كَيْدَ الْعَدُوِّ فَمَا ضَرُّوا وَلا نَفَعُوا
They had bands of men through whom they sought to repel
the enemy's schemes, yet they neither harmed nor helped.
أَيْنَwhere الْمَعَاقِلُthe strongholds بَلْnay أَيْنَwhere الْجَحَافِلُthe mighty armies بَلْnay
أَيْنَ الْمَعَاقِلُ بَلْ أَيْنَ الْجَحَافِلُ بَلْ
أَيْنَwhere الْمَنَاصِلُthe swords وَالْخِطِّيَّةُand the Khatti spears الشَّرَعُleveled
أَيْنَ الْمَنَاصِلُ وَالْخِطِّيَّةُ الشَّرَعُ
Where are the strongholds—nay, where the mighty armies—nay,
where are the swords and the leveled Khatti spears?
لاno شَيءَthing يَدْفَعُrepels كَيْدَthe plots الدَّهْرِtime إِنْif عَصَفَتْraged
لا شَيءَ يَدْفَعُ كَيْدَ الدَّهْرِ إِنْ عَصَفَتْ
أَحْدَاثُهُits calamities أَوْor يَقِيprotects مِنْfrom شَرِّthe evil مَاwhat يَقَعُbefalls
أَحْدَاثُهُ أَوْ يَقِي مِنْ شَرِّ مَا يَقَعُ
Nothing can ward off time's plots when
its calamities rage, or protect against the evil that befalls.
زَالُواthey vanished فَمَاyet not بَكَتِwept الدُّنْيَاthe world لِفُرْقَتِهِمْfor their parting
زَالُوا فَمَا بَكَتِ الدُّنْيَا لِفُرْقَتِهِمْ
وَلاnor تَعَطَّلَتِwere suspended الأَعْيَادُthe festivals وَالْجُمَعُand Fridays
وَلا تَعَطَّلَتِ الأَعْيَادُ وَالْجُمَعُ
They are gone, yet the world did not weep for their parting,
nor were feast days and Fridays left unobserved.
وَالدَّهْرُand time كَالْبَحْرِlike the sea لاnot يَنْفَكُّceases to be ذَاpossessing كَدَرٍmurk
وَالدَّهْرُ كَالْبَحْرِ لا يَنْفَكُّ ذَا كَدَرٍ
وَإِنَّمَاand only صَفْوُهُits clarity بَيْنَamong الْوَرَىmortals لُمَعُgleams
وَإِنَّمَا صَفْوُهُ بَيْنَ الْوَرَى لُمَعُ
And time, like the sea, is never without murk,
and its clarity among mortals comes only in fleeting gleams.
لَوْif كَانَthere were لِلْمَرْءِfor a man فِكْرٌthought فِيabout عَوَاقِبِهِhis eventual outcomes
لَوْ كَانَ لِلْمَرْءِ فِكْرٌ فِي عَوَاقِبِهِ
مَاnot شَانَmarred أَخْلاقَهُhis character حِرصٌgreed وَلاnor طَبَعُbaseness
مَا شَانَ أَخْلاقَهُ حِرصٌ وَلا طَبَعُ
Had a man given thought to the consequences awaiting him,
neither greed nor baseness would have marred his character.
وَكَيْفَand how يُدْرِكُperceives مَاwhat فِيin الْغَيْبِthe unseen مِنْof حَدَثٍan event
وَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ مَا فِي الْغَيْبِ مِنْ حَدَثٍ
مَنْone who لَمْdid not يَزَلْcease بِغُرُورِby the deceit الْعَيشِlife يَنْخَدِعُis deceived
مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ بِغُرُورِ الْعَيشِ يَنْخَدِعُ
And how can he discern what events the unseen holds—
he who is forever deceived by life's illusions?
دَهْرٌtime يَغُرُّdeceives وَآمَالٌand hopes تَسُرُّdelight وَأَعْand life- (fragment)
دَهْرٌ يَغُرُّ وَآمَالٌ تَسُرُّ وَأَعْ
مَارٌ-times (continuation) تَمُرُّpass وَأَيَّامٌand days لَهَاthey have خُدَعُdeceptions
مَارٌ تَمُرُّ وَأَيَّامٌ لَهَا خُدَعُ
Time deceives, hopes delight, and life-
times pass, and days have their deceptions.
يَسْعَىstrives الْفَتَىthe young man لأُمُورٍfor things قَدْmay تَضُرُّبِهِharm him
يَسْعَى الْفَتَى لأُمُورٍ قَدْ تَضُرُّبِهِ
وَلَيْسَand does not يَعْلَمُknow مَاwhat يَأْتِيundertakes وَمَاand what يَدَعُleaves
وَلَيْسَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَأْتِي وَمَا يَدَعُ
A young man strives for things that may harm him,
and does not know what to undertake and what to leave.
يَاO أَيُّهَاyou السَّادِرُthe heedless one الْمُزْوَرُّthe one turned aside مِنْfrom صَلَفٍarrogance
يَا أَيُّهَا السَّادِرُ الْمُزْوَرُّ مِنْ صَلَفٍ
مَهْلاًslow down فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you بِالأَيَّامِby the days مُنْخَدِعُdeceived
مَهْلاً فَإِنَّكَ بِالأَيَّامِ مُنْخَدِعُ
O heedless one, turning aside out of arrogance,
slow down, for you are deceived by the days.
دَعْleave مَاwhat يَرِيبُraises doubt وَخُذْand begin فِيin مَاwhat خُلِقْتَyou were created لَهُfor it
دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُ وَخُذْ فِي مَا خُلِقْتَ لَهُ
لَعَلَّperhaps قَلْبَكَyour heart بِالإِيْمَانِthrough faith يَنْتَفِعُbenefits
لَعَلَّ قَلْبَكَ بِالإِيْمَانِ يَنْتَفِعُ
Leave what raises doubt, and take up what you were created for;
perhaps your heart will benefit through faith.
إِنَّindeed الْحَيَاةَlife لَثَوبٌsurely a garment سَوْفَwill تَخْلَعُهُyou take it off
إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ لَثَوبٌ سَوْفَ تَخْلَعُهُ
وَكُلُّand every ثَوْبٍgarment إِذَاwhen مَا(emphasis) رَثَّgrows threadbare يَنْخَلِعُcomes off
وَكُلُّ ثَوْبٍ إِذَا مَا رَثَّ يَنْخَلِعُ
Indeed, life is a garment you will take off,
and every garment, once threadbare, comes off.
Translation model: Sol 6.1