ماذاwhat use is الوُقوفُstanding علىover رُسومthe traces of المَنزِلِthe dwelling
ماذا الوُقوفُ على رُسوم المَنزِلِ
هَيهاتِhow futile! لاnot يُجديavails وُقوفُكَyour standing فارحَلِso depart
هَيهاتِ لا يُجدي وُقوفُكَ فارحَلِ
What use is standing over the traces of the dwelling?
How futile! Your standing avails nothing, so depart.
تِلكَthose الأثافيhearthstones فيin العِراصِthe open grounds تَخلَّفَتْwere left behind
تِلكَ الأثافي في العِراصِ تَخلَّفَتْ
أظَنَنْتَdid you suppose? قبلكَbefore you بَينَهاamong them فتأمَّلِso look closely
أظَنَنْتَ قبلكَ بَينَها فتأمَّلِ
Those hearthstones were left behind in the open grounds.
Did you suppose [they were] among them before you? Look closely.
دارٌan abode عَفَتْهاeffaced it الذارِياتُthe scattering winds فأبرَزَتْthen exposed
دارٌ عَفَتْها الذارِياتُ فأبرَزَتْ
فيهاin it خُطوطاًlines مثلَlike رَقْمِthe written figures of الجُمَّلِabjad reckoning
فيها خُطوطاً مثلَ رَقْمِ الجُمَّلِ
An abode the scattering winds effaced, then laid bare
within it lines like the figures of abjad reckoning.
ومتىand whenever سألتَyou ask رُبوعَهاits quarters عنabout أهلِهاits people
ومتى سألتَ رُبوعَها عن أهلِها
صَدَرَcame forth الجَوابُthe answer عنfrom الصَّبَاthe east wind والشَمْألِand the north wind
صَدَرَ الجَوابُ عن الصَّبَا والشَمْألِ
And whenever you ask its quarters about their people,
the answer comes from the east wind and the north wind.
هَيهاتِfar from it! ماnot دارُthe abode of الحَياةِlife بمَنزِلٍa dwelling at all
هَيهاتِ ما دارُ الحَياةِ بمَنزِلٍ
يُرجَىto be hoped for ولاnor ماءُthe water of الحَياةِlife بمَنَهلِa watering place at all
يُرجَى ولا ماءُ الحَياةِ بمَنَهلِ
Far from it! Life's abode is no dwelling
to set one's hopes on, nor is the water of life a watering place.
ولَطالماand how often سَرَّتْit brought joy فساءَتthen brought grief فانقَضَتْthen passed away
ولَطالما سَرَّتْ فساءَت فانقَضَتْ
فكأنَّso it is as though ذلكَthat كُلَّهُall of it لمdid not يَحصُلِhappen
فكأنَّ ذلكَ كُلَّهُ لم يَحصُلِ
How often it brought joy, then grief, then passed away,
as though none of it had ever happened.
ياO أيُّهاyou النِحرِيرُconsummate scholar جِهبِذُdiscerning master of عَصرِهِhis age
يا أيُّها النِحرِيرُ جِهبِذُ عَصرِهِ
ماwhat ليis with me أُبثُّكَI impart to you علمَknowledge of ماwhat لمdid not تَجهَلِbe ignorant of
ما لي أُبثُّكَ علمَ ما لم تَجهَلِ
O consummate scholar, discerning master of his age,
why impart to you knowledge of what you already know?
إنindeed المُقَدِّمَone who offers للحكيمِto the sage إفادةًinstruction
إن المُقَدِّمَ للحكيمِ إفادةً
كمُقَدِّمٍِlike one offering للشمسِto the sun ضَوْءَthe light of المِشْعَلِthe torch
كمُقَدِّمٍِ للشمسِ ضَوْءَ المِشْعَلِ
Indeed, one who offers instruction to a sage
is like one offering the sun the light of a torch.
بَعُدَgrew distant المَزَارُthe meeting place علىfor مَشُوقٍone who longs لمnot يكنwas
بَعُدَ المَزَارُ على مَشُوقٍ لم يكن
يُشْفىbe healed علىdespite قُربthe nearness of المَزارthe meeting place الأوَّلِthe former
يُشْفى على قُرب المَزار الأوَّلِ
The meeting place has grown distant for a longing man who was not
healed even when the former meeting place was near.
يُدنيbrings near إليهِto him الوَهْمُimagination دارَthe dwelling of حبيبِهhis beloved
يُدني إليهِ الوَهْمُ دارَ حبيبِه
حتىuntil يكادُhe almost يَمَسُّهاtouches it بالأنُملِwith fingertips
حتى يكادُ يَمَسُّها بالأنُملِ
Imagination brings his beloved's dwelling near to him,
until he almost touches it with his fingertips.
للناسِfor people أيامٌdays تَمُرُّpass كأنَّهاas though they were
للناسِ أيامٌ تَمُرُّ كأنَّها
خَيلُhorses of البَريدِthe post مُغيرةًcharging فيthrough الهَوجَلِthe trackless desert
خَيلُ البَريدِ مُغيرةً في الهَوجَلِ
People have days that pass as though they were
post horses charging across the trackless desert.
إنif كُنتَyou are تأمَنُfeel safe from جانبَthe side of الماضيthe past بهاin them
إن كُنتَ تأمَنُ جانبَ الماضي بها
فالخَوفُthen fear بينَbetween الحالِthe present والمُستَقبَلِand the future
فالخَوفُ بينَ الحالِ والمُستَقبَلِ
If in them you feel safe from the past,
then fear lies between the present and the future.
ذَهَبَتْthey departed بماwith what ذَهبَتْthey carried off فماso not تَرَكَتْthey left سِوىexcept
ذَهَبَتْ بما ذَهبَتْ فما تَرَكَتْ سِوى
ذِكرَىmemory of الحبيبِthe beloved ويومِand the day of دارةِDarat جُلجُلِJuljul
ذِكرَى الحبيبِ ويومِ دارةِ جُلجُلِ
They have gone with all they carried off, leaving nothing but
the memory of the beloved and the day at Darat Juljul.
والذِّكرُand remembrance قدmay يُؤذِيhurt الفُؤادَthe heart وإنeven though حلاit is sweet
والذِّكرُ قد يُؤذِي الفُؤادَ وإن حلا
كالمِسكِlike musk يَصدَعُmakes ache مَفرِقَthe crown of the head of المُستعمِلِthe wearer
كالمِسكِ يَصدَعُ مَفرِقَ المُستعمِلِ
And remembrance may hurt the heart, though sweet,
like musk that splits its wearer's crown with pain.
زادُthe provision of المُودّعِthe one bidding farewell نَظرةٌa glance فإذاand when انقَضَتْit is over
زادُ المُودّعِ نَظرةٌ فإذا انقَضَتْ
وَقَفَrests الرَّجاءُhope علىon الحديثِthe message المُرسَلِsent
وَقَفَ الرَّجاءُ على الحديثِ المُرسَلِ
The departing one's provision is a glance; once it is over,
hope rests on a message sent.
إنْif كانَit was قدalready بَعُدَgrown distant اللِقاءُthe meeting لِعلّةٍfor a reason
إنْ كانَ قد بَعُدَ اللِقاءُ لِعلّةٍ
فابعَثْthen send إليَّto me بلُهنةِwith a sustaining morsel المُتَعلِّلِone seeking solace
فابعَثْ إليَّ بلُهنةِ المُتَعلِّلِ
If meeting has grown distant for some reason,
then send me a morsel for one seeking solace.
Translation model: Sol 6.1