أَبىrefuses الدَهرُtime تَحلوgrow sweet مَرارَةُbitterness طَعمِهِits taste
أَبى الدَهرُ تَحلو مَرارَةُ طَعمِهِ
وَأَنand that يَتَهَنّاfind enjoyment فيهِin it بِالعَيشِin living ذائِقُهthe one who tastes it
وَأَن يَتَهَنّا فيهِ بِالعَيشِ ذائِقُه
Time refuses to let the bitterness of its taste grow sweet,
or let the one who tastes it enjoy life within it.
إذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle أَتَيتُI come to السَهلَthe easy ground مِمّاof what أُحِبُّهُI love it
إذا ما أَتَيتُ السَهلَ مِمّا أُحِبُّهُ
لَأَسلُكَto make my way فيهِthrough it وَعَّرَتهُmade it rugged عَوائِقُهits obstacles
لَأَسلُكَ فيهِ وَعَّرَتهُ عَوائِقُه
Whenever I come upon easy ground in what I love,
to make my way through it, its obstacles make it rugged.
فَماso what حيلَةُrecourse الظَمآنِthe thirsty man فيat المَورِدِthe watering place الَّذيwhich
فَما حيلَةُ الظَمآنِ في المَورِدِ الَّذي
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle دَناhe draws near مِنهُto it تَكَدَّرَgrows murky رائِقُهits clear water
إِذا ما دَنا مِنهُ تَكَدَّرَ رائِقُه
What recourse, then, has the thirsty man at a watering place whose
clear water grows murky whenever he draws near?
Translation model: Sol 6.1