لاdo not تَسألِask المرءَthe man ماwhat تَجنِيinflicts عَشيرتُهُhis clan
لا تَسألِ المرءَ ما تَجنِي عَشيرتُهُ
عليهupon him ماwhat lies بينbetween ضرّاءٍhardship وإضرارِand harm
عليه ما بين ضرّاءٍ وإضرارِ
Do not ask a man what his clan inflicts
upon him, whether hardship or harm.
وَربّماand often كانَthere was مِنfrom قَوميmy people وماand not شَعرواthey realized
وَربّما كانَ مِن قَومي وما شَعروا
ذنبٌa wrong تضيقgrow too narrow بهfor it ساحاتُexpanses أعذاريmy excuses
ذنبٌ تضيق به ساحاتُ أعذاري
Often my people, without realizing it, have committed
a wrong for which the expanses of my excuses are too narrow.
ماnot زالَceased أَهلُpeople of الحِجىreason والحلمِand forbearance كلُّهُمُall of them
ما زالَ أَهلُ الحِجى والحلمِ كلُّهُمُ
مُطالَبينcalled to account عنfor الأعمارlives بالثّارِfor blood vengeance
مُطالَبين عن الأعمار بالثّارِ
All men of reason and forbearance have always
been called to account for lives, with vengeance demanded.
كُنْbe كيفَas شِئتَyou wish ولمand not تدنَسْbe stained بفاحشةٍby a shameful deed
كُنْ كيفَ شِئتَ ولم تدنَسْ بفاحشةٍ
تُلقِيcasts you علىupon الذّمِّblame أوor تُدنِيbrings you near منto العارِdisgrace
تُلقِي على الذّمِّ أو تُدنِي من العارِ
Be as you wish, provided you are not stained by a shameful deed
that exposes you to blame or brings you near disgrace.
مِنfrom أَينwhere لِيfor me والمُنىthough wishes ليستْare not بنافعةٍof any use
مِن أَين لِي والمُنى ليستْ بنافعةٍ
خِلٌّa close friend أرىI see فيهin him أغراضيmy aims وأوطاريand my desires
خِلٌّ أرى فيه أغراضي وأوطاري
Where can I find—though wishes are of no avail—
a friend in whom I see my aims and desires fulfilled?
يَمَسُّهُstrikes him الخطبُcalamity قبليbefore me ثمّthen يصرِفُهُhe turns it away
يَمَسُّهُ الخطبُ قبلي ثمّ يصرِفُهُ
عنّيaway from me ولوand even if خاضhe plunged into فيهin doing so لُجَّةَa sea النّارِof fire
عنّي ولو خاض فيه لُجَّةَ النّارِ
Calamity strikes him before me, and then he turns it
away from me, even if he must plunge into a sea of fire to do so.
وَواحدٌand the same عندهُto him عَزلِيmy dismissal وتولِيَتِيand my appointment
وَواحدٌ عندهُ عَزلِي وتولِيَتِي
وَمستوٍand equal عندهُto him فَقريmy poverty وإيساريand my affluence
وَمستوٍ عندهُ فَقري وإيساري
And to him, my dismissal and appointment are one and the same,
and my poverty and affluence are equal.
ماnot ودّنيhe loved me لاِنتِفاعٍfor benefit بيfrom me ولاand not عَلِقَتْclung
ما ودّني لاِنتِفاعٍ بي ولا عَلِقَتْ
بنانُهُhis fingertips بإزاريto my waistcloth خوفَfor fear of أحذاريmy threats
بنانُهُ بإزاري خوفَ أحذاري
He has not loved me for any benefit from me, nor have
his fingertips clung to my waistcloth for fear of my threats.
ماwhat لِيis with me بُليتُI was afflicted وماthough not قصّرتُI fell short فيin طلبٍseeking
ما لِي بُليتُ وما قصّرتُ في طلبٍ
بكلِّwith every خَبٍّdeceiver خَلوعِone who casts off العهدthe covenant غدّارِtreacherous
بكلِّ خَبٍّ خَلوعِ العهد غدّارِ
Why am I afflicted, though I have spared no effort in my search,
with every cunning, pledge-breaking traitor?
أُخفِيI conceal لَهُfor him السرَّthe secret عَنfrom نَفسيmyself وليسَyet there is not لهfor him
أُخفِي لَهُ السرَّ عَن نَفسي وليسَ له
فيamong النّاسpeople دَأْبٌhabitual pursuit سوىexcept إفشاءِdivulging أسراريmy secrets
في النّاس دَأْبٌ سوى إفشاءِ أسراري
I hide his secret even from myself, yet he has
no occupation among people but divulging my secrets.
إنّindeed الدّيارَthe dwellings التيwhich كنّاwe were نُسرُّwe are delighted بهاin them
إنّ الدّيارَ التي كنّا نُسرُّ بها
ماnot عُجْتُI turned aside فيهاin them وقدand already أقْوَتْthey became deserted بديّارِupon any soul
ما عُجْتُ فيها وقد أقْوَتْ بديّارِ
Indeed, the dwellings where we used to find delight—
I found not a soul when I stopped there, now deserted.
مرابعٌspring encampments عُطّلَتْwere abandoned منهاamong them وأنديةٌand gathering places
مرابعٌ عُطّلَتْ منها وأنديةٌ
لاno رِجسَclamor فيهاin them ولاand no بأسٌdanger لسَمَّارِfor night-time talkers
لا رِجسَ فيها ولا بأسٌ لسَمَّارِ
Spring encampments and gathering places there lie abandoned,
with no clamor within, nor danger for those who converse by night,
مِنfrom بعدماafter اِمتَلأتْthey had filled up منwith كلّevery مُمتعِضٍindignant man
مِن بعدما اِمتَلأتْ من كلّ مُمتعِضٍ
منat الدَنِيَّةِbaseness فيamid العزّاءِhardship صَبّارِsteadfastly patient
من الدَنِيَّةِ في العزّاءِ صَبّارِ
after they had been filled with every man indignant
at baseness, steadfast amid hardship.
كانَتthey were مَسايلchannels أَيدٍhands بالنّدىwith bounty سُمُحٌgenerous
كانَت مَسايل أَيدٍ بالنّدى سُمُحٌ
فالآنand now هنّthey مسيلاتٌwatercourses لأمطارِfor rains
فالآن هنّ مسيلاتٌ لأمطارِ
Once they were channels of bounty from generous hands;
and now they are watercourses for rain.
يُعطِيhe gives الكثيرَmuch إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle المالُmoney ضَنّwas stingy بهِwith it
يُعطِي الكثيرَ إِذا ما المالُ ضَنّ بهِ
معطٍa giver ويَقرِيand offers hospitality إذاwhen ماemphatic particle لمnot يَكُنthere was قارِa host
معطٍ ويَقرِي إذا ما لم يَكُن قارِ
He gives much when money is grudged
by a giver, and offers hospitality when no host is found.
تَزْوَرُّswerve عنهنّaway from them أيديthe forelegs العِيسthe pale camels واخدةًstriding swiftly
تَزْوَرُّ عنهنّ أيدي العِيس واخدةً
ولاand not يعوجturns aside بهنّtoward them المُدلجُthe night traveler السّاريjourneying by night
ولا يعوج بهنّ المُدلجُ السّاري
The forelegs of swift-striding pale camels swerve away from them,
and the night-traveling wayfarer does not turn aside to them.
وَقَدand indeed عُرينَthey have been stripped عَلىin رغمِspite of الأنوفthe noses لناfor us
وَقَد عُرينَ عَلى رغمِ الأنوف لنا
منof كلّevery نفعٍbenefit وإحلاءٍand sweetening وإمرارِand embittering
من كلّ نفعٍ وإحلاءٍ وإمرارِ
And, against our will, they have been stripped bare before us
of all benefit, of all that sweetens or embitters.
Translation model: Sol 6.1