ذَكَرَmentioned الناسُthe people دارَthe house of نَصرٍNasr لِزَرياto Ziryab (continued)
ذَكَرَ الناسُ دارَ نَصرٍ لِزَريا
بَcompletes Ziryab وَأَهَلَّand cried out joyfully لِنَيلِهاto obtain it زِريابُZiryab
بَ وَأَهَلَّ لِنَيلِها زِريابُ
People spoke to Ziryab of Nasr’s mansion,
People mentioned Nasr’s house to Ziryab,
and thereby deemed Ziryab worthy of attaining it.
and Ziryab cried out joyfully at obtaining it.
هَكَذاthus قَدَّرَdecreed الإِلَهُGod وَقَدand sometimes تَجrun (continued)
هَكَذا قَدَّرَ الإِلَهُ وَقَد تَج
ريcompletes 'run' بِماwith what لاnot تَظُنُّهُyou expect it الأَسبابُthe causes
ري بِما لا تَظُنُّهُ الأَسبابُ
Thus God ordained it; events may unfold
Thus God decreed; and sometimes
in ways their very causes cannot foresee.
causes run in ways you do not expect.
أَخرَجوهُthey removed him مِنهاfrom it إِلىto مَسكَنٍa dwelling لَيis not (continued)
أَخرَجوهُ مِنها إِلى مَسكَنٍ لَي
سَcompletes 'is not' عَلَيهِover it إِلّاexcept التُرابَearth حِجابُa covering
سَ عَلَيهِ إِلّا التُرابَ حِجابُ
They carried him from it to a dwelling with
They removed him from it to a dwelling
no covering over him but the earth.
with no covering over it but earth.
لاnot يُجيبُanswers الداعيهِthe one calling him فيهِin it وَلاand not يَرreturns (continued)
لا يُجيبُ الداعيهِ فيهِ وَلا يَر
جِعُcompletes 'returns' مِنfrom عِندِهِhis presence إِلَيهِto him جَوابُan answer
جِعُ مِن عِندِهِ إِلَيهِ جَوابُ
He answers no one who calls him there, nor does
There he does not answer the one calling him, nor does
an answer return from where he lies to the caller.
any answer return from him to the caller.
وَتَغانَتand became independent المَراكِبُthe mounts عنهُof him
وَتَغانَت المَراكِبُ عنهُ
وَأُميلَتand were turned إِلىtoward سَواهُsomeone other than him الرِكابُthe riding beasts
وَأُميلَت إِلى سَواهُ الرِكابُ
The conveyances learned to do without him,
And the mounts no longer needed him,
and the riding beasts were turned toward another.
and the riding beasts were turned toward another.
لَيسَis not مَعَهُwith him مَنwhoever كانَhe was ماwhat كانَhe had قَدalready جَمْgathered (continued)
لَيسَ مَعَهُ مَن كانَ ما كانَ قَد جَمْ
مَعَcompletes 'gathered' إِلّاexcept ثَلاثَةٌthree أَثوابُgarments
مَعَ إِلّا ثَلاثَةٌ أَثوابُ
Whoever he was, of all that he had amassed, he has
Whoever he was, he has none of what he had already
with him only three garments.
gathered, save three garments.
وَتَلاشىand vanished جَميعُall of ذاكَthat فَلَمّاso not yet
وَتَلاشى جَميعُ ذاكَ فَلَمّا
يَبقَremains إِلّاexcept ثَوابُهُhis reward أَوor عِقابُpunishment
يَبقَ إِلّا ثَوابُهُ أَو عِقابُ
All of that vanished, until nothing
All that vanished, and nothing
remained but his reward—or punishment.
remains but his reward or punishment.
عَسكَرٌan army جَنَّدواthey recruited فَلَيسَso it is not بِمَأذوpermitted (continued)
عَسكَرٌ جَنَّدوا فَلَيسَ بِمَأذو
نٍcompletes 'permitted' لَهُمto them عَنهُon his behalf إِنif يَكونَcomes to pass الحِسابُthe reckoning
نٍ لَهُم عَنهُ إِن يَكونَ الحِسابُ
They mustered an army, but its troops have no leave
An army they recruited; yet no permission is granted
to act for him when the Reckoning comes.
to them on his behalf if the reckoning comes.
فَرَأَيتُthen I saw الرِقابَthe necks مِنof أَهلِهِhis household ذَلْwere humbled (continued)
فَرَأَيتُ الرِقابَ مِن أَهلِهِ ذَلْ
لَتcompletes 'were humbled' وَعَزَّتand were exalted مِنof آخَرينَothers رقابُnecks
لَت وَعَزَّت مِن آخَرينَ رقابُ
I saw the necks of his own people brought low,
Then I saw the necks of his household
while the necks of others rose in honor.
humbled, and the necks of others exalted.
وَكَذاكَand likewise الزَمانُtime يَحدُهُdefines it فيin تَصworkings (continued)
وَكَذاكَ الزَمانُ يَحدُهُ في تَص
ريفِهِcompletes 'its workings' الذُلُّhumiliation وَالبَلاand affliction وَالخَرابُand ruin
ريفِهِ الذُلُّ وَالبَلا وَالخَرابُ
Thus Time drives him onward through its vicissitudes—
And so time, in its workings, is defined
abasement, decay, and ruin.
by humiliation, affliction, and ruin.
لَتَعَجَّبتُI marvelled indeed وَالَّذيand what مِنهُat it أُعجِبwas amazed (continued)
لَتَعَجَّبتُ وَالَّذي مِنهُ أُعجِب
تُI (verb ending) إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle نَظَرتُI looked شَيءٌa thing عُجابُwondrous
تُ إِذا ما نَظَرتُ شَيءٌ عُجابُ
I would indeed marvel—and that at which I marvel,
I marvelled indeed; and what amazed me,
whenever I reflect, is a wondrous thing:
when I looked, was a wondrous thing.
لَكَأَنَّindeed, as though الَّذيthe one who تَوَلّىtook over الَّذيwhat كاwas (continued)
لَكَأَنَّ الَّذي تَوَلّى الَّذي كا
نَcompletes 'was' عَلَيهِover it مُخَلَّدٌimmortal لاnot يُرابُis troubled
نَ عَلَيهِ مُخَلَّدٌ لا يُرابُ
as though the one who took over what had been
It is as though the one who took over what
his were immortal there, never to be troubled.
he had held were immortal, never troubled.
فِعلُهُhis conduct بَعدُهُafter him كَفِعلِlike the conduct of اِمرئٍa man لَيis not (continued)
فِعلُهُ بَعدُهُ كَفِعلِ اِمرئٍ لَي
سَcompletes 'is not' عَلَيهِupon him بَعدَafter المَماتِdeath حِسابُa reckoning
سَ عَلَيهِ بَعدَ المَماتِ حِسابُ
His conduct after him is like that of a man who
His conduct after him is like that of a man
faces no reckoning after death.
who faces no reckoning after death.
وَلَعَقلُand indeed the mind of الفَتىthe young man صَحيحٌsound وَلكِنand yet
وَلَعَقلُ الفَتى صَحيحٌ وَلكِن
حَيَّرَتهُbewildered him الأَوراقُthe silver coins وَالأَذهابُand the gold pieces
حَيَّرَتهُ الأَوراقُ وَالأَذهابُ
Surely the young man’s mind is sound, and yet
And the young man’s mind is indeed sound, but
silver and gold have bewildered him.
silver coins and gold pieces have bewildered him.
