ياO ابنَson of الأُلىthose whose خُلقَتwere created فضائِلُهُمtheir virtues
يا ابنَ الأُلى خُلقَت فضائِلُهُم
ألاnot to تُنالَbe encompassed بأبلَغِby the most eloquent الوَصفِdescription
ألا تُنالَ بأبلَغِ الوَصفِ
O son of those whose virtues were fashioned
O son of those whose virtues were created
never to be encompassed by the most eloquent praise.
not to be encompassed by the most eloquent description.
فإِذاso when الوَرىhumankind رامواthey seek لَهاfor them عَدَداًa count
فإِذا الوَرى راموا لَها عَدَداً
قامُواthey managed بِواحِدةٍwith one مِنout of الألفِthe thousand
قامُوا بِواحِدةٍ مِن الألفِ
And should humankind attempt to number them,
So when people seek to count them,
they would manage but one of a thousand.
they manage only one out of a thousand.
أناI منbecause of زَمانيmy time فيin تَقلُّبِهits changing fortunes
أنا من زَماني في تَقلُّبِه
ماas long as عِشتُI live مِنهbecause of it عَلىon شَفاthe brink of جرفِa cliff
ما عِشتُ مِنه عَلى شَفا جرفِ
As for me, amid all my age’s vicissitudes,
I, amid my time’s changing fortunes,
whatever I have lived of it was on a precipice’s brink.
stand, because of it, on a cliff’s brink as long as I live.
Sol 6.1