كلeat منfrom الجاروشthe groats (coarse grain) والرand the rice (beginning)
كل من الجاروش والر
زrice (ending) ومنand from خبزِbread of الشعيرِthe barley
ز ومن خبزِ الشعيرِ
Eat groats and rice,
Both barley bread and rice
and barley bread.
And wheat bread made lawful
واجعَلَنand make sure ذاكthat حلالاًlawful
واجعَلَن ذاك حلالاً
تنجُyou will escape منfrom نارfire السعيرِthe blaze
تنجُ من نار السعيرِ
And make sure that is lawful;
Save yourself from hellfire
you will escape the blazing fire.
And seek your provision from the Lord of Majesty
والتمسand seek رزقكَyour livelihood منfrom ذيthe Possessor of الـthe
والتمس رزقكَ من ذي الـ
ـعرشThrone والربّand the Lord القديرِthe Almighty
ـعرش والربّ القديرِ
And seek your livelihood from Him who owns the
Though worldly luxury did not guide you
Throne and is the almighty Lord.
Away from the prince’s abode
وانأand keep away ماas far as اسطعتyou can هداكmay He guide you
وانأ ما اسطعت هداك
اللَهGod عنfrom دارthe house of الأميرِthe prince
اللَه عن دار الأميرِ
And keep away as far as you can—may you be guided
Do not visit it, shun it
by God—from the prince's house.
It is surely the worst of frauds
لاdo not تزرهاvisit it واجتنبهاand avoid it
لا تزرها واجتنبها
إنّهاit is شرُّthe worst مزورِplace visited
إنّها شرُّ مزورِ
Do not visit it, and avoid it:
It weakens faith and demeans you
it is the worst place to visit.
From the greatest of hopes
توهنُit weakens الدينfaith وتدنيـand draws near
توهنُ الدين وتدنيـ
ـكَyou (object suffix) منto الحوبsin الكبيرِgrave
ـكَ من الحوب الكبيرِ
It weakens faith and draws
Before you fall, o transient one
you close to grievous sin—
Into a deep well
قبلَbefore أنthat تسقُطَyou fall ياO معـapparently 'deluded' (word beginning)
قبلَ أن تسقُطَ يا معـ
ـرورُapparently 'deluded' (word ending) فيinto حفرةِa pit of بيرِa well
ـرورُ في حفرةِ بيرِ
before you fall, O deluded one,
And be content, o woe to you, with this lowly world
into a well-pit.
It is an abode of trials
وارضand be content ياO ويحكalas for you منfrom دنـworld (beginning)
وارض يا ويحك من دنـ
ـياكyour world (ending) بالقوتِwith sustenance اليسيرِscant
ـياك بالقوتِ اليسيرِ
And be content—alas for you!—in this world
And decline and deception
of yours with scant sustenance.
How many like you it laid low
إنّهاit is دارُan abode of بلاءٍtrial
إنّها دارُ بلاءٍ
وزوالٍand transience وغرورِand deception
وزوالٍ وغرورِ
It is an abode of trial,
Owners of palaces
and of transience and deception.
And nobles in gatherings and crowds
كمhow many لعمريby my life صرَعَتit struck down قبـbefore (beginning)
كم لعمري صرَعَت قبـ
ـلكbefore you (ending) أصحابَowners of القصورِthe palaces
ـلك أصحابَ القصورِ
How many, by my life, has it struck down before
They left it with no way to protest
you—owners of palaces,
How many chiefs and ministers
وذويand those of الهيئةdignified bearing فيin المجـthe assembly (beginning)
وذوي الهيئة في المجـ
ـلسassembly (ending) والجمعand the gathering الكثيرِlarge
ـلس والجمع الكثيرِ
and men of imposing bearing in the assembly
Lie dead inside the earth
and the large gathering!
And lowly forgotten slaves
أخرجواthey were taken out منهاfrom it فماand not كاwas (beginning)
أخرجوا منها فما كا
نَwas (ending) لديهمat their disposal منany نكيرِprotest
نَ لديهم من نكيرِ
They were taken out of it, and there
Whom I saw on the day they were uncovered
was no protest they could make.
We could not tell rich from poor
كمhow many ببطينin the belly of الأرضthe earth ثاوٍdwelling
كم ببطين الأرض ثاوٍ
منamong شريفٍa nobleman ووزيرِand a minister
من شريفٍ ووزيرِ
How many lie in the earth's belly—
They are silenced, equal in death
nobles and ministers,
Under stone vaults
وصغيرand lowly الشأنrank عبدٍa slave
وصغير الشأن عبدٍ
خاملobscure الذكرreputation حقيرِdespised
خامل الذكر حقيرِ
and slaves of lowly station,
Leveled by a Just King
obscure in name, despised!
Who wrongs no one
قدindeed تصفّحتI have examined قبورgraves of الـthe
قد تصفّحت قبور الـ
ـقومpeople فيon يومa day of العثيرِdust
ـقوم في يوم العثيرِ
I have examined the graves of the
Beware being laid low, o destitute
people on a dusty day.
By a tumultuous fate
لمdid not نميّزهمwe distinguish them ولمand did not نعـwe know (beginning)
لم نميّزهم ولم نعـ
ـرفknow (ending) غنيّاa rich person منfrom فقيرِa poor person
ـرف غنيّا من فقيرِ
We could not distinguish them, nor tell
Where are Pharaoh and Haman?
a rich man from a poor one.
And Nebuchadnezzar, lord of eagles?
خمدواthey died out فالقومُso the people صرعىfallen dead
خمدوا فالقومُ صرعى
تحتَbeneath أسقافroofs of الصخورِthe rocks
تحتَ أسقاف الصخورِ
They were extinguished; the people lie fallen
Do you not fear a frowning Day
beneath roofs of rock.
That pours misery?
واستوواand they became equal عندbefore مليكٍa Sovereign
واستووا عند مليكٍ
بمساويهمof their misdeeds خبيرِfully aware
بمساويهم خبيرِ
And they became equal before a Sovereign
Let evil pour upon it
fully aware of their misdeeds:
With the torment of sizzling
حكمٌa Judge عدلٌjust ولاand does not يظـwrong (beginning)
حكمٌ عدلٌ ولا يظـ
ـلمwrong (ending) مقدارَthe measure of النقيرِa date-stone's tiny hollow
ـلم مقدارَ النقيرِ
a just Judge, who does not wrong
anyone by so much as a date-stone's dimple.
احذرbeware الصرعةَthe downfall ياO مسـpoor one (beginning)
احذر الصرعةَ يا مسـ
ـكينpoor one (ending) منfrom دهرٍtime عثورِtreacherous
ـكين من دهرٍ عثورِ
Beware the downfall, O poor
soul, from treacherous time.
أينwhere فرعونPharaoh وهاماand Haman (beginning)
أين فرعون وهاما
نُHaman (ending) ونمرودُand Nimrod النسورِthe vultures
نُ ونمرودُ النسورِ
Where are Pharaoh and Haman,
and Nimrod of the vultures?
أوماand do you not تحذَرُfear منfrom يوday (beginning)
أوما تحذَرُ من يو
مٍday (ending) عبوسfrowning قمطريرِbitterly harsh
مٍ عبوس قمطريرِ
And do you not fear a day
frowning and bitterly harsh?
اقمطرّgrew fierce الشرّevil فيهwithin it
اقمطرّ الشرّ فيه
بعذابِwith the torment of الزمهَريرِbitter cold
بعذابِ الزمهَريرِ
Evil has grown fierce within it,
with the torment of bitter cold.
Partial English translation: 36 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1