إنif تَطُلgrows long لحيةٌa beard عليكon you وتعرضand grows broad
إن تَطُل لحيةٌ عليك وتعرض
فالمخاليthen the feedbags معروفةwell known للحميرِfor donkeys
فالمخالي معروفة للحميرِ
If a beard grows long and broad upon you,
If an overgrown beard falls upon you and persists
then feedbags are well known to be for donkeys.
Then the sheep sheds are well known to donkeys
علَّقhung اللهGod فيin عِذاريكyour two sideburns مِخْلاa feedbag (continued)
علَّق الله في عِذاريك مِخْلا
ةًcompletion of 'feedbag' ولكنهاbut it بغيرwithout شعيرِbarley
ةً ولكنها بغير شعيرِ
God has hung a feedbag from your two sideburns,
May God attach ticks in your beards
but it has no barley.
Though without any barley
لوif غداcame to be حكمهاthe decision about it إليّto me لطارتit would fly
لو غدا حكمها إليّ لطارت
فيin مهبّthe path of الرياحthe winds كلَّevery مَطيرِdirection of flight
في مهبّ الرياح كلَّ مَطيرِ
If the decision about it fell to me, it would fly
If governing them were up to me, they would fly
in the blowing winds, in every direction.
In the winds of rain, every downpour
ألْقِهاcast it off عنكَfrom you ياO طويلةُlong-bearded one أوْلىbetter
ألْقِها عنكَ يا طويلةُ أوْلى
فاحتسبْهاso reckon it شرارةًa spark فيin السعيرِthe blazing fire
فاحتسبْها شرارةً في السعيرِ
Cast it off, O long-bearded one—that is better;
Cast it off, O long-bearded one, that is best
so reckon it a spark in the blazing fire.
And consider it an ember in hellfire
أرعِlet graze فيهاin it الموسىthe razor فإنكfor you are منهاbecause of it
أرعِ فيها الموسى فإنك منها
شَهِدbears witness اللهGod فيin أثامٍsin كبيرِgreat
شَهِد الله في أثامٍ كبيرِ
Set the razor grazing through it, for because of it you are—
Shepherd in it Moses, for you are from it
God is witness—in grievous sin.
Witnessed by God in great sins
أيُّماany كَوْسَجscant-bearded man يراهاsees it فيلقَىand then meets
أيُّما كَوْسَج يراها فيلقَى
ربهhis Lord بعدهاafter seeing it صحيحَsound الضميرِconscience
ربه بعدها صحيحَ الضميرِ
Any scant-bearded man who sees it and then meets
Any old goat who sees it then meets
his Lord afterward with a sound conscience
His Lord after it with a clear conscience
هوhe أحرىmore likely بأنto يشكَّdoubt ويُغْرَىand be tempted
هو أحرى بأن يشكَّ ويُغْرَى
باتهامto accuse الحكيمthe All-Wise فيin التقديرِapportionment
باتهام الحكيم في التقديرِ
is more likely to doubt and be tempted
It is more fitting for him to doubt and be misled
to impugn the All-Wise's apportionment.
By accusing the Wise One in predestination
ماnot تلقّاكencountered you كوسجٌa scant-bearded man قطُّever إلّاexcept
ما تلقّاك كوسجٌ قطُّ إلّا
جَوَّرaccused of injustice اللهGod أيَّماthe utmost تجويرِaccusation of injustice
جَوَّر الله أيَّما تجويرِ
No scant-bearded man has ever encountered you without
No old goat has ever met you except
accusing God of injustice in the strongest terms.
That God corroded whatever corrosion
لحيةٌa beard أُهمِلتْwas neglected فسالتso flowed وفاضتْand overflowed
لحيةٌ أُهمِلتْ فسالت وفاضتْ
فإليهاso toward it تُشيرpoints كفُّthe hand المشيرِthe one pointing
فإليها تُشير كفُّ المشيرِ
A beard was neglected, so it flowed and overflowed;
A neglected beard flowed and overflowed
so the pointing hand points toward it.
To which the pointing finger directs
ماnot رأتهاhas seen it عينthe eye امرئٍof a man ماnot رآهاhad seen it
ما رأتها عين امرئٍ ما رآها
قطُّever إلاexcept أهلَّcried aloud بالتكبيرِwith 'God is greatest!'
قطُّ إلا أهلَّ بالتكبيرِ
No man has laid eyes on it for the first time
No eye of any man has ever seen it
without crying aloud, 'God is greatest!'
Except hailed the takbeer
روعةa terror تستخفُّهoverwhelms him لمnot يُرَعْهاwas frightened by it
روعة تستخفُّه لم يُرَعْها
منone who رأىsaw وجهَthe face مُنكَرMunkar ونَكيرِand Nakir
من رأى وجهَ مُنكَر ونَكيرِ
A terror that overwhelms him, never felt
An ugliness it belittles, not dreaded
by one who has seen the faces of Munkar and Nakir.
By one who saw the face of the Denier and Questioner
فاتّقِso fear اللهGod ذاpossessor of الجلالmajesty وغيِّرْand change
فاتّقِ الله ذا الجلال وغيِّرْ
منكراًsomething objectionable فيكin you ممكنَcapable of التغييرِchange
منكراً فيك ممكنَ التغييرِ
So fear God, Lord of Majesty, and change
So fear God, He of majesty, and change
a wrong in you that can be changed.
The forbidden in you, possible to change
أوor فقصِّرthen trim منهاof it فحسبُكso enough for you منهاof it
أو فقصِّر منها فحسبُك منها
نصفُhalf شبرٍa handspan علامةَas a sign التذكيرِmaleness
نصفُ شبرٍ علامةَ التذكيرِ
Or else trim it: enough of it for you is
Or shorten from it, and suffice you from it
half a handspan, as a mark of manhood.
Half a hand span, sign of the Reminder
لوif رأىhad seen مثلهاits like النبيُّthe Prophet لأجرىhe would have established
لو رأى مثلها النبيُّ لأجرى
فيamong لحىbeards الناسpeople سُنَّةa customary practice التقصيرِtrimming
في لحى الناس سُنَّة التقصيرِ
Had the Prophet seen its like, he would have established
If the Prophet saw the like of it, he would institute
the practice of trimming people's beards,
In the beards of people, the tradition of shortening
واستحبَّand would have favored الإحفاءَclose cropping فيهنin them والحَلْand shaving (continued)
واستحبَّ الإحفاءَ فيهن والحَلْ
قcompletion of 'shaving' مكانin place of الإعفاءletting grow freely والتوفيرِand letting grow full
ق مكان الإعفاء والتوفيرِ
and favored close cropping of them and shaving,
And preferred trimness in them and shaving
instead of letting them grow long and full.
In place of negligence and waste
Sol 6.1